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Here’s an excerpt of a typical speaker
introduction:
“Joe Smith is President of the Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Realtors, and
is President Emeritus of the Auxiliary
Firefighters Fund of the Central Plains. He
graduated in the lower half of his class from
Central State University with a major in Car
Wash Administration and a Minor in Box Carving.
He loves to hunt (and drink) wild turkey.
His
lovely wife Cindy is active in their church.
They have three children, John Jr., Bubba, and
Earlene.”
Here’s what the audience typically hears.
“Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah.
Wild turkey.
Blah, Blah. . . . . .”
As the introducer, your job is to whet the
audience’s appetite, not bore them with a long
recitation of the speaker’s career. So when
making the introduction, briefly touch on a
couple of relevant facts about the speaker’s
career, tell a quick relevant story, and turn
over the podium. That’s it!
We recommend a simple Formula.
Facts:
Give two or three relevant facts about the
speaker’s career.
Topic:
State the topic for the speaker’s presentation.
Story:
Tell a story about the speaker and his topic.
The more personal the story the better.
Wrap:
Wrap up and introduce.
With that in mind, what would a good speaker
introduction sound like?
Facts:
“Joe Smith has spent the last 20 years of his
life helping his accounting clients save money.
He started working for Arthur Young, opened his
own firm, and now is chairman of the Central
Savings and Loan.”
Topic:
“His topic today is 'Strategies for Successfully
Managing Your Business.'”
Story:
I know he is qualified because three years
ago, we hired him at our small business to help
us increase profits. He spent a week poring
over our books and speaking with all of our top
managers. He sat down with me and suggested
three major initiatives to turn our business
around. We implemented all three and our
business has never been stronger.
Wrap:
I know that he will help us all today with his
enlightening comments. Please welcome Joe Smith.
Follow this simple formula and you’ll have the
audience eager to hear from your speaker, not
falling asleep before the speaker even starts.
At Speechworks we help our clients learn how
to communicate in a way that connects and
persuades. If you’re interested in becoming a
great communicator give us a call at
404-266-0888 or check out our website at
www.speechworks.net |
