The following article is one written by a guest. Craig Strachan of www.craigstrachan.com has written this insightful article about speaker introductions. Enjoy.
The other day I heard a speaker being introduced. The MC made a complete mess of it. The worst part of the whole introduction was that the speaker was welcomed to the lectern by a clearly unprepared introduction. This left the poor speaker standing in the middle of the stage in an awkward position. The speaker didn’t know if it was time to walk up to the microphone or exit the stage and let the presenter finish!
This has happened to me, and I don’t want it to happen to you. Here are a few tips for introducing a speaker:
- Check if they have their own written introduction - most experienced speakers will.
- If they do have a written introduction, use it and stick to it.
- Keep the introduction short and to the point - no more than a minute or two.
- Be clear when you are calling the speaker to the stage, welcome them (a simple handshake will do), handover, and get off the stage.
- Don’t steal any thunder from the speaker. If you have heard them before, don’t mention too much about their topic, or the great joke they told - you don’t want to steal their thunder (unless they specifically ask you to mention something).
- If the speaker has a name that is difficult to pronounce, ask them how to pronounce their name, and be sure to get it right. Write it out phonetically if necessary.
- Remember, the audience is there to hear the speaker, not you.
By following these guidelines, you will introduce any speaker in a simple yet professional manner.
Thanks for reading. Please pass this information to anyone who can make good use of it.
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