If you seem disinterested, they will … Long introductions filled with biographical details are bad for two main reasons: Keep your introduction just long enough to accomplish your goals: [1] what’s the topic, [2] why does it matter, and [3] why is the speaker credible? I would make my number 1 item, REMEMBER, IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU! Do I have to shake his hand before and after his speech? Long introductions are boring. How to Deliver Group Presentations: The Unified Team Approach, Toastmasters Speech 2: Organize Your Speech, http://www.all-creatures.org/cb/resume-20141202.pdferry, Jan-Jaap In der Maur/Masters in Moderation, Tyneside Speakers Club » How to Introduce a Speaker: 16 Essential Tips for Success, Art of Presenter Introductions | Master Marketing from Marketing 24/7, Links We Love: Attending Conferences Like a Pro | CareerAdvisorDaily, Links We Love: Attending Conferences Like a Pro | The Daily Muse, Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln: 21 Powerful Secrets of History's Greatest Speakers, Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery, Boring to Bravo: Proven Presentation Techniques to Engage, Involve, and Inspire Your Audience to Action, The Naked Presenter: Delivering Powerful Presentations With or Without Slides, slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations, Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer, Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History, The Wealthy Speaker: The Proven Formula for Building Your Successful Speaking Business, How to Prepare for Presenting to Senior Executives, Book Review: 101 Ways to Make Training Active (Mel Silberman), Presentation Patterns: Techniques for Crafting Better Presentations, Illusion of Transparency and Public Speaking Fear. Etiquette dictates that you should wait for them to come to you (e.g. Depending on the size of the program, a moderator can expect to spend one to two hours each week reading through and responding to discussion posts. A much better introduction would touch on how many years the speaker had been building shaker furniture, whether she had been trained or self-taught, and that she had written a book on this topic. Dear Mr. Dlugan: I usually learn in advance how the speaker likes to project himself and include it in my introduction. . What I’d ask you, is what would you recommend for a first timer? On the other hand, sometimes the intro can be modified. Steve Mann Andrew, an important topic that coaches like me spend a surprising amount of time working on with speakers. Yes, a paraphrased intro can be frustrating. The most trusted source of information on the business of learning. Discussions are an important part of any learning program. I generally ask the speaker to send a 2-3 sentence bio of him/her self and to make it relevent his/her speech, but they generally do not do what is asked because they want to put everything down or nothing at all because they seem to think they are not worthy of a good valid intro. Speech introductions are often an afterthought, hastily thrown together at the last second by someone with little knowledge of the speaker, their speech, or the value for the audience. If participants are posting short responses, thank them for responding, and ask them to elaborate. I’d like to see your thoughts on the art of handling Q&A sessions after a talk. — Sep 19th, 2011, Links We Love: Attending Conferences Like a Pro | CareerAdvisorDaily All points covered from start to end. I enjoyed this article and look forward to more. Research the speaker and their expertise until you are excited by the opportunity to introduce them. My questions: It is the speaker’s job to decide how and when they reveal their outline. Also many have a tendency to say “without furter ado, after an invalid introduction which tends to drives me crazy. $(document).ready(function(){iFrameResize({},'#elearning')}); JR Burch is a principal consultant on the learning experience design team at Intrepid by VitalSource. Recognize great contributions from users. The title may be a phrase they want the audience to remember, it may reflect language used on accompanying slides, or it may be a humorous play on words. Remember, a great moderator facilitates the conversation, doesn’t join in or take over. How Much Time Should a Moderator Spend Moderating? I think it is good some of we speakers at times do the introduction by ourselves to help the game. That’s a good point. A simple “like” of the post would be a better way to tell users their post has been seen and appreciated. This is great advice I need to share with our audience on the Speaking of Wealth Show (speakingofwealth.com) where we talk to several successful authors and publishers, along with writing tips and advice to better their skills, just like you. Occasionally, there are strategically placed keywords or phrases in a prepared intro that are part of the speaker’s presentation message or brand, and they would be upset if they were changed. Great detail in this post. For really long presentations (e.g. Oh, and one more thing. So, how do you ensure you are enthusiastic? And writing the introductions help the moderator ‘get into the meeting’. Explain when you will indicate how much time has passed (usually 12-14 minutes for a 15-minute time slot), and how you will indicate this (standing up, raising a hand, etc. Moderation of online learning will reward you and your training staff both personally and professionally. Thanks. Moderator Guide - Outline for Action. With the first option, you give the audience a chance to settle in and have a more personal connection to the panel members. A sure way to undermine your own credibility and that of the speaker is to mispronounce their name, the title of their presentation, or any other key terms. Again, shift control at the lectern with a hand shake. Two things that are subliminal but will make the speaker appear in a power position is 1) have them come to the podium or lectern from the audience right or stage left. Being accurate is as important as correct pronunciation, perhaps more so. She was previously the Director of Research at Hasbro, and is currently the CEO for the Miami Dolphins. Her talk today is entitled “How to Build Authentic Shaker Furniture.”. Identify and highlight trends in the discussion that could help improve the training program. I am teaching a Leadership Training Class, one of the sessions is “Introducing a Speaker.” I am using your article as a hand out, of course giving you credit and including this site, I hope you don’t mind. Is there a rule on this? Hilly Productions, Inc. – 5 Steps to Moderating a Webinar 5 Steps to Moderating a Webinar By James Hilliard, professional moderator An often-overlooked part of discussions is the role of the moderator. I am an introducer for lots of different types of presenters – singing groups, worship leaders, drama groups, etc. Any conversation is an opportunity for moderators to collect valuable insights on how learners are receiving and understanding content. I would like to ask what a speaker should do if the person who introduces him or her makes a mistake in his or her name? (Don’t wait until you are delivering the introduction to ask them — this looks amateurish. If you haven’t already been introduced, briefly state your name, a relevant factoid that contributes to your credibility and then clarify your role as the moderator.