5 Good Tips for Introducing a Speaker

Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

First impressions are the most important. But most public speakers do not have the chance to shape the audience’s first impression of them, because more often than not, they are being introduced by someone else. Therefore it is the responsibility of the introducer to deliver a good, effective introduction.

The Goals of a Good Introduction

As the person introducing the speaker, you want to achieve the following goals:

to provide a brief introduction of the speaker to the audience and to establish the speaker’s credibility with respect to the topic (i.e. what makes him/her qualified to speak);
to make the speaker feel welcome;
to provide a segue between the preceding segment of the program (if any) and the speaker’s segment, and set the overall tone for the speaker’s remarks;
to “warm up” the audience and make them receptive by focusing their attention on the speaker and piquing their interest in the topic;
to establish a rapport between the stage and the audience;
to express gratitude to the speaker, on behalf of the organizers and the audience, for accepting the invitation to speak.

Points to Remember

1. Keep it short and sweet. Remember that you are only up there to introduce the star attraction, not to hog the limelight yourself. Just tell them who the speaker is, what the topic is and why this person is qualified to speak on the topic. At the very most, your introduction should not run longer than a couple of minutes. Get on, introduce the speaker, get off.

2. Don’t paraphrase the subject matter. But do explain why this topic is important to the listeners. Leave the topic to the speaker – that’s why you asked this person to be here. He/She is the expert, so let them do the talking.

3. Get your facts straight. Ask the speaker if he/she would care to prepare an introduction for you to use. If not, verify any details you are using, such as the speaker’s degrees, years of experience, etc., with the speaker beforehand. And be absolutely certain of the pronunciation of the speaker's name.

4. Be enthusiastic in your delivery. Keep it interesting. Your speaker, or his/her family, friends or colleagues should be able to provide you with an interesting anecdote which will provide a more personal touch.

5. Approach humor with caution. If there is even the slightest doubt in your mind about the appropriateness or relevancy of a joke or humorous remark, AVOID IT. In most cases, wit is preferable to humor, and in better taste.