Expertly Introducing a Speaker
Events, off-sites, team gatherings, and other experiences often include speakers external to the group. It falls to leaders to set the context for the presentation and to introduce the speaker to a group or audience. This seems simple and straightforward. But looks can be deceiving.
The introduction plays a bigger role than most leaders realize, as it sets the frame from which the remarks will be judged. Introductions create important context. Whatever gets highlighted in the introduction is remembered in the background as the audience connects the expertise of the speaker to the content of the presentation.
The relationship between the speaker and the introducer, if there is one, also influences the believability of what gets said or discussed in the presentation. So, good leaders take the introduction much more seriously than others do.
As introductions go, audiences don’t value or favor a long list of accolades, positions, and awards. Reading from a promotional blurb or profile is a weak move and doesn’t create the context most speakers need and desire.
The better call is to select a few impressive facts and to comment on them as they apply to the audience or the event. By asking the presenter for some items they are most proud of, the introducer can highlight those and draw a more personal connection to them.
Describing how the presenter came to be selected, what the introducer has learned from them, or why they are the perfect person to present at the event is a touch often used by good introducers. Anything that makes the presenter more human, more knowable, and approachable sets the stage in a positive way.
Good introducers don’t get cute, tell embarrassing stories about the presenter, or do anything that will detract from the presentation. Instead, they ask themselves what information they might share that will make the speaker more believable and their remarks more valuable.
Priming an audience to learn and appreciate what a speaker can offer begins with the introduction. It is often taken for granted or overlooked, and fails to create a context that encourages full participation.
Introductions matter. Treat them as stage-setting devices that allow presentations to sing. Everyone benefits when you do.
This is super practical and insightful for leaders.
Love how you've thought through the basic relational aspect of what should be accomplished by an introduction. Amazing how so many introductions are cringe and we haven't established best practices in the face of obvious and ubiquitous cringe.