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Publication February 20, 2004
Introduction Speeches
There's one good thing about being the speaker. There's one chore you will not have to be responsible for. Someone else will introduce you. The speaker's job may be the easier one. Introducing a speaker to an audience may not seem difficult, but there is more to the task than meets the eye.
Just as you want two friends you introduce at a party to feel friendly toward one another, the speech of introduction should create among audience members a friendly desire to listen to the person you are introducing. In essence, your goal is to "sell" that individual to the audience. A good speech of introduction will ease the task confronting the main speaker by setting up the theme of the speech. But don't steal his or her thunder. Make sure you know how to pronounce the speaker's name. The introduction speech should:
- Inform the audience of the qualifications of the speaker
- Create confidence in the speaker so his/her remarks will be greeted with respect
- Provide a link between the speaker and the audience regarding the nature and tone of the occasion.
- Actually introduce the speaker to the audience
- Welcome the speaker to the podium, stage, or front of the room.
Typically, the speech of introduction provides information about the speaker and about the topic. Just remember to keep it short. Two-three minutes is about right. Mention the speaker's credentials, but don't exaggerate their expertise or accomplishments. If you personally know the speaker, by all means make it personal. It's okay for you to have fun, but don't forget the speaker you are introducing is the main attraction. Oh, and more thing.
Introduction
Get the Job Done & Get Out
By Thomas H. Jeffs II
Thomas H. Jeffs II was vice chairman of NBD Bancorp when he introduced Albert V. Casey at the Economic Club of Detroit on April 5, 1993. In this introduction, Jeffs sets up considerable context for the audience to better appreciate the speaker's career.
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Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. The architect Mies van der Rohe said that "God is in the details"--but that is not where you'll find Albert Casey. |
Invoking God is always good for a dramatic opening.
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| Our speaker today is the Carl Sagan of the business world. He likes big numbers, big issues, big challenges. He's most comfortable dealing in millions and billions--and that's been his stock-in-trade throughout his career. |
Immediate mention of the speaker's name. By mentioning Carl Sagan, a popular astronomer, the introduction is designed to make the speaker bigger than life. |
| Al Casey has headed up First Republic Bank, the Postal Service and American Airlines. He's served as president of Times Mirror-- and until March 15--as CEO of the Resolution Trust Corporation-- the government agency charged with selling off the assets of failed S&Ls. | Informality means intimacy. Note that now it's "Al." |
| In the words of Bob Crandal, his friend, protégé and successor at American Airlines, "Al Casey is good at running big, complicated organizations." And he's proved it by the string of successes credited to his name. | Brings in another fan. |
| The job he just left at the RTC has been called "one of the worst in Washington." According to the pundits, anyone who took it had to be "part politician, part tycoon and part crazy." | Resolution Trust Corporation. |
| Mr. Casey himself tells the story about how Dan Quayle once congratulated him for doing more than any single human being to bring America together. "Al," said the vice president, "you are a common hate object. Congress hates you, the White House hates you, bankers don't like you and your employees don't like you." But he didn't take the job to be liked. He actually took it to get rid of it. | Gentle, self-deprecating humor relaxes the audience. |
| From day one, he maintained that it was his goal to put the RTC out of business by year-end 1996. In the world according to Albert V. Casey, "The only way to be effective in government is to go in, get the job done and get out." He even joked that RTC stood for "Replace That Casey." " And while he got out sooner than he had originally planned, he still accomplished much. |
The move to formality-now it's "Albert V. Casey" signifies we're getting near the end of the introduction. More jokes. |
| He peeled away layers of bureaucracy and made the agency more flexible and responsive. He shortened the decision-making process to move property off the RTC's books quickly and lower carrying costs. He devised private sector marketing ideas to attract buyers to hard-to-sell assets. And he did it while dealing with a rebellious and contentious Congress. Now let's hear his story. |
Specifics about the honoree's achievements.
"Now let's hear his story." A good way to transfer the focus of attention. |
| Please join me in welcoming Albert V. Casey to the Economic Club of Detroit. | Introduces speaker. |