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One of the greatest gifts we can give a speaker is a powerful and gracious introduction. Through the introduction, we honor the speaker, prepare the audience, and set the mood. We let the audience know their time will not be wasted. They will instead benefit greatly from the speaker’s story, expertise and style.
What does your speaker introduction need to include? Glad you asked!
- Novelty. Introduce something new about your speaker. This isn’t about listing off the person’s credentials. Instead, include something remarkable about your speaker (or yourself)! What life experiences brought them to this subject matter? Was he or she creating toy rockets in the backyard as a child before becoming an astronaut? Share something personal so your audience members feel they know this person better.
- Credibility. Share a couple of the significant reasons your speaker is the person to listen to. Make sure these reasons are connected to the topic.
- Emotion. Help your audience empathize with the speaker and his topic by making the human connection. Even if your speaker is talking about the latest research on plastic bags, put a human face on it. This helps create that “warmth” that is so essential to establish right from the start.
- Connection. Share your personal connection to the speaker or the topic. Give the speaker your stamp of approval.
- Relevance. What will the audience learn and walk away with? What’s in it for them? How will their lives improve as a result of this presentation?
And remember, the introduction is about the speaker, so let that person be the center of attention! Be light hearted, brief, and show your audience you’re excited and honored to present your speaker for their listening and viewing pleasure!
I would love to support you. Please contact me at Andrea@AndreaBeaulieu.com
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