Every professional speaker can regale you with stories about introductions gone wrong. Most introducers are competent in their chosen profession, so they assume they can handle a simple introduction. Many of them are wrong.

If you don’t take charge of your introducer, they will plan the introduction that they think is best for you. They will ask you for a biography and then weave together a complimentary narrative to tell the audience who you are. The problem is, the best introductions aren’t just about the speaker – they are also about the audience. I’ll explain what to cover in my next post. Let’s concentrate here on how to manage the person who will introduce you.

The basics are simple. First, script your introduction. Second, talk to the introducer in advance and get his or her agreement to read your introduction word-for-word. Third if there is a particular way you want it delivered, have the introducer practice it so you can review the delivery in advance.

As I’ve mentioned, one of my most common introductions concludes by describing my education: “Andy has an M.A. in Experimental Psychology, an M.A. in Social Psychology, and a Ph.D. in Social Psychology. But he is most proud of his B.S. . . . (pause here) . . . in Mathematics. Please help me in welcoming, Andy Finn!”
Presented properly, I bound on stage with the audience clapping AND laughing – an ideal atmosphere to begin a speech. Yet several times when I was starting out, the audience didn’t laugh. One time my introducer decided that, since we were behind schedule, he would speed up the introduction. Without a pause, there’s nothing funny about “But he’s most proud of his B.S. in Mathematics.” Another time, my Hungarian friend, knowing what “B.S” stands for in university-speak, improvised with: “But he’s most proud of his Bachelor of Science . . . in Mathematics.” It turns out, there’s nothing funny about a Bachelor of Science. And that’s no B.S.!

From these and other experiences, I’ve learned to use the three rules above to ensure control of my introduction. They bear repeating.

First, write your own introduction; never leave it to the introducer. Otherwise, the introducer may emphasize a part of your resume that is not relevant to your topic. If the build-up is too far off your topic for the day, the introduction may actually require you to begin with a caveat or an explanation.
Second, review it with the introducer and get an assurance that the introduction you have provided will be used word-for-word. You’d be surprised the number of people who agree to use your introduction as you wrote it, then decide that their spontaneous version of your script will work better.
Third, have the introducer rehearse it in your presence, to ensure he or she understands the proper inflection, pauses, or other delivery techniques required to generate the effect you intend. If you want them to laugh at your B.S., you need that pause!

Your audience wants to relax and enjoy your presentation. It’s your job to help them relax. If they think you are uneasy, or see you get off to a rough start, they will be uneasy. Don’t give them any reason to be concerned. Set them at ease from the beginning. The best way to do this is to have a strong start planned and know exactly what you are going to say at the beginning. We’ll discuss the simplest and best openers later. For now, remember: even if you are working from an outline (rather than a script), you should write out your first sentence or paragraph word-for-word and commit it to memory. Then if you are nervous at the start – a pretty common problem – you can be confident that you won’t freeze because you know your opener.
The same rule applies to your ending. Always plan it word-for-word. Many speakers get near the end and draw a complete blank about how then intended to leave the audience with a strong ending. Consequently, they don’t.

One potential curveball that can throw a speaker off his or her stride at the start is the person introducing you. As a speaker, it’s your job to make sure your introduction is as carefully planned as your speech. Next up: Managing Your Introduction by an Master of Ceremonies or Session Chair.

Too many people worry about the reaction of the audience when they get up to speak. That’s not the time for concern. The time for concern – the time to do something about audience reaction – is in advance of your presentation, during your preparation. But assuming you are prepared to speak, you don’t need to worry: will they be friendly? Will they like me? Will they stay awake? Relax. The audience is always on your side. Well, almost always. One exception is when you are running for public office. There will always be voters who oppose your ideas on ideological or policy grounds. The other exception is when you are not adequately prepared.

So let’s assume you are not running for office and that you are prepared. Then you can relax – the audience is always on your side. No one entering a theater, training session, or convention hall turns to their friend and says: “I hope this speaker stinks!” The audience may have certain expectations. You may meet them or fall short. But at the start, everyone in (voluntary) attendance hopes for the best.

I can still remember some of my early presentations in the corporate world. I imagined that the speaker and the audience were in an adversarial relationship. How could it not be so? The audience was judging the speaker, right? That’s what I did when I saw a speaker. But then a teacher asked me, “Do you feel hostile toward the speaker you are judging?” The answer was no – I was just evaluating the experience. Sometimes I was delighted. Sometimes I was disappointed. But I always hoped for a great speech. So does YOUR audience. Just make sure you give it to them! And stay tuned for help on how to do that.