Hook # 1: The Personal Assassination
If You Don’t Nail the First 5 Seconds, You’ve Already Lost.
That’s all you get.
Five seconds to prove you’re worth listening to. Five seconds to slice through distractions, silence the mental noise, and make your audience lock eyes with you — not their phones.
And the only tool sharp enough for that job? A killer hook.
Over the last eight years of public speaking, I’ve learned how to craft openings that make people lean forward, not scroll away — hooks that are impossible to ignore.
In this article, I’m handing you 9 battle-tested hook types that work like magic. Most of these you’ve never heard of before, so grab your notes — this is the stuff they don’t teach in your average speaking course.
Let’s dive in.
Believe it or not, throwing yourself under the bus can be the smartest move on stage.
Here’s how Matt Abraham started his TED talk:
People hate me. People fear me.
Wait — what?
No normal person opens a speech like that. Which is exactly why it works.
This kind of unexpected self-attack hijacks the brain’s attention system. It triggers novelty. It sparks confusion. It opens up a curiosity gap the audience has to close.
Why is he hated? What did he do? Where is this going?
That’s the hook working on multiple levels.
- Think of a brutally honest, even negative, statement about yourself.
- Say it with zero sugarcoating. Let it sting.
- Then slowly reveal the context — and flip the script to show your growth, intention, or redemption.
The discomfort holds their attention. The reveal earns their trust.
Here’s how Monatana Von Fliss opened her TEDx talk:
Picture this, you’re going on a boat trip and you get on board with your family and you get your bags and the captain comes out…
In a few seconds, the audience is no longer in their chairs. They’re on the boat.
This is the power of the “imaginative tour” — a hook that doesn’t just grab attention, it transports.
It works because:
- It makes your audience the main character in the story.
- It taps into multiple senses — sight, sound, motion.
- It lowers resistance. Asking someone to “imagine” bypasses skepticism and pulls them in naturally.
- Start with the problem your talk is going to solve.
- Now build a short scene around it: What’s the character feeling? What mistakes are they making? How are others reacting?
- Make your audience either become that character — or watch someone else go through it.
That’s how imaginative tours hook minds — and hearts.
Stories aren’t just entertaining — they’re biological attention magnets.
Neuroscience shows that engaging narratives trigger the release of oxytocin, the “bonding hormone.” This builds trust and empathy between speaker and listener — and that emotional connection makes your message unforgettable.
Look at how Dr. Evan Joseph opens his TED talk: The skill of self confidence.
In my past life as a soccer coach, once you win a national championship everybody wants to play for you. Really not true, once you pay them …
The phrase “In my past life” signals a story is coming. Then, just as the audience settles into that reality, he breaks it with a twist: “Really not true.” That tension grabs attention and builds intrigue.
This kind of smart storytelling is a big reason why that talk racked up over 30 million views.
- Think of a personal (or relatable) story that connects to your topic.
- Start with a curiosity-triggering line — something that hints at drama, surprise, or contradiction.
- Keep it brief but vivid — enough to paint a scene and tease a lesson.
Humans are wired for story. Use that wiring to your advantage.
Picture this: A young teacher stands in front of a room full of restless high school students. Her notes are ready — but she doesn’t use them. Instead, she asks:
“What if the next Einstein is sitting in this room right now?”
Suddenly — silence.
Heads lift.
Phones go dark.
That single question changed the energy in the room.
Why does this work?
Because great questions don’t just ask for answers. They stir emotion. They force introspection. And they make your audience feel personally involved.
- Start by choosing the emotion you want to trigger — curiosity, hope, frustration, wonder.
- Then craft a question that activates that emotion.
Look at how Peter Sage opens his Tedx talk with frustruation:
Why is it that intelligent people procrastinate? Why is it that people that are so self-motivated often self-sabotage?
And how Roderick Jeter sparks hope in his TEDx talk.
Why be angry? What if we knew how to resolve our disagreements with the one we love in just minutes?
The best questions don’t demand answers — they demand attention.
A metaphor is like a shortcut through a dense forest — it turns complex ideas into something instantly relatable.
Let’s say your topic is information overload.
Without metaphor:
“We’re constantly exposed to massive amounts of data that hinder our focus.”
With metaphor:
“Being constantly exposed to massive data is like trying to hear a whisper in a room full of shouting voices — it drowns out our focus.”
Now your audience doesn’t just hear your point — they see it, feel it, and relate to it.
Want to see this in action? Check out how Fredrik Imbo starts his TEDx Talk:
Welcome, welcome, welcome to this match.
This match will take exactly 18 minutes.
okay, and you’re all part of the same team.
Suddenly, the talk isn’t a talk — it’s a game. The audience isn’t passive — they’re players. And their brains are now flooded with questions: What kind of match? Who are we playing? What are the rules?
- Identify the core theme of your talk.
- Find a vivid metaphor that mirrors it — and build a scene around it.
- Use it to evoke emotion, create shared experience, and spark curiosity.
A well-placed metaphor doesn’t just inform — it transports.
Want to jolt your audience out of autopilot? Start by busting a belief they’ve held for years.
Myth-busting is one of the most effective hooks in public speaking. Why? Because it creates surprise, makes your audience feel smarter, and instantly signals that your talk will challenge the status quo.
Here’s how Karen Faith’s opens her TED talk: How to talk to the worst part of yourself?
It isn’t true what they say that you can’t love anyone until you love yourself. Have you heard that? People say you have to love yourself before you love anybody else. But its not true. I loved everybody before I loved myself. Love doesn’t care which way you come…
She takes a widely accepted idea and calmly flips it on its head.
Result? Instant engagement. People perk up. They want to hear why she’s saying this — and what else might not be true.
This hook works because it:
- Challenges your audience’s assumptions
- Signals original insight
- Creates an irresistible curiosity gap
You’ve got two powerful options:
- The Creative Way:
Boldly list the myths. Then shatter them with one clean strike. Like this: “They say confidence is natural. That good speakers are born. That nerves mean you’re not ready. All of that is wrong.” - The Direct Way:
Present one myth, then disprove it clearly and calmly — just like Karen Faith.
Either way, myth-busting tells your audience: “You’re about to hear something you’ve never heard before. And that’s a promise they’ll want you to keep.
This one’s my personal favorite. And also — the scariest.
Why? Because pulling it off takes guts. You’re not just saying something bold… You’re doing something bold.
But when it works, a visual hook doesn’t just grab attention — it etches you into memory.
Take Joe Rosser, for example. He kicked off his TEDx talk by getting down into a plank position. No intro. No small talk. Just — plank.
Here’s why visual activities are so powerful:
- They engage multiple senses: sight, sound, motion
- They trigger surprise — our brains can’t ignore the unexpected
- They turn your audience into active observers, not passive listeners
A well-executed visual hook creates a pattern interrupt. It wakes people up. And it makes your message stick — long after the talk is over.
- Choose an object, gesture, or action that visually represents your core idea.
- Make it unexpected — but relevant.
- Practice it until it feels natural (so you don’t freeze up on stage).
- Then commit to it. Fully.
Yes, it’s bold. Yes, it takes courage. But the reward? You’ll be remembered.
Humans are hardwired to notice threats more than rewards.
It’s called negativity bias — our brains evolved to prioritize danger, bad news, and conflict. Why? Because it helped us survive.
That’s why when a speaker opens with:
“Most people will fail at what they set out to do this year.”
every ear perks up.
Wait… what? Fail? Me?
Instant attention. The brain sees this as important, urgent, and potentially dangerous.
Here’s how Jocko Willink begins his TEDx Talk on Extreme Ownership.
“War is a nightmare. War is awful. It is indifferent and devastating and evil. War is hell.”
No sugar-coating. No build-up. Just a cold, brutal reality — served upfront. And it works.
- It triggers the brain’s alert system
- It creates an emotional hook: fear, anxiety, guilt, shame
- It sets up a contrast — a dark beginning that makes the solution feel even more powerful
- Identify the deepest pain or darkest belief your audience holds.
- Then say it. Bluntly. Boldly. Without apology.
The stronger the statement, the stronger the grip on their attention.
Because once you shine a light on the dark, they can’t look away.
If negativity grabs attention, appreciation wins hearts. It’s simple psychology: We like people who like us.
And when your audience likes you, they want to hear your story. They root for your message.
Watch how Caroline Goyder opens her TEDx Talk:
“I’m looking at you and you look like a really nice bunch. There’s been such great energy. I was sitting here for 5 minutes and it just feels great in this room. And you look really friendly enough so thankyou.
It’s not scripted. It’s not formal. It’s just genuine warmth.
That moment builds trust, lowers defenses, and makes the audience think: “I like this person.”
- Builds instant connection
- Makes you likable and relatable
- Creates a safe space for deeper storytelling
- Find a quality your audience shares — energy, curiosity, resilience, humor
- Elevate that quality — make it feel rare, special, powerful
- Most importantly: mean it. Authenticity is what makes appreciation land.
A little heartfelt praise goes a long way. And it’s one of the easiest ways to win the room.
In a world overflowing with content, attention is the new currency — and the hook is your golden key.
It’s not just the first line; it’s your first impression, your handshake, your spark.
Master the art of the hook, and you won’t just capture attention — you’ll command it. Because in the end, it’s not the loudest voice that wins, but the one that makes people stop, lean in, and say, “Tell me more.”