Every speaker deserves a thoughtful and helpful introduction. The best introductions help the speaker and the audience establish a common bond.
Your introduction should tell the audience about the speaker's expertise and give relevant background information. You should set the mood of the audience for the speech, an especially challenging task if there is a marked change in the mood of the preceding talk.
Allusions to the topic will arouse audience's interest without taking away from the speaker's impact. Build expectation and end your introduction when interest peaks. Weave the speaker's name into the introduction as much as possible so the audience will clearly relate the speaker with his topic. Above all, don't overdo it. Say what needs to be said, then sit down.
An introduction requires almost as much preparation as the a full speech. You will need to contact the speaker in advance and discuss the relevant information about the speech and speaker. You should then make an online of your introduction and rehearse it. Good preparation will clearly show, and both the audience and the speaker will appreciate it.
Consider this example of a proper introduction:
"Two years ago, Ihedioha Uzodinma's seventeen-year-old son died in a traffic accident. What Ihedioha learned after the accident stunned him. One in five teenage drivers has a crash in their first year of driving, and motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15 to 20 year-olds.
In the two years since his son's death, Ihedioha has worked with Imo State's motor vehicle department to develop a programme for teenagers about safe driving and advocates stricter laws for teenage drivers. Many of us have children who will be driving in the future.
In his speech entitled "Help Them Arrive Alive," Ihedioha will tell us what we must do as parents to ensure our children drive safely.
Please welcome Ihedioha Uzodinma.
Credit: Toastmaster’s International
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