This is a presentation I put together for the public speaking class - Comm 110 - I'm teaching at UW - Whitewater. Hope some of these tips will be of use to you.

1. Tips on
Introducing
speakers
Yuri Rashkin © 2015

2. What is the goal of
introduction?
• When you are introducing a speaker, your primary
goal is to prepare the audience and get them
excited for what they are about to hear.

3. Before you start
Answer these three core questions:
• What is the topic?
• Why is this topic important for this audience?
• Why is the speaker qualified to deliver this talk?
By answering these questions in your introduction,
you’ve given the audience a motivation for listening,
and you’ve reinforced the speaker’s credibility.

4. How to open?
• Grab the audience's attention with a great opening.
This can be an inspiring quote, a humorous
anecdote (?), or an impressive milestone the
speaker has achieved.

5. Do not…
• Speak at length about the topic the speaker is
addressing. Speak briefly, but don't reveal too
much about his or her speech.
• Steal the show by making the introduction too long
(60 seconds or less is sufficient), or by speaking on a
topic that is in no way related to the speaker.

6. During the introduction…
• Establish the speaker's authority and expertise. This
information will help solidify with the audience the
speaker's credibility as a subject matter expert.

7. How should you act?
Set the tone. Remember, the audience takes cues
from you. If you seem disinterested, they will be
disinterested. If you are (genuinely) positive and
enthusiastic, they will be too. Your choice of words,
voice, gestures, and facial expressions should all
convey enthusiasm.
What does it mean to be enthusiastic?

8. Getting to know you…
• If the speaker is previously unknown to you — get to
know the speaker. Google them. Talk with them.
Ask others about them. Research the speaker and
their expertise until you are excited by the
opportunity to introduce them.

9. And here is…
• A sure way to undermine your own credibility and
that of the speaker is to mispronounce their name,
the title of their presentation, or any other key terms.
Fix: This is easily avoided through practice and by
confirming the correct pronunciation with the
speaker before the presentation.

10. Know Numbers
• Being accurate is as important as correct
pronunciation, perhaps more so. Make sure you
know the precise years, facts, or details.
Danger: If you make factual errors, many speakers
will feel an irresistible compulsion to
correct you. This is a lousy way for them to
begin their speech, and will almost
certainly kill their momentum.

11. To be or not to be funny?
Pros
• Humor can lighten the mood and relax the
audience and the speaker.
• Used early in the introduction, humor can lift spirits
of the audience.
Cons:
• Humor can be viewed as offensive.
• Jokes can be distracting.
• Jokes can be not funny

12. Be relevant
• A common mistake is to recite a lengthy list of
biographical details (education, awards, former job
titles, publications, etc.) which may or may not be
relevant to the topic being presented.

13. Keep clapping
• Etiquette dictates that you should wait for the main
speaker to come to you - on the stage, or at the
lectern - and then shake hands before you leave.
You should applaud until the speaker reaches you.
(Shaking hands is a symbolic gesture that
indicates you are “handing the floor” to them.)

14. Be prepared.
• Know where the speaker will be as you speak your
last words so that you can turn in that direction to
greet them.
• Occasionally, the speaker may have a special
entrance planned such as entrance music, a
staged stunt, something with a prop. Make sure
you ask the speaker about this, and do whatever
you can to support them in a successful entrance.

15. Control your voice
• Your vocal delivery – strength and volume – should
build toward the end of your introduction.
Fix: One effective way to do this is to end with
the speaker’s name and explicitly
encourage applause: “Ladies and
gentlemen, please join me in welcoming
our guest speaker, Bobby McGee!”

16. What do you think?
Is this a good example of an introduction or not?
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n8pQl-2c1M

17. Two videos to summarize
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGji-AyPW3s
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddsIBjK23Ic