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The Importance of Introduction
Here's an article from Jo Martin on introducing other speakers. We're coming up to our Supercharge your Presentation Skills day soon (28th September) in Exeter, so this seemed apt!
Knowing how to introduce a speaker is a very important skill and although it seems very simple and straightforward, there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye.
The Purpose of Introductions
There are three main reasons to introduce a speaker correctly. The first is to grab hold of the audience’s attention,the second is to entice the audience to pay attention, and the third is to build up the credibility of the speaker. A successful MC will have the audience wanting to buy from this person even before they've stepped onstage.
Profiling The Audience
People who attend seminars come from diverse backgrounds, and have different purposes and reasons for being there. It’s the job of the MC or the person doing the introduction to pull the audience together to be present and focused.
Engaging The Audience
It’s important also to establish the credibility of the speaker. You build the speaker up and make them look fabulous. You want the audience to be feeling really, really great and very blessed to have this particular person in front of them. The aim is to get an audience wanting to work closely with the speaker even before they go on stage
Audience
You need to build rapport with your audience to capture their attention. You need to let them know what’s coming and why they really should listen to this person.
The Plot
Once you’ve prepared your introductions, you don’t want to just be reading out notes on stage necessarily. You want to have the basics written and you want to know what key words the speaker wants you to use in their introduction. It’s that information that you will be using to connect with the audience
Tell The Audience Who You Are
I see this mistake a lot - the MC will get up and forget to introduce themselves. It’s important to tell people who you are and why you’re up on the stage. The only exception to not telling the audience who you are is if it’s all ready been done.
Our Next Speaker Is...
Make sure before you go on stage that you know the speaker’s name by heart and you know how to pronounce it. There’s nothing worse than pronouncing a speaker’s name incorrectly.
Summary
This week, why not pretend you are MC-ing for another speaker and see you can start to practice the above points.
Would you like to use this article on your website or in your ezine? You can, as long as the information below stays intact.
About the author:
Dr Joanna Martin
Dr Joanna Martin is an internationally acclaimed speaker and sought-after educator who has taught over 40,000 people on three continents. She is also the author of the new book "The Lifestyle Shift".
Today, she trains entrepreneurs and professionals alike in key communication, leadership, and presentation skills. With her partner Greg, through their business, Shift Lifestyle they provide strategy and support for business owners who want a lifestyle, not just a living.
For more information go to: www.ShiftSpeakerTraining.com
