Tips on Introducing

speakersYuri Rashkin © 2015

What is the goal of introduction?

• When you are introducing a speaker, your primary

goal is to prepare the audience and get them

excited for what they are about to hear.

Before you startAnswer these three core questions:

• What is the topic?

• Why is this topic important for this audience?

• Why is the speaker qualified to deliver this talk?

By answering these questions in your introduction,

you’ve given the audience a motivation for listening,

and you’ve reinforced the speaker’s credibility.

How to open?• Grab the audience's attention with a great opening.

This can be an inspiring quote, a humorous

anecdote (?), or an impressive milestone the

speaker has achieved.

Do not…• Speak at length about the topic the speaker is

addressing. Speak briefly, but don't reveal too

much about his or her speech.

• Steal the show by making the introduction too long

(60 seconds or less is sufficient), or by speaking on a

topic that is in no way related to the speaker.

During the introduction…• Establish the speaker's authority and expertise. This

information will help solidify with the audience the

speaker's credibility as a subject matter expert.

How should you act?Set the tone. Remember, the audience takes cues

from you. If you seem disinterested, they will be

disinterested. If you are (genuinely) positive and

enthusiastic, they will be too. Your choice of words,

voice, gestures, and facial expressions should all

convey enthusiasm.

What does it mean to be enthusiastic?

Getting to know you…• If the speaker is previously unknown to you — get to

know the speaker. Google them. Talk with them.

Ask others about them. Research the speaker and

their expertise until you are excited by the

opportunity to introduce them.

And here is…• A sure way to undermine your own credibility and

that of the speaker is to mispronounce their name,

the title of their presentation, or any other key terms.

Fix: This is easily avoided through practice and by

confirming the correct pronunciation with the

speaker before the presentation.

Know Numbers• Being accurate is as important as correct

pronunciation, perhaps more so. Make sure you

know the precise years, facts, or details.

Danger: If you make factual errors, many speakers

will feel an irresistible compulsion to

correct you. This is a lousy way for them to

begin their speech, and will almost

certainly kill their momentum.

To be or not to be funny?Pros

• Humor can lighten the mood and relax the

audience and the speaker.

• Used early in the introduction, humor can lift spirits

of the audience.

Cons:

• Humor can be viewed as offensive.

• Jokes can be distracting.

• Jokes can be not funny

Be relevant• A common mistake is to recite a lengthy list of

biographical details (education, awards, former job

titles, publications, etc.) which may or may not be

relevant to the topic being presented.

Keep clapping• Etiquette dictates that you should wait for the main

speaker to come to you - on the stage, or at the

lectern - and then shake hands before you leave.

You should applaud until the speaker reaches you.

(Shaking hands is a symbolic gesture that

indicates you are “handing the floor” to them.)

Be prepared.• Know where the speaker will be as you speak your

last words so that you can turn in that direction to

greet them.

• Occasionally, the speaker may have a special

entrance planned such as entrance music, a

staged stunt, something with a prop. Make sure

you ask the speaker about this, and do whatever

you can to support them in a successful entrance.

Control your voice• Your vocal delivery – strength and volume – should

build toward the end of your introduction.

Fix: One effective way to do this is to end with

the speaker’s name and explicitly

encourage applause: “Ladies and

gentlemen, please join me in welcoming

our guest speaker, Bobby McGee!”

What do you think?

Is this a good example of an introduction or not?

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n8pQl-2c1M

Two videos to summarize

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGji-AyPW3s

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddsIBjK23Ic