Will you be introducing a speaker? You may sabotage their success without knowing it.
I was excited to hear a new speaker who was touted to be a good presenter. I turned on the video. What I saw first, was the person introducing the speaker. He was a terrible presenter and listening to him was like having all the oxygen leave the room. He didn’t prepare the audience to receive the main speaker. Instead, I was focused on the introducer’s poor public speaking skills.
Here are 6 mistakes that can derail a speaker introduction.
Dispassionate-This is the cardinal sin. I once spoke at 8:00 a.m. for a local association. The person they assigned to introduce me had no energy, no excitement and dispassionately read from a paper. No thanks! I’d rather introduce myself. The introducer is the warm-up act. A lack of energy communicates that the upcoming speaker isn’t worth hearing. And the main speaker then has to work much harder to energize the audience. In other words, the speaker has to do damage control
Too Long-People came to hear the main speaker. Even if the introducer is a good public speaker, the audience doesn’t want to sit through a long introduction. They want to hear the speaker’s message and be entertained. Get right into it and keep it short. One speaker wanted his introduction to be “Here’s Bobby”.
Unfocused Movement-A good speaker introduction is one minute or less. There is no reason for the introducer to move or pace the room. Stay planted in one spot to draw in the audience. They should be listening to the introduction and not watching the introducer’s movement.
Reading a Bio-A biography is not an introduction. This is a speaking engagement not a job interview. The audience doesn’t want a resume. Instead, use the TAPS formula. Mention the Topic, a few Achievements, something Personal and funny, and end with the Speakers name.
Poor Amplification- Check the microphone and know where to stand before you walk to the front of the room. If you move out of range you can get screechy feedback from the mic. Find the right distance so that your consonants don’t make a popping sound. Test the volume. You don’t want the audience to strain to hear the introduction.
Nothing Personal-An audience wants the content but also wants to know the speaker on a personal level. Think of what you can share. Does the speaker have a passion or an unusual hobby? Did you go to college together? Help the audience to create a connection with the speaker.
Introducing a speaker is an important role. You can either make or break the experience for the audience by your introduction. Remember, it’s about the speaker, not you. So give a knockout presentation and set them up for success!