Preparing a Proper Introduction

Before you ever take the stage or step behind the podium, someone, more than likely, will introduce you.  If you are in a small business meeting, in can be a pretty informal introduction, such as "Steve, tell us what your group found out about the marketing plan." That kind of introduction works well in that setting. However, if you are speaking before a larger group in an auditorium or at a club gathering at which you are the featured guest, that kind of introduction won't work.

The formal introduction serves a number of purposes. First, obviously, it tells people who you are. It gives them a little background about you. Its most important function is to grant you authority and credibility.

Let's do this by example:

John is a firefighter who has a great organic garden at his house. John has been asked to talk at a local gardening club's meeting about his garden.

If his intro is along the lines of "And now I present you local firefighter John who is going to tell you about his organic gardening methods", John has no credibility with his audience. Sure, if he were talking about fire-proofing your house, he is your man, but gardening?

Now let's assume that John takes a few minutes before the meeting and talks to the person who is going to introduce him. John hands them a piece of paper with the following introduction on it:

"Joining us now is John Smith. John has a Masters degree in Botany from Texas A&M University. John has written several articles for Organic Gardening Magazine and is currently putting the finishing touches on his first book "Organic Gardening for Small Scale Farms." Tonight, John is going to tell us about the three most important things that an organic gardener can do in their garden. Please help me welcome John Smith!"

The difference between the two introductions is that the first one offers a hurdle that John must overcome in order to be thought of as someone of authority and expertise in the field. The second positions him an as expert that should be listened to. Same guy, better introduction.

Before your next speech, take the time to prepare a proper introduction. If nothing else, it will make you feel great hearing someone else say all of those nice things about you.

The Arguement for Toastmasters

If you follow speaking blogs at all, you have probably seen that a good majority of them have at least a post or two mentioning Toastmasters. There is a good reason for this. Toastmasters is probably the most successful and proven way to improve your performance in public speaking and presenting. There are several reasons for this.

First, the environment at Toastmasters is supportive. For most people, speaking in front of others is a frightening, if not downright terrifying, experience. The people at Toastmasters are aware of this and do all that they can to make your speaking experience less traumatic. Everyone in the room remembers giving their Ice Breaker speech to a group of strangers, and they can all identify with you. In the Toastmasters meeting, your audience really does want you to succeed.

The second reason for the success of Toastmasters is the structured learning process that they have developed over the years. Toastmaster speeches are given in order, with each speech having a definite purpose, and with each lesson building on the last. Organizing the ideas in your speeches comes before choosing the right words, and that comes before body language and gestures.

The third, and for many perhaps the most important, reason for Toastmaster's success is the cost. While all over the Internet you can find people who will magically make your fears disappear and you a talented and polished speaker for a mere $2500 or so, Toastmasters expenses are manageable for almost anyone. Be prepared to shell out a whopping $27 every six month for Toastmasters membership. Some clubs have additional charges, but most are $20 or less every six months. The club charges are used for different reasons, depending on the club. They may be used to pay for awards given to speakers, or to provide drinks and snacks at meetings. At some point the $2500 seminar may be worthwhile to some people, but for most of us, it is overkill.

I hope that I have given you a couple of reasons to consider visiting a Toastmasters meeting. It is by far the best way to make yourself a better, more comforatable speaker.

Find a Toastmasters club near you at http://toastmasters.org

Success is Yours for the Taking

One of the first things I was told when I started speaking is that the audience wants you to succeed. They want you to be good, entertaining, and informative. Some professional speakers look at this as old advice, and I am sure it probably is, but for those of us who speak only occasionally, it is advice worth remembering.

As bad as you don't want to fail, your audience does not want to sit through a dull, lifeless presentation. The next few minutes, or few hours, of their lives are in your hands, and they want you to make them enjoyable.

Obviously, there are exceptions to this...your competition for the promotion may relish your failures, but the rest of the crowd really hopes that you wow them. Their reasons are that they don't want to be bored to tears, but their desire for your success is still there. They want you to be great.

Have you ever been watching a movie when one of the characters is failing miserably, and you start to feel their pain? The same thing happens to audiences when the speaker is struggling. They feel your pain, and most of them would not want to be the one on the spot in front of the room.

On the other hand, have you ever seen a movie where the character is inspiring and you start to feel inspired? The original Rocky film comes to mind. That is what your audience hopes that you deliver for them. Sure, that is a very tall order for the person who only presents on a limited basis, but shoot for greatness. Your audience is rooting for you!