Speaking Tips: Your Introduction

Speaking Tips straight from my Speaker's School

1.  Always email your introduction ahead of time to the meeting planner and ask for the name of the person who will be introducing you. Highlight the important parts or the humorous parts, then brief the introducer on how you would like it to be read. Explain they should not deviate from the written copy.

2.  A good introduction should tell the audience who you are and why you're qualified on the subject. It should create interest in what you're going to be speaking about. Include your honors but not your résumé.

3.  Bad introductions range from "This speaker needs no introduction," to "Here's _________," or (the worst) actually telling the audience that they're going to laugh and cry.

4.  Concluders:  Many speakers print a concluder on the back of the introduction sheet. This allows a speaker to exit the stage and go to the product table while the introducer is reminding the audience to fill out the evaluation forms, pass them in, meet the speaker at the back table, etc.

Looking for more speaking tips? Want to become a professional speaker? Attend my Speaker's School! I hold three sessions every year in September, February, and April. Visit my website now for more details.