How to Create a Professional Speaker Introduction

Speaker bio…Speaker biography…Speaker one-sheet…Speaker Press Kit…Speaker Introduction…

You are a professional trying to get your message out there, share your expertise, build your business, grow your organization, create a legacy…

What are all of these terms?

I’ve noticed some individuals use these synonymously…granted speaker bio and speaker biography are the same, each of these items are different and serve different purposes. Today we are reviewing the Speaker Introduction.

What is a Speaker Introduction?

When we are talking Speaker Introduction, we are not talking about speaker one-sheets, speaker press kit, or speaker bio / speaker biography….

Sample Speaker Introduction,,,Click to enlarge

Many organizations will use your Speaker Bio if you have not provided them with a Speaker Introduction.

Your Speaker Introduction is preparing your audience by having a third-party talk about you. This is brief and should be relevant to your talk. You are answering the question in the audience mind…”Why should I listen to you?”

You are peaking their attention even before you take the stage (or the front of the room!)

Some speakers like Darren LaCroix have a very specific Introduction and Outre that is not to be deviated from because it has been crafted as an integral part of their presentation.

Event: Powerful Presentations: How to Own the Stage with Speaker Darren LaCroix. Pictured Rich Hopkins, Yvonne Bryant (organizer), and Speaker Darren LaCroix.

Professional Speaker Introduction Recommendations…

1. Create a master Speaker Introduction that you keep up to date.

Why?

• This speeds up the process of submitting it to the organizer or individual who will be introducing you.
• You can modify the master so that it fits the theme that you are doing for the group more quickly.
• Craft the introduction to prime the audience.

2. Send your introduction to the organizer before you arrive AND bring two copies.

Why?

• This gives the organizer time to review the introduction and ask you questions if they have any.
• This makes the job of introducing you a lot easier. They don’t have to make something up on the spot. (As someone who organizes events that I invite other to speaker, it is not easy to make up something on the spot and it makes me look bad! You don’t want to make the organizer look bad!)
• Two copies because accidents happen. Norm Frickey, Past District Governor for District 26 Toastmasters accidentally spilled dinner all over his introduction for Sheryl Roush during the dinner keynote. (It luckily did not land on Sheryl!)

3. Format with an Ariel font, 1.5 paragraph spacing, point size 14 minimum (I use point size 18), broken into outline (not paragraph) format.

Why?

• It is not easy to read small, paragraph style introductions on the stage. You want to make this easy for the person doing the introduction because they are setting the stage for you, priming the audience.
• I personally use point size 18 most times because I find it easier to read in different lighting conditions.

If you need help developing your Speaker Introduction, contact Yvonne at 210.887.3937.