Communicate with Confidence/Project Report

              Other than the actual introduction, these duties include..
... to meet and greet the speaker and make her him
comfortable and welcome, ( take coat, offer bathroom,
answer last minute questions, find himher a seat, sit with
him until you go forward to introduce.
check the facts that you will use in your introduction with
the speaker
. after vou introduce him her, stay at podium long enough
to adjust the mike, if necessary, and provide water Lead the
applause.
... stay within sight of the speaker in case she needs
assistance.
if she has handouts... hand them out
i f she needs lights dimmed.. do it
.. equipment set up or moved?... assist
You can compare it to having a visitor in your
home As the introducer... you are the speaker's host.
You meet, greet, make comfortable, offer them a seat,
prov ide them with things they need, then introduce them to
your friends.
NOTE. The introducer and thanker should decide,
beforehand, who will escort the speaker from the room after
her speech. ( Get her coat, be sure she has her papers, etc.)
As we discuss Introduction Speeches, let's look at
why thev are even necessary . After all, why couldn't she/ he
just get up and speak? Some reasons for introduction...
a) It is polite, introduces the speaker to the audience.( Just
as you would introduce a stranger in your home to
your friends.)
b) The audience leams her name, a bit about her and about
her qualifications to speak on this subject This
makes them more receptive to what she will say.
c) It focuses the audience's attention on the speaker and
his her message.
d) It acts as a transition between one event or speaker to the
next.
DEU\ T£ RYTIPS.
a) Repeat speaker's name at least three times so the audience
is sure to " get" it
b) Be SURE of pronunciation ( name, town, topic, etc.)
c) Be short and concise ( 30 seconds for speech up to 15
minutes... 2 minutes for any speech longer than
15 minutes)
d) In last sentence, state full name and title of speaker
. ( Facing the audience, NOT the speaker) ... THEN
turn to speaker and welcome her as she
comes to the podium.
e) Mike etiquette:, . lead applause as she comes up, stay till
she gets there, adjust mike. provide water. be
available to assist
SOME THINGS TO AVOID:
Don't..
a) summarize her speech. just introduce it by title or topic
( speaker will tell you how she wants it done.)
b) upstage speaker or steal her jokes.
c) put undue pressure on the speaker by making comments
on her speaking ability, ( may be hard to live up
to)
d) use cliches, if avoidable
ie: " A speaker who needs no introduction...'' ( if only one
person in the audience does not know her intimately, she
needs an introduction)
Better to say. " Who is known by many of us here or,
" It's my pleasure to introduce " ( actually, it's your duty,
but don't say that either)
Better to sav. " I was asked to introduce " .
or you may say " It was an honour ( pleasure, etc) to be
asked to introduce..."
or, " Good morning. Ladies and Gentlemen" In any ' form'
speech ( one you have been appointed to do) you address
ONLY the chair.
PLANNINGTIPS
a) get a resume from the speaker WELL IN ADVANCE
b) include relevant human interest and persona]
information ( What the audience is likely
interested in knowing about him her)
c) include relevant facts on education and experience. ( Those
needed to establish qualifications of speaker to
speak on this topic)
d) use only information that is unique to this individual and
significant to the audience andor the topic
e) jot this down in point form to keep in sequence and not
miss points.
0 check all facts with speaker to avoid errors... incorrect
info will jeopardize his speech and his credibility,
g) be sure of title or topic.. be sure to give it.
NOTE: Some speakers will give vou a resume tailored to this
specific speech ... all the facts can probably be used.
Others will provide a generic' resume with all the facts and
data relating to all the speeches she may have in her
repertoire... you will have to pick out the relevant ones
Thanking a speaker
Leam as much as possible about the speaker and the topic as
you can.
Get the name and title correct also
PRONUNCIATION
Listen closely to the speech.
Remember you are thanking the speaker on
behalf of the audience. Your personal reaction is not called
for. It is good to refer to a point or two from the speech,
indicating the audience's appreciation, or the value to the
audience... but not your personal reaction.
Thank the speaker for...
- Entertainment ( if humour in speech)
- Useful information
- Personal sacrifice in coming ( ie time)
- Care & time in preparing speech
- Reference to special interest of
audience
Start " On behalf of "
Finish " Ask you all to show your appreciation of
( name)". Look at speaker and lead the applause.