September 21, 2021
That audience doesn’t need to hear every achievement you’ve had since you got to play the wolf onstage in your first grade production of The Three Little Pigs.
“She won a blue ribbon for her cow at 4H in 1997, graduated with a 483 point grade average from a college in whatever town then spent 16 years as Chief Cook and Bottle Washer at some ‘the name should impress you’ place where she did who really cares what before moving to being a Petroleum Transfer Engineer at some even more uppity up place that you still don’t care about…” and it goes on and on and on and on.
Nobody cares. If you are the speaker, most likely notes went out about who you are, there’s a brochure, handout or something. They don’t need your damned resume. Don’t bore them, engage them.
I saw a video with Simon Sinek and he made a good point. It’s about giving. He said you can tell those that make it all about them when an intro starts out this way. Don’t be that knucklehead.
You are there to give, so give. Your introduction should set the tone for your speech not build a pedestal for you to climb up on and look down at people. Get off your high horse and be a peer or better yet, a fellow human being, regardless of how hoity toity you think you are.
0 comments