|
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 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 |
