Speech of Introduction (You will be FINE!)

“Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States.” If you are ever in a situation where you have to introduce the President, you will need no more than the above nine words. The President is so well known that any further remarks would be inappropriate and almost foolish. However, most speeches of introduction will not be this brief!

Purpose: Build enthusiasm for the upcoming speaker Build enthusiasm for the speaker’s topic Establish a welcoming climate that will boost the speaker’s credibility

NOT the purpose: To rattle off a few lines of the speaker’s resume as though reading a shopping list

Guidelines: Say something about the speaker and about the topic - in that order Be brief Make sure your introduction is completely accurate Adapt your remarks to the occasion Adapt your introduction to the main speaker Adapt your remarks to the audience Try to create a sense of anticipation and drama

Be Brief Purpose is to focus attention on the main speaker, not the person making the introduction Normally, an introduction speech is no more than 2-3 minutes long It may be shorter if the speaker is already well known to the audience (stay tuned for how long YOURS needs to be)

Make Sure Your Introduction is Completely Accurate Do not mess up basic facts GET THE SPEAKER’S NAME RIGHT! –Example: “Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States, Hoobert Heever!”

Adapt Your Remarks to the Occasion Formal occasion=formal speech Informal occasion=informal speech You will need to keep the occasion in mind when writing your speech

Adapt Your Introduction to the Main Speaker Don’t make main speaker uncomfortable by praising too much –“Our speaker will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end!”

Adapt Your Remarks to the Audience Your aim is to make THIS audience want to hear THIS speaker on THIS subject Remarks will depend on if the audience already knows the speaker well or if they don’t know him/her

Try to Create a Sense of Anticipation and Drama Save the speaker’s name for last If speaker is well known to the audience, try to be creative and cast the speaker in a new light

ABOVE ALL: PRACTICE!!! Even though the speech is short, there is no excuse for not practicing thoroughly Deliver your speech with sincerity and enthusiasm