Chapter 56 The main content and guiding formula of the introduction

When you are invited to speak in public, you can introduce another person, or you can give a longer speech yourself, with the purpose of illustrating, entertaining, or persuading the audience. Introduction is a special form of impromptu speech.Let me introduce to you some simple and feasible methods and techniques. When you are invited to speak in public, you can introduce another person, or you can give a longer speech yourself, with the purpose of illustrating, entertaining, or persuading the audience.Maybe you're a civic organization host, or a member of a women's club, and you're likely to be asked to introduce a keynote speaker for your next meeting, or you're hoping to speak at a local women's club, or Speak at your own sales group, union meetup, or political organization.Below, I'll give you some tips to help you prepare your introduction.

John Mason Brown is a writer and speaker. His lively speeches have won the love of countless audiences all over the country.One evening, he had a talk with the host, who was tasked with introducing him to audiences across the country. "Don't worry about what to say," the host said to Braun, "take it easy, I don't believe that speeches need to be prepared. Hmph, what's the use of preparing, it ruins the beauty of the whole thing and ruins the fun. I Just waiting for the feeling to come to me when I stand up—never have one before!" The host's confident words made Bai Lang have a good vision for his appearance. He believed that the host would launch himself in a unique way.But the situation is not what he thought.He recalled the host's introduction to himself in the book "Hard Habits Are Difficult to Get Rid of":

"Gentlemen, please pay attention. I have bad news for you tonight. We wanted to invite Isaac F. Maxson to speak to you, but he was ill and couldn't come. (Applause) Then we Tried to have Senator Berledecki come and address you...but he's too busy. (Applause) Finally we tried to have Dr. Lloyd Groggin of Kansas City come and address you. So, we Only - John Mason Brown came instead. (Silence)" When Mr. Brown recalled this embarrassing encounter, he said with self-deprecation: "At least my friend, the great inspiration, finally got it right my name." We can see that the presenter, who is sure that he can handle everything with his own inspiration, has made the introduction so bad that even if he did it on purpose, it would not have been the result.His introduction violated his duty as an introducer and his duty to his audience.There aren't many duties like this, but they're important, and it's surprising how many showrunners don't understand them.

Introductory words have the function of communicative introduction.It brings the speaker and the audience together, creates a friendly atmosphere, and serves as a bridge of interest between the speaker and the audience. "You don't have to say anything, you just need to introduce the speaker." This man took things too simply.No speech is more utterly ruined than an introduction, probably because many presenters who prepare it look down on it. The introductory word - this word is made up of two Latin morphemes, namely intor (to the interior) and ducere (to lead) - so it should lead us into the interior of the topic sufficiently to make us want to hear the discussion about it .At the same time, it should lead us to the internal facts of the speaker, to the facts that show that he is well-positioned to deal with this particular topic. "Sell" out, and these things should be done and done well in the shortest possible time.

That's what an introduction should do.But in all the introductions, nine out of ten did not do it-I especially emphasize "no".Most introductions are poor stuff, weak and vague.How did that happen?If the person making the introduction understands the greatness of his task and carries it out in the right way, he will soon become the chairman or host of the ceremony that everyone is eager to invite. When introducing a speaker, attitude is as important as the delivery.You should try to be as friendly as possible, don't have to say how happy you are, just show genuine pleasure in the introduction.If it can be brewed gradually, and the name of the speaker is announced at the end and when the climax is reached, the audience's expectations will increase accordingly, and more enthusiastic applause will be given.This friendly expression from the audience also helps to stimulate the speaker to go all out.

When announcing the speaker's name, it's good to keep these techniques in mind - pauses, separation, and strength. "Pause" means a short pause before the speaker's name, allowing the audience to reach the limit of their expectations; There is a clear impression of the person's name; "power" means that when the name is finally announced, it should be said with force. One more thing to warn: When you announce the speaker's name, please don't turn to him, but look at the audience, and don't turn to the speaker until the last syllable has been spoken.I have witnessed countless presenters whose introductory speeches were so admirable that they fell short because they turned to face the speaker, announcing their own name for the speaker alone, leaving the audience bewildered.

Still have to say it must be sincere.No derogatory comments or crude humor.Introductions that are not serious are often misunderstood by the audience.Be sincere, because you are in a social situation that requires the highest level of skill and strategy.You may be very familiar with the speaker, but not necessarily the audience. Although some of your words are not malicious, they may cause misunderstanding. The introduction, although short, hardly exceeding a minute, requires careful preparation.First, gather facts, which can center on three things: the speaker's topic, his qualifications on the topic, and his name.Sometimes there is a fourth content-the topic of the speech, how interesting it is.

Be sure to know the exact topic and know how the speaker will develop it.The most embarrassing thing is that the speaker disagrees with the content of the introduction, and says that some of it is inconsistent with his position.This situation can be avoided if you know the speaker's topic and don't make wild guesses about the content.But it is the presenter's responsibility to present the topic accurately and to point out that it is of great interest to the audience, so try to obtain information directly from the speaker if possible.If you need to use a third party, such as a program host, you should try to obtain written information and check with the speaker before the meeting.

Perhaps most of the preparation, however, is in the materials required to qualify as a speaker.If your speaker is nationally or locally famous, you can get precise information from Who's Who in the World or similar books; if it is local, turn to his public relations or personnel department, or Visit his close friends or family members to check the information.The most important thing is to get the biographical information of the other party accurate. People around the speaker are willing to provide materials. Of course, too much narration can also be tiresome.If you point out that someone is a doctor, it is unnecessary to mention his bachelor's and master's degrees.Again, it's better to point to the other person's highest and most recent job, rather than to bring up a bunch of jobs he's held since college.The most important thing is that the lesser achievements in the opponent's career can be ignored, but his most outstanding achievements must not be ignored.

For example, I heard a well-known speaker - he should be more well-known - introduce the Irish poet WB Yeats.Yeats is going to read his poems aloud.Three years ago, Yeats won the Nobel Prize for Literature, the highest honor bestowed on a literati, but I believe that less than one tenth of the audience knew about the award and understood its importance.But in any case, these two things should be mentioned, even if nothing else is said.But what did the host say?He completely ignores these things and digresses to talk about mythology and Greek poetry. Also, and most importantly, identify the speaker's name and familiarize yourself with the pronunciation right away.John Masson Brown said he had been introduced as John Brown Masson, or even John Smith Masson!The famous Canadian humorist Stephen Leacock, in his brisk essay "We Meet Tonight," gives an introduction to him:

"We were all excitedly anticipating Mr. Lerod's visit. We seemed to know him from his writings as an old friend. In fact, I don't think I'm exaggerating, but I told Mr. Lerod that his name had long been known locally. Has become a household name. It is a personal, very, very honor for me to introduce to you - Mr. Lee Lord." The main purpose of searching for information is to make a clear introduction, and the introduction must be clear to achieve its purpose-to increase the audience's attention and acceptance of the speaker's speech.An under-prepared host often utters vague and drowsy words like this: "Our speaker is well-known and unanimously regarded as - an authority on his subject. We were eager to hear his opinion on the subject, for he came from a - a very remote place. It is a great honor for me Introducing everyone, now let's look at - oh, here - Mr. Blank." By taking a little time to prepare, we can avoid making a bad impression on our speaker and audience. For most introductions, the formula "question-emphasis-tell" is a handy guideline that will help you organize the data you collect: "Title" represents a topic.Announce the exact topic of the speaker, followed by an introduction. "Heavy" stands for importance.At this stage, bridge the gap between the topic and the interests of your audience. "话" stands for the speaker.List here the speaker's outstanding qualifications, especially as they pertain to his topic.Finally, declare his name clearly and clearly. There are many places where you can use your imagination with this formula.There is really no need for the introduction to be condensed and boring.Now an example is given to show how to follow the formula without revealing the trace of the formula.Here is an introduction for George Webbaugh, director of the New York Telephone Company: "Our speaker's title is 'The Telephone Serves You'. "To me, there are a lot of mysteries in this world—like love, like the obsession of a punter—and one of them is the strange thing that happens on the phone. "How can you have the wrong phone number? Why do you sometimes call from New York to Chicago faster than from home to another town over the hill? Our speaker knows the answer, and everything else about Answers to Telephone Questions. For 20 years his job has been to organize and catalog the various details about telephones and make the cause accessible to all. He is a telephone company executive, a title he earned for his hard work . "Now he's going to tell us how his company has served us. If you've had a deep affection for phone service today, please consider him a saint of grace. If you've been bothered by calls lately, please let him do it. The speaker of the defense. "Gentlemen and ladies, we now welcome our speaker—Mr. George Webbaugh, Vice President of the New York Telephone Company." How subtly the person making the introduction reminded the audience of the telephone.He asks questions, piques the audience's curiosity, and then points out that the speaker can answer these and questions the audience might have. I don't believe that this introduction was written down and memorized in advance, because even if it is written on paper, it is still as clear and natural as spoken English.Introductions should not be memorized in advance.When Cornelia Otis Skinner was once introduced by a party chairperson, the chairperson forgot to memorize the words.She took a deep breath and said, "Because Admiral Bird charged too much, we have invited Cornelia Otis Skinner tonight." Introductions should be genuine and natural, as if present, not something rigid. In the introduction to Mr. Wei Baomu quoted above, there are no clichés, such as "it gives us great joy" and "I am honored to introduce it to you".The best way to announce a speaker is to say his name, or say "I introduce" followed by his name. The problem with some presenters is that they make the audience restless by speaking too long.Others indulge in eloquent fantasies, trying to impress upon speaker and audience their own importance.Others make the mistake of liking to make some jokes, and sometimes their taste is not very high, or they pursue "humor", and praise or belittle the profession of the speaker.If you want to make your introduction effective, these mistakes should be avoided. Here is another example, which closely follows the formula of "question-emphasis-telling", but its own personality is ready to emerge.Note how Iger L. Snardy uses the three stages of the formula to introduce renowned science educator and editor Jerrod Wind: "'Science Today'—the subject of our lecture on man, is serious business. It reminds me of a story of a deranged patient who fantasizes that he has a cat inside him. When he woke up from the anesthesia, the doctor showed him a black cat and told him that he was cured. But he said: 'I'm sorry, doctor, that has been bothering me. The cat is gray too!' "It's the same with science today. You catch a cat called u-235, and you end up with a bunch of kittens called uranium-233 or something. These elements, like the Chicago winter, are defeated one by one. The alchemist in ancient times, the world's first nuclear scientist, begged God to give him one more day of grace when he was dying, so that he could discover the secrets of the universe. Today's scientists have created secrets that the universe has never dreamed of. "Our speaker today understands the reality of today's science and the future development trend. He was a professor of chemistry at the University of Chicago, the dean of Pennsylvania State College, and the director of the Bardell Institute of Technology in Ohio and Columbia. He used to be a scientist He was an editor and writer. He was born in Davenpoe, Iowa. He earned a degree from Harvard. He trained in military factories and traveled around Europe. "Our speaker is the author and editor of several science textbooks. His most famous book is The Science of Tomorrow's World, which he published while he was director of the science department at the 'World's Fair' in New York. He is the author of Time's , "Life", "Fortune" and "Current Affairs" magazines, such as science consultants, so his interpretation of scientific news is widely known. Our speaker's "Atomic Age" was published in 1945, it is Ten days after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. One of the words he often said was 'the best will come'. I would like to proudly introduce him, which I am sure you will be happy to hear. He is the editor of "Science Pictorial" Editorial Chief, Dr. Gerald Wind." A few years ago, it was pulpit fashion to tout a speaker in an introduction.The chairman is constantly heaping gold and jade on the speaker, and the poor speaker is often overwhelmed by such a strong smell of flattery. Tom Collins, the popular Kansas City, Missouri, humorist, told Huber Prochnau, author of The Presenter's Handbook, "A speaker who wants to be witty and humorous starts by saying to his audience that they It's going to be hilarious soon, rolling around in the aisle, and it's over. When the host starts babbling about Will Rogers, you might as well go home and slit your wrists and kill yourself, because you're done." On the other hand, it cannot be underestimated.Stephen Leacock recalled a presenter's introduction that ended with: "This is the first of a series of lectures this winter. The last series, as you know, was not a success. In fact, we ended the year in the red. So this year we used a new idea and tried to Cheap talent. Allow me to introduce Mr. Leacock." Regarding these, Lee Coke said lightly: "Think about how it feels to stand up to the audience with the label of 'cheap talent' on your body."