Tailor-made introductions set the stage for speakers

What sets the tone of speech, creates a sense of anticipation, positions you as the expert, generates interest and grabs attention? The introduction.

Whether you are introducing your guest at a club meeting, presenting the speaker at an awards banquet or meeting 40 strangers for the first time, the introduction is the tool that makes the difference. A good introduction doesn't happen by chance. Planning your introduction will give you results.

Introducing yourself

Many professionals belong to networking groups where they stand and introduce themselves. Instead of using the same speech every meeting, create several 30-second introductions tailored to different groups.

For example, if you sell insurance and you are introducing yourself at the Classic Car Club, then your introduction should mention that you insure classic cars. If you are a banker and you are in front of small business owners, mention the SBA loans you have available. Find out something specific about the group and how you can serve them, and make that evident in your introduction.

The biggest mistake is stage hogging. It's OK to make a statement about an upcoming event but it shouldn't take up more than a few extra seconds. If you have several announcements, spare the details and bring along brochures or flyers. Let the group know that they can get more information after the meeting, or ask the emcee to make the announcements before introductions begin.

Introducing your guest

Don't leave it to chance when you bring a guest. There is no better opportunity for a guest to shine than when you strategically formulate an introduction showcasing her talents. For example, I invited Stacy Boysen-Krauck, the marketing consultant for Absolutionz, to a National Speaker's Association meeting in St. Louis Missouri. The program that day was about how to create a dynamic Web site.

Obviously, the people in the audience were there because they were interested in Web development and how it impacts their business. Rather than randomly introducing Stacy and reciting the name of her company, I specifically mentioned that she had more than 10 years of marketing experience, including media buying and advertising, and now works for one of the nation's cutting-edge Web development companies.

The added marketing experience gave my guest increased credibility in front of 70 speakers looking to improve their Web sites.

Introducing the Speaker

Some of the same rules apply when introducing the speaker at an awards banquet or seminar. It is your responsibility as the introducer to make sure the speaker has a planned intro. A prepared introduction sets the stage and lets the audience know who the speaker is and what topic he is speaking on.

An introduction shouldn't be much longer than one minute. Give the speaker's credentials and other meaningful information, and don't build the speaker up so much that he is a let down to the audience. Leave out the things that aren't pertinent to the audience.

Talk to the speaker a few days in advance to see what is necessary for preparation. Interview the speaker and use the "TIP" formula Topic, Impor-tance to the audience, and Personal information to create your outline.

What if you are dealing with a professional speaker? Most professional speakers come prepared with a written introduction and may already have someone in mind to do the introduction. If that happens to be you, make sure you have rehearsed the introduction and know how to pronounce every word, including the speaker's name.

Stick to your script. Don't ad lib or give away additional information. Doing otherwise means you steal his thunder and disappoint the audience.

(Marlene Chism is president of ICARE Presentations in Springfield.)