How do you introduce a guest speaker?
Introducing your speaker serves as an important way to kick off their presentation on an enthusiastic note, establish the speaker’s credentials and suitability for the topic, emphasise the significance of the speech for the audience, and make the speaker feel welcomed and valued.
There a three key considerations when introducing your speaker:
Keep it short.
Remember, it’s not about you. Take one sentence to introduce yourself and welcome the audience, use around two sentences to highlight the importance of the forthcoming speech, and then three or four sentences to outline the speaker’s credentials. Lastly, welcome the speaker and include their full name (with correct pronunciation)
Do your research.
Knowing how to correctly pronounce the speaker’s name is the bare minimum. Learning your speaker’s credentials and presentation style is a great way to help you craft your introduction. Try to include a few key facts to convey their expertise or experience.
Present with enthusiasm and confidence.
The introduction is your opportunity to show to the audience how excited they should be for the speech. At the end of your intro, lead the applause and greet your speaker.
Some things to avoid when introducing your guest speaker
Trying too hard to be funny.
Using clichés such as ‘this speaker needs no introduction’’.
Rattling off their entire Wikipedia page or resume
Touching on sensitive personal information like health or family. Leave that insight to the speaker.
How to secure the best guest speakers for your event.
For the best way to guarantee a great guest speaker share their unique and valuable insights on a range of topics, look no further than Pickstar for your guest speaker event. We have Australia’s largest and most diverse roster of sports stars, business leaders, political figures, and entertainers all with the ability to engage and inspire any audience.
With fast response times, you can organise a guest speaker for your event with no obligation until all parties have agreed, making planning your event a breeze.
To get started, book one of our popular guest speakers today or contact us if you have any questions - we’re here to help.
Want to understand more about hiring a guest speaker?
Read our informative blogs on how to find guest speakers, how to invite speakers to an event, how much a guest speaker charges, how long a guest speaker talks for, how to thank a guest speaker, and our top guest speakers of 2022.