It can be nerve wracking even for the most experienced professionals to introduce speakers or deliver speeches in front of a group. As an RMA chapter volunteer, you might, on occasion, be asked to introduce the speaker or to address members at a general membership meeting.
The following tips on making introductions and short speeches come from Stephen D. Boyd, a professor of speech communication at Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, Kentucky. (More information about him appears at the end of this article.)
Tips for Introducing a Speaker
A good introduction should capture the audience’s attention, bring them together as a group, and motivate them to listen attentively to the speaker. These tips will help you do just that:
- Identify yourself by name and title, unless this has already been done earlier. Know the speaker’s name and how to pronounce it. If it is an unusual name, help the audience learn it.
- Know the speaker’s title or position. Have biographical information about the speaker close at hand and discuss with the speaker in advance what he or she wants you to say. You may include personal information, in addition to professional accomplishments and credentials, if you discuss these in advance with the speaker.
- Insert credentials of the speaker(s) and/or publication in a program or have a separate handout available.
- Be brief. Aim for between one and three minutes. Five minutes is too long.
- Do not read the introduction. It will sound flat, unenthusiastic, and convey the impression that you are unfamiliar with the subject. It is acceptable to bring notes to the lectern but keep them inconspicuous. Be sure to maintain eye contact with the audience and the speaker.
- Smile and be enthusiastic in tone, gesture, and choice of words.
- Know enough about the subject to sound knowledgeable.
- Announce the topic as given to you by the speaker. If you have any questions about it, raise them with the speaker before the introduction
- Introductions are no place to use slides, overheads, or presentation software.
- Anecdotes are fine, but they should pertain to the subject and be in harmony with the mood of the presentation. Avoid jokes.
- Never use the old cliché that the speaker needs no introduction.
- Do not try to upstage the speaker with your knowledge of the subject.
- Do not dwell on your relationship with the speaker, even (or perhaps especially) if this person is your boss, relative, or significant other.
- The same tips apply to the introduction of a panel of speakers, except the introducer needs to describe the structure and format of the panel (speaking order and length of time) and the panelists’ various points of view and perspectives.
- The introduction of the individual panelists can be done two ways: either all at once or individually as the panel program progresses.
- Most audiences prefer a handout with the panelists’ credentials so they can refer to it as the panel progresses.
- If the speaker plans to take questions at the end, let the audience know that up front.
Tips for Making and Delivering Effective Speeches
- Know your audience. Determine their background and their knowledge of the topic. If your chapter is doing a joint event, make sure you are addressing all the participants, not just your own members.
- Let your enthusiasm show. If you care about your message, so will the audience.
- Vary your pitch and volume. The fastest way to lose your audience is to speak in a monotone.
- Speak so that everyone can hear you.
- Use natural gestures. Don’t keep your elbows glued to your side and avoid leaning on or standing behind the lectern for the entire presentation.
- Maintain eye contact with the audience throughout the presentation.
- Use pauses to emphasize your important points. Pause after introducing a key idea or when making a transition to a new topic.
- Use visuals as an aid, not a crutch.
- Be prepared. It is crucial to practice your presentation out loud. Enough practice will allow you to deliver your speech without reading it word for word. With practice, you can use your text or notes simply to jog your memory.
- Try not to use technical language, confusing numbers, and industry slang.
- Be aware of time constraints. It is important to understand how much time you have and don’t exceed it.
- Listen carefully to questions. When answering, be sure that you understand the question and emphasize the points you want your audience to remember.
Advanced Tips for Effective Speeches
Begin with something to get the attention of the audience. This attention-grabber might be a startling statement, a statistic, or your own story. Whatever technique you use, when you grab the attention of the audience you are on your way to a successful speech.
Be energetic in your delivery.
- Speak with variety in your voice.
- Slow down for a dramatic point and speed up to show excitement. Pause occasionally for effect.
- Don’t just stand behind the lectern, move a step away to make a point. When you are encouraging your audience, take a step toward them.
- Whatever your movements, they should have purpose.
Structure your speech. Don’t have more than two or three main points, and preview in the beginning what those points will be. With each point, have two or three pieces of support, such as examples, definitions, testimony, or statistics.
- Use Visual Aids
- Line graphs are best for trends. Bar graphs are best for comparisons, and pie charts are best for showing distribution of percentages.
- Other visual aids could be an object, a flip chart, a PowerPoint presentation, overhead projector slides, or a dry erase board. Whatever visual you are using, make sure everyone can see it.
- Don’t allow the visual to become a silent demonstration. Keep talking as you show the visual.
Tie your points together with transitions. These could be signposts such as “First…,” “Second…,” or “Finally,….” Use an internal summary by including the point you just made and revealing what you plan to talk about next. Example: “Now that we have talked about structure, let’s move on to the use of stories.” When you have an introduction, two or three main points with support for each, appropriate transitions, and a conclusion, you will have your speech organized in a way that the audience can follow you easily.
Tell your own story (and the RMA story, if appropriate) somewhere in the presentation, especially in a technical presentation. Include a personal experience that connects to your speech content, and the audience will connect with you. You want to help the audience link emotionally with what you are talking about, and the personal experience does that. With almost any topic you might choose, you have at least one “war story” to relate to the topic. When you tell the story, simply start at the beginning and move chronologically through the narrative, including answers to the “W” questions: who, what, when, why, and where.
Look at the audience as you speak. If it is a small audience, you can look at each person in a short period of time. If it is a large audience, look at the audience in small clusters and move from one cluster to another.
Do not read your speech. Use note cards with key words on them. The word or phrase should trigger the thought in your mind and then you can speak it. If you are including a quotation or complex statistics, reading from your note card actually lends credibility. If you write out your speech you will tend to read it and lose eye contact with the audience. You will also not be as enthusiastic in delivery as when you speak from note cards.
Include a "wow" factor in your speech. Something in your speech should make your audience think, “Wow!” It could be a story, a dramatic point, an unusual statistic, or an effective visual that helps the audience understand immediately. You’ll become a more enthusiastic speaker because the “wow” factor will get you as well as your audience pumped up for the speech.
Consider using a touch of humor in your speech. Humor will help you be perceived as an amiable person, and it is hard for people to disagree or be bored if they are smiling at you. Until you have lots of experience, keep your humor short. Perhaps inject a one-liner or a quotation.
- Tell a short story about an embarrassing moment in your life that you might have thought not funny at the time.
- Don't poke fun at your audience; you should be the object of any shortcoming, showing that you can laugh at yourself.
- Avoid long stories or jokes.
- Probably the least risky use of humor is a cartoon. The cartoon is separate from you and if people don’t laugh, you won’t feel responsible. (Be sure to secure permission to use it.)
Leave the audience with something to think about. People remember best what you say last. You might summarize your main points, or you might complete the statement, “What I want you to do as a result of this presentation is….” But beyond that, make your last words a thought to ponder.
Stephen D. Boyd, Ph.D., CSP, is a professor of speech communication at Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, Kentucky. He is also a trainer in communication who presents more than 60 seminars and workshops a year to corporations and associations. See additional articles and resources at http://www.sboyd.com. He can be reached at 800-727-6520 or at info@sboyd.com.
For more information and for additional resources, please contact the Regional Manager for your area.