5 Easy Steps to Writing a Stellar Introduction For Yourself
Marnie Swedberg asked:
"That is just plain rude!" was the event planner's reply when I mentioned that I didn't have an introduction prepared for her in advance. She continued, "You know everything there is to know about you. Did you think I had time to go figure all of that out?!"
I took those stinging words to heart and have never since burdened an event planner with what is clearly the speaker's responsibility.
By following the simple steps below, you will not only save your host the hassle of hunting down details about your life, but you will insure that your audience is 100% primed and ready to receive the wonderful message you are prepared to share.
1. Write down your credentials for speaking to this group: Be honest, but do not be modest!! Include the most "impressive" things you have accomplished in your life.
2. Include your "published works". People like to know if anyone else has ever thought your words were valuable. Where have you been quoted? If you are an author, what books have you written? What size was the largest audience to which you have spoken - or, maybe, how many times have you spoken? The more, the bigger, the better.
3. What are your activities that relate to this audience? For example, if you are speaking to a church group and you are active in your own church, include it!
4. Based on the topic, write down whatever it is that makes you the BEST person to speak on it. For example, if you give speeches about overcoming grief, include how you personally learned about the techniques you are going to provide.
5. Edit it down so that it flows easily and takes less than 60 seconds to read.
Here is my own intro as an example:
We know that you were all expecting _____________ to be our speaker, but, as many of you already know, s/he had to cancel due to a last minute emergency. Since 2001, Marnie Swedberg has only been available to us in this capacity, as a fill-in speaker, and we are absolutely delighted to have her with us!
Marnie is a popular speaker and media guest having done dozens of radio talk shows, sound bites, commercials and interviews, television home shows, news clips, plus keynotes and weekend retreats. She has been featured in magazines, newspapers and ezines and has personally written over 40 songs plus thousands of articles on a wide variety of topics related to family, faith and friends.
She started her first business at the age of 18 and currently manages the Swedberg family restaurant while lending extensive assistance at the family's retail store and espresso caf
"That is just plain rude!" was the event planner's reply when I mentioned that I didn't have an introduction prepared for her in advance. She continued, "You know everything there is to know about you. Did you think I had time to go figure all of that out?!"
I took those stinging words to heart and have never since burdened an event planner with what is clearly the speaker's responsibility.
By following the simple steps below, you will not only save your host the hassle of hunting down details about your life, but you will insure that your audience is 100% primed and ready to receive the wonderful message you are prepared to share.
1. Write down your credentials for speaking to this group: Be honest, but do not be modest!! Include the most "impressive" things you have accomplished in your life.
2. Include your "published works". People like to know if anyone else has ever thought your words were valuable. Where have you been quoted? If you are an author, what books have you written? What size was the largest audience to which you have spoken - or, maybe, how many times have you spoken? The more, the bigger, the better.
3. What are your activities that relate to this audience? For example, if you are speaking to a church group and you are active in your own church, include it!
4. Based on the topic, write down whatever it is that makes you the BEST person to speak on it. For example, if you give speeches about overcoming grief, include how you personally learned about the techniques you are going to provide.
5. Edit it down so that it flows easily and takes less than 60 seconds to read.
Here is my own intro as an example:
We know that you were all expecting _____________ to be our speaker, but, as many of you already know, s/he had to cancel due to a last minute emergency. Since 2001, Marnie Swedberg has only been available to us in this capacity, as a fill-in speaker, and we are absolutely delighted to have her with us!
Marnie is a popular speaker and media guest having done dozens of radio talk shows, sound bites, commercials and interviews, television home shows, news clips, plus keynotes and weekend retreats. She has been featured in magazines, newspapers and ezines and has personally written over 40 songs plus thousands of articles on a wide variety of topics related to family, faith and friends.
She started her first business at the age of 18 and currently manages the Swedberg family restaurant while lending extensive assistance at the family's retail store and espresso caf
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