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How to Introduce a Speaker
Robert Green DTM
Date : 16-06-2005
Even an experienced and accomplished speaker can be nervous when speaking
before a group and an introduction can either set the scene for a
successful presentation or leave the speaker flat-footed and struggling to
regain the attention of their audience and the convey their message.
As the person introducing the speaker, your role is to set the scene for
the speaker. In practice this means you should:
Establish the Identity
Nothing can be more off-putting than getting the name of the speaker you
are introducing wrong. Prior to introducing the speaker, take the
opportunity to introduce yourself to the speaker and ensure that you have
their name correct. Do not assume that the program or notes that the
meeting organiser has given you are correct; always take the time to
confirm with the presenter.
If the speaker has a name for which the pronunciation is not clear, also
confirm with the speaker the correct way to say their name. Even if the
speakers name appears easy to pronounce, confirm the correct
pronunciation.
The credentials of the speaker are important for the audience; they inform
the audience why they should be listening to this presentation and the
authority of the speaker to discuss the issue.
It is important that you do not overwhelm the audience with details about
the speaker. Many presenters have a host of experience in their field,
select one or two most relevant points to establish the authority of the
speaker without going into so much detail that the audience loses interest
in the introduction.
For Example: Our speaker tonight is Dr John Anderson, holder of a PhD in
Economics from Oxford University and author of the best selling book “How
to make money for no effort”.
Ensure that you allow enough time when talking to the speaker to gather
enough information to be able to establish their background. A speaker at
a conference may have already provided a biography statement for the
program which can also be a useful resource.
You may wish to provide a little background information about the purpose
or objectives of the presentation, such as why has the speaker been asked
to present to the group.
For Example: “For those of us involved in Information Technology training
it is a constant battle to stay up to date with changes. To inform us
about the latest developments in computers …”
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Warm up the Audience
Critical to the success of an introduction is to understand your audience.
Questions worth considering include:
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Are their dignitaries in the audience that need to be acknowledged?
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What do you your audience hope to get out of attending this event?
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How long has they been together as a group?
Your opening comment as a person giving the introduction should be to
thank the person who handed control of the session/event to yourself, or
if you gained control of the meeting yourself, to thank your audience.
If there are dignitaries in the room that have not been acknowledged,
ensure that you acknowledge them in the correct order based on protocol,
which is generally the most important down. For example, you would
acknowledge the Premier before the Lord Mayor as the Premier represents
more people.
Ensure that you know the correct title for the dignitaries, for example: a
Minister of the Government is referred to as “The Honourable”, the
Governor of a state as “His/Her Excellency”. Understanding the purpose of
the event will allow you to relate the presentation you are introducing to
your audience.
For example: As doctors we all need to communicate difficult messages to
clients, our training involved finding problems and fixing them, but not
dealing with people. Today’s presentation on “Communicating with Empathy”
….
Try to gain an understanding of the group dynamics, a group that has
worked together for a long time will have a different dynamic to a group
of conference delegates. The conference delegates will act as a group
differently at the opening session of a conference to they way they will
interact 3 days into the conference.
If a speaker is delivering a serious presentation on a topic, for example
Child Abuse, it would be inappropriate to include humour in your
introduction. It is important for you as the person making the
introduction to ensure that your introduction mirrors the tone of the
presentation that is to follow.
In some cases the speaker you are presenting may have spoken to the
audience previously, if so it is appropriate for you as the person making
the introduction to remind the audience of the previous presentation,
particularly if this presentation is linked to the previous one.
For example: Earlier today, John delivered a presentation on “Managing
your time effectively”, which leads in to this presentation on “Setting
your Priorities and Goals”.
Finally
Introduce the title of the presentation repeat the name of the speaker,
and lead a warm round of applause as the speaker takes centre stage.
For Example: “… With his presentation entitled From Farm house to White
house please welcome Bill Clinton” (applause)
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