Guest Speaker Introductions:
Part of Your Curriculum?

Is the art of introducing a guest speaker part of your job? Typically the answer to this question is no. Should it be? Absolutely, because there are occasions when you are called upon to host important meetings/events sponsored by your company.

Your introduction of the speaker is critical for soliciting buy-in from the audience. How you introduce a speaker will create greater impact for the speaker. It sets the tone for the speech.

It's easy to assume that because executives are very adept at communicating with people individually or in groups, they are equally at ease with something as simple as introducing a speaker. That might be true if the only thing the executive has to do is to stand in front of the group and say: "Good evening. It's my pleasure to introduce to you Dr. A. B. Smith, Director of Clinical Research at Clyde Memorial Hospital". Unfortunately it's not quite that simple.

The Need for Understanding

Given the importance of these events, there are important reasons to become comfortable with introductions.

-It pays tribute and respect to the speaker
-It helps minimize the inevitable attack of "butterflies" that will set in when one is unprepared.

It's very natural, even for the most confident executive to be nervous when speaking before any group. They need to know that: "It's okay to have butterflies as long as they fly in formation".

This metaphor has always been very comforting to me in my career as a trainer and speaker because it gives me permission to be human. However, I've also found that the more prepared I am, the less likely I am to sink into a state of panic.

Will a good introduction assure a successful presentation? Not necessarily. However, while a good introduction may not make up for a bad presentation, a poor introduction can turn people away from the best of presentations. The last thing you want to happen is to have the audience disappear.

Effective Introductions

According to Peter Urs Bender, a master at presentation skills, there are three steps in delivering an effective introduction.

Establish the importance of the topic.

After greeting the audience, the executive should begin by creating a context for the presentation with a concrete example to which the audience can relate.

For example, let's assume that the speaker being introduced was the lead investigator on a study evaluating the effectiveness of a new antibiotic against gram-positive bacteria which have become resistant to most antibiotics. The audience consists of prominent researchers, scientists and doctors. The executive might begin with:

"Rising morbidity and mortality due to resistant staph infections in hospitals are of deep concern to all clinicians. Tonight we will hear about the results of a study involving Staphkil, a new antibiotic with a mechanism of action that promises to put an end to bacterial resistance as we know it".

Relate the immediacy of the topic.

The next step is to relate precisely how the information the audience is about to hear will help them achieve their personal and professional goals. The object is to hook the audience immediately. "As clinicians deeply concerned with the question of bacterial resistance, I'm certain you will find the data presented today to be very exciting."

Highlight the speaker's qualifications to address the topic.

The executive should conclude with a brief resume of the speaker's credentials, clinical specialty, and research accomplishments. As the speaker's name is announced, the executive should continue to face the audience so that the speaker's name is not lost through a premature turn of the head, and voice volume should be increased. Then they should say: "I'm delighted to introduce Dr. Stone, an expert in the area of bacterial research. For the last 20 years, Dr. Stone has..."

Once the speaker has been introduced, the executive should turn, face the speaker with a friendly welcoming facial expression, and remain standing in this position until the speaker rises and acknowledges the introduction. Then the executive should then sit down.

Building Confidence

The first thing that builds confidence is to prepare your introduction ahead of time. You must concentrate on establishing a positive mind set with reinforcing self-talk. You should tell yourself that "I'm going to be fantastic!"

• Write out the introduction in full. This will create a pleasant harmony between subject, audience, and yourself.
  
• An ideal length is a maximum of one to one and one-half minutes (100-200 words).
  
• When you are satisfied with the content, type the text using upper and lower-case letters in a large type size (font) - 14 point if you have a computer, or use all upper case if on a typewriter - marking places for pauses or special emphasis.
  
• Memorize the first three sentences and the last two sentences and practice pronouncing the speaker's name correctly.
  
• Practice the entire introduction in front of a mirror, friends, or a video camera, using all the facial gestures that support the content. Have others critique, how genuine and believable you appear. There needs to be a continuity between what is being said, how it's said, and how you look when saying it.

Tips on Body Positioning and Gesturing

Posturing.

• Approach the audience head up with a calm, confident stride.
  
• Balance weight equally, feet slightly spread apart, and lean slightly forward.
  
• Face the audience and smile.
  
• Relax arms and fingers, arms down by your side until ready to speak.
  
• Pause for a moment before beginning the introduction.
  
• Avoid weight shifting, hunching over, body swaying, finger fidgeting, clothing adjustments, and "fig leaf" positioning.

Gesturing.

• Use gestures sparingly and always from above the waist to symbolize positive communication.
  
• Start gestures from the shoulder, reaching out to the audience with open palms, as if to invite the audience in.
  
• Start the upstroke of a gesture well in advance of the word selected for emphasis.
  
• Avoid excessive, startling, abrupt, or boring repetitive gestures and downward strokes.

Tips on Eye Contact

Effective eye contact transforms audiences from dead bodies to live participants. People listen with their eyes. They may hear the words with their ears, but they concentrate on what the executive is saying when eye contact is personally established. The executive must look at the audience as individuals, and actually see them as opposed to simply looking at them.

• Must be maintained at all times, and distributed to all segments of the audience.
  

• Is especially important at the two most critical parts of an introduction
• the beginning and the conclusion.
  
• Initially focus on a friendly face to feel more comfortable.
  
• Mentally imagine the audience as an hourglass. Begin speaking looking at the people on the immediate right. Then gradually scan the audience by tracing the hourglass with your eyes diagonally to the rear left. From there, scan across the back of the audience to the rear right, then scan diagonally forward to the front left.
  
• While scanning the room following the hourglass diagram, really look at people one at a time for a few seconds. This helps project attentiveness and genuine caring.
  
• Avoid staring, darting, or focusing on a few friendly faces.

Tips on Delivery Style

Before you deliver your final introduction, have them mark their written speeches, by highlighting with a marker or underlining, where they wish to emphasize specific words.

• Begin speaking in a natural voice. Be authentic.
• Speak to the audience as though carrying on an enlarged conversation.
• Vary pitch and volume.
• Use gestures, pitch, and volume for emphasis.
• Monitor the speed of delivery. The optimum for audience understanding is 100-150 words per minute.
• Avoid sentence "trail-offs" and speaking in a tone that is too loud, brash, sweet, or ends with a question mark.
• Avoid speaking in a monotone. This usually is caused by anxiety and muscle tightening in the throat and chest. To reduce nervousness prior to an introduction, I recommend deep breathing exercises or several large yawns. Any form of physical activity is extremely helpful, even something as simple as running in place in a private location before presenting.
• Avoid caffeinated beverages before presenting. Eliminate any milk in your beverages as it stimulates the mucous glands and causes you to want to cough or clear your throat. Room temperature water is best. Suck on a cough candy to coat the throat before speaking.

Good luck, and who knows, you may be replacing Billy Crystal at the next academy awards.