Don’t ever say, “Bear with me; I’m not used to speaking to groups.”
Now that you have used an icebreaker and an attention-getter, and have oriented your audience to your topic, it is time to look at – and learn how to avoid - some of the common pitfalls speakers commit in their introductions.
They RAMBLE. Rambling undercuts the audience’s interest and the speaker’s credibility.
TIP: Be brief, concise. and focused.
They are TOO BRIEF. Introductions that are too brief pass the audience by in a blur.
TIP: Don’t race through your opening lines. Give your listeners time to move from thinking their own thoughts to orienting themselves to your thoughts. Allow them to become an audience. Just because they are physically present, it doesn’t mean that they have started to listen or are engaged.
They are APOLOGETIC AND SEEK SYMPATHY. They say, “Bear with me; I’m not used to speaking to groups.”
TIP: You are after respect, not sympathy. Your confidence and credibility should become immediately apparent. Remember those “vibes”?
They use GIMMICKS. They shout, slam an object, or throw something in order to startle an audience into attention. This usually produces the opposite effect, forcing your audience to seek refuge from the perceived hostility and melodrama.
TIP: Make the opening strategy gimmick-free. It needs to be appropriate, professional, and integral to your entire presentation.
