How to Write a Solid Introduction
(Part 2)
Suppose you were asked to introduce President Barack Obama at your organization’s special event. What would you do to prepare your introduction?
I’d be willing to bet, that “winging it” wouldn’t be in your vocabulary. You would find the time to do the research, contact his administrative assistant, collect important facts, and ask colleagues for their advice. You would make sure that the microphone on site works, and other logistics are handled professionally. You’d be so excited that you couldn’t sleep? Ten bucks says that you would be a great host for this special speaker!
Got you thinking?
All speakers, not just celebrities, require this kind of attention.
How to Write the Introduction
If you are the one who volunteers, or is volunteered, to introduce a speaker at an event, you might want to keep a copy of this column.
Scripting the introduction shouldn’t happen “on the spot”, nor should you be writing it on the back of a crumpled piece of paper like a grocery bill. I’ve developed a template that may help you in your preparation. Let me know if you find this useful.
The “Introduction” has three main elements, all beginning with “C”.
1. Character
2. Credentials
3. Connection
“Character” refers to the speaker as a person. Who are they? What is their personality? This opening portion is the “hook” for the audience.
“Credentials” refer to the qualifications of the presenter. What are the main points - not all the points - which apply directly to the audience’s understanding of the speaker as an expert on this subject?
“Connection” provides the presenter and subject link to the audience. What is the focus of the presentation and how does this affect the listeners? What can the audience look forward to hearing, seeing, doing and taking away from the time spent together?
Here’s an example of this template:
Our presenter, Maggie Chicoine (Chic Win’) claims that she is more than a seasoned speaker….she’s marinated!
Maggie’s company, The Idea Sculptor, was formed in 1986 and is based in Thunder Bay, Ontario. As a professional speaker, Master Coach and writer, Maggie’s clientele has a broad scope – from tribal chiefs in Ghana, Africa, to the boardrooms of Australia and the US, to Northern Ontario’s volunteer organizations and entrepreneurs. She delivers thought provoking and practical content with her trademark: “a twist of ingenuity”.
Maggie is a founding director of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers, and one of Northern Ontario’s most influential women. She is the Lead Facilitator for Leadership Thunder Bay.
This evening, she is sharing her experience as a Master Coach with you. Maggie is the expert in knowing how to turn a bad situation into a solid path for our leaders at XYZ Corporation. Her examples are so relevant that her guarantee is: no one sleeps.
Please welcome.... Maggie.
Sixty seconds: Character. Credentials. Connection.
Applause.....
###
Maggie Chicoine is a skilled presenter who coaches members of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers and the National Speakers’ Association (USA) in Master of Ceremonies skills. Reach her at 1 800 587 1767 or
Showing posts with label CAPS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CAPS. Show all posts
29.1.09
26.1.09
How To Write A SOLID Introduction
How to Write a Solid Introduction
(Part 2)
Part 1 appeared January 26, 2009...See the Archive at http://www.theideasculptor.blogspot.com/
(Part 2)
Part 1 appeared January 26, 2009...See the Archive at http://www.theideasculptor.blogspot.com/
Suppose you were asked to introduce President Barack Obama at your organization’s special event. What would you do to prepare your introduction?
I’d be willing to bet, that “winging it” wouldn’t be in your vocabulary. You would find the time to do the research, contact his administrative assistant, collect important facts, and ask colleagues for their advice. You would make sure that the microphone on site works, and other logistics are handled professionally. You’d be so excited that you couldn’t sleep? Ten bucks says that you would be a great host for this special speaker!
Got you thinking?
All speakers, not just celebrities, require this kind of attention.
How to Write the Introduction
If you are the one who volunteers, or is volunteered, to introduce a speaker at an event, you might want to keep a copy of this column.
Scripting the introduction shouldn’t happen “on the spot”, nor should you be writing it on the back of a crumpled piece of paper like a grocery bill. I’ve developed a template that may help you in your preparation. Let me know if you find this useful.
The “Introduction” has three main elements, all beginning with “C”.
1. Character
2. Credentials
3. Connection
“Character” refers to the speaker as a person. Who are they? What is their personality? This opening portion is the “hook” for the audience.
“Credentials” refer to the qualifications of the presenter. What are the main points - not all the points - which apply directly to the audience’s understanding of the speaker as an expert on this subject?
“Connection” provides the presenter and subject link to the audience. What is the focus of the presentation and how does this affect the listeners? What can the audience look forward to hearing, seeing, doing and taking away from the time spent together?
Here’s an example of this template: (Reminder: large font makes this easier to read when you are nervous or the lighting at the lecturn is dim...)
Our presenter, Maggie Chicoine (Chic Win’) claims that she is more than a seasoned speaker….she’s marinated!
Maggie’s company, The Idea Sculptor, was formed in 1986 and is based in Thunder Bay, Ontario. As a professional speaker, Master Coach and writer, Maggie’s clientele has a broad scope – from tribal chiefs in Ghana, Africa, to the boardrooms of Australia and the US, to Northern Ontario’s volunteer organizations and entrepreneurs. She always delivers thought provoking and practical content with her trademark: “a twist of ingenuity”.
Maggie is a founding director of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers, and one of Northern Ontario’s most influential women. She is the Lead Facilitator for Leadership Thunder Bay.
This evening, she is sharing her experience as a Master Coach with you. Maggie is the expert in knowing ... how to turn a bad situation into a solid path for our leaders at XYZ Corporation. Her examples are so relevant that her guarantee is:... "no one sleeps".
Please welcome.... Maggie.
Sixty seconds:
Character. Credentials. Connection.
Maggie Chicoine is a skilled presenter who coaches members of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers and the National Speakers’ Association (USA) in Master of Ceremonies skills. Reach her at 1 800 587 1767 or www.theideasculptor.com. Her column, The Tuesday File, appears at Lake Superior News - www.lakesuperiornews.com weekly.
Maggie Chicoine is a skilled presenter who coaches members of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers and the National Speakers’ Association (USA) in Master of Ceremonies skills. Reach her at 1 800 587 1767 or www.theideasculptor.com. Her column, The Tuesday File, appears at Lake Superior News - www.lakesuperiornews.com weekly.
Stage Fright?
How Not To Introduce A Speaker
What three word phrase should be locked into the vault when introducing a speaker? Before I reveal the answer, let’s go behind the scenes.
Whether the event is a large convention or a small gathering of like-minded colleagues waiting for their CEO to deliver the annual report, the introducer has a responsibility to shine the light on the speaker. Allow me to repeat that last phrase: “shine the light on the speaker”.
What three word phrase should be locked into the vault when introducing a speaker? Before I reveal the answer, let’s go behind the scenes.
Whether the event is a large convention or a small gathering of like-minded colleagues waiting for their CEO to deliver the annual report, the introducer has a responsibility to shine the light on the speaker. Allow me to repeat that last phrase: “shine the light on the speaker”.
The purpose of an introduction is to set the stage for the speaker’s presentation. The audience needs these opening words to warm up to the speaker, not the introducer. No matter how funny the joke may be, or how thrilling the experience could be, it’s the speaker who needs to be connected by a strong thread to the people filling the chairs.
What NOT to do as an introducer:
1. Scratch notes on the back of your grocery bill as you drive to the event.
2. Ignore the speaker’s bio, and just wing it
3. Talk about how much you personally also understand the subject at hand
4. Not bother to stand or use the microphone as you make your opening remarks
5. Tell jokes that everyone else also received in their emails
6. Arrive late enough that you do not have a chance to connect with the presenter
7. Let your own ego preside over the meeting
So, what should you do?
A. Prepare in advance. Ask the speaker for a bio, and then edit the information into your own language - the way you speak. If there’s a difficult multi-syllable word that trips you up, find a synonym. Transcribe your notes into a final copy, and print it out in 16 point font on card stock. Make a duplicate copy.
B. Ask the speaker for their own personalized introduction. Do not change it without their permission.
C. Arrive early for the event. Be the host of the presenter. This may seem like common sense, but the more welcome the speaker feels, the better their presentation to your group.
D. Get comfortable standing behind the lectern and using a microphone. Learn to manage the stress of speaking. Hire a coach, or take in Toastmasters.
E. Choose your humour wisely.
F. Get over yourself. Keep your ego in your pocket.
Finally, let me share the words that make most professional speakers wince.
“Without”
“Further”
“Ado...”
Please, no more further ado’s. You can substitute: “We are excited to hear from... please welcome...”. Try: “And now, Ms....”.
Then turn to the speaker, and get eye contact. Smile. Shakes hands, a sign of a warm, sincere welcome which puts your presenter in the limelight once more.
Sit back, enjoy.
Next week: Part 2 “How to write an introduction.”
- ### -
Maggie Chicoine is a professional speaker and charter member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers. Maggie coaches people who are terrified to speak - and creates ease and eloquence for everyone at the podium.
What NOT to do as an introducer:
1. Scratch notes on the back of your grocery bill as you drive to the event.
2. Ignore the speaker’s bio, and just wing it
3. Talk about how much you personally also understand the subject at hand
4. Not bother to stand or use the microphone as you make your opening remarks
5. Tell jokes that everyone else also received in their emails
6. Arrive late enough that you do not have a chance to connect with the presenter
7. Let your own ego preside over the meeting
So, what should you do?
A. Prepare in advance. Ask the speaker for a bio, and then edit the information into your own language - the way you speak. If there’s a difficult multi-syllable word that trips you up, find a synonym. Transcribe your notes into a final copy, and print it out in 16 point font on card stock. Make a duplicate copy.
B. Ask the speaker for their own personalized introduction. Do not change it without their permission.
C. Arrive early for the event. Be the host of the presenter. This may seem like common sense, but the more welcome the speaker feels, the better their presentation to your group.
D. Get comfortable standing behind the lectern and using a microphone. Learn to manage the stress of speaking. Hire a coach, or take in Toastmasters.
E. Choose your humour wisely.
F. Get over yourself. Keep your ego in your pocket.
Finally, let me share the words that make most professional speakers wince.
“Without”
“Further”
“Ado...”
Please, no more further ado’s. You can substitute: “We are excited to hear from... please welcome...”. Try: “And now, Ms....”.
Then turn to the speaker, and get eye contact. Smile. Shakes hands, a sign of a warm, sincere welcome which puts your presenter in the limelight once more.
Sit back, enjoy.
Next week: Part 2 “How to write an introduction.”
- ### -
Maggie Chicoine is a professional speaker and charter member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers. Maggie coaches people who are terrified to speak - and creates ease and eloquence for everyone at the podium.
She is also a professional member of PWAC, ICF and IAFF. Reach her at 1 800 587 1767 or www.theideasculptor.com
8.12.08
How To Love A Lonely Planet
Photo Credit: Richard Chicoine iCopyright 2008Or
Why Falling In Love with What You Do Is Good For Business!
David Wells exudes the energetic silence of a boundless explorer. His finger points beyond the smooth rocky shore to the horizon of Lake Superior: “Look from left to right,” he says. “You can actually see the curvature of the earth from here.” He is right. Rock Island Lodge is at the edge of infinity.
The Lodge is home base for Naturally Superior Adventures, an award winning eco-adventure company founded by Wells in 1994. Situated at the junction of the Michipicoten and Magpie Rivers, about 6 miles south of Wawa, Ontario, the property embraces the shores of the Big Water, Lake Superior. Luxurious in its simplicity, and consciously designed to appeal to all the senses, Rock Island is its own 7 acres of secluded lonely planet.
Wells seems to have found the business formula which matches his own personal passions. “I was trained as a forester and ended up here as the Business Manager on the Michipicoten Reserve. Michipicoten, means Big Bluffs in Ojibwe”, he explains. “The intrigue of nature is at its max around here. The contrast of the landscape, from endless hills to vast watery horizons, is enough to create an ancient ache in the pit of your stomach. This is a prime spot.”
He’s felt that way, it seems, from day one. “Paddling from Marathon, we rested on some rocks. I realized that possibly I was the very first person in the history of time to be there. On this shoreline, I could find spear heads and pictographs that other white people had never seen before. It was an amazing, life changing experience.”
Falling In Love With Where You Are Is Good For Business
It’s the kind of altered headspace that Wells and his extremely skilled staff want to create for their worldwide client base. Wells has focussed his business model on his own inner passions – nature, art, risk, history, excellence and a love of Lake Superior.
Why Falling In Love with What You Do Is Good For Business!
David Wells exudes the energetic silence of a boundless explorer. His finger points beyond the smooth rocky shore to the horizon of Lake Superior: “Look from left to right,” he says. “You can actually see the curvature of the earth from here.” He is right. Rock Island Lodge is at the edge of infinity.
The Lodge is home base for Naturally Superior Adventures, an award winning eco-adventure company founded by Wells in 1994. Situated at the junction of the Michipicoten and Magpie Rivers, about 6 miles south of Wawa, Ontario, the property embraces the shores of the Big Water, Lake Superior. Luxurious in its simplicity, and consciously designed to appeal to all the senses, Rock Island is its own 7 acres of secluded lonely planet.
Wells seems to have found the business formula which matches his own personal passions. “I was trained as a forester and ended up here as the Business Manager on the Michipicoten Reserve. Michipicoten, means Big Bluffs in Ojibwe”, he explains. “The intrigue of nature is at its max around here. The contrast of the landscape, from endless hills to vast watery horizons, is enough to create an ancient ache in the pit of your stomach. This is a prime spot.”
He’s felt that way, it seems, from day one. “Paddling from Marathon, we rested on some rocks. I realized that possibly I was the very first person in the history of time to be there. On this shoreline, I could find spear heads and pictographs that other white people had never seen before. It was an amazing, life changing experience.”
Falling In Love With Where You Are Is Good For Business
It’s the kind of altered headspace that Wells and his extremely skilled staff want to create for their worldwide client base. Wells has focussed his business model on his own inner passions – nature, art, risk, history, excellence and a love of Lake Superior.
His clientele is different from the usual Circle Tour road trip types. “We appeal to personal desires for lifetime achievement, individuals who want to reach ultimate goals. They are trophy hunters of sorts. Boomers want to collect experiences, good or bad, but not mediocre. We give them a really good presentation, meaning top quality gear and excellent training. Maybe they had a bad experience on the water thirty years ago. It’s important to spend 20 minutes to find out what makes them tick, and then teach the skills.”
Clients are seeking adventure, usually in a kayak. Expert Guides offer courses that range from watercraft skills to storm watching packages for photographing the gales of November. In all of this natural silence, with the potential of regaining the soul’s inner quiet there is also the potent possibility of engaging in the thrill of a lifetime - simultaneously.
Finding the Niche
“My first business plan didn’t work. I didn’t know myself then.” Wells says, “We finally found our niche: “Silent Sports”. Kayaks are the heart of the company. People were asking to stay here, so we added four voyageur themed rooms with large windows and without telephones. We include a hearty breakfast. I like the kind of people who are our customers: hikers, sailors, photographers, musicians, artists, folks who like to watch storms, get married on the beach, or spend a night in a tepee.”
Employees are obviously top notch characters. Subservience doesn’t cut it. They have to have opinions.
Clients are seeking adventure, usually in a kayak. Expert Guides offer courses that range from watercraft skills to storm watching packages for photographing the gales of November. In all of this natural silence, with the potential of regaining the soul’s inner quiet there is also the potent possibility of engaging in the thrill of a lifetime - simultaneously.
Finding the Niche
“My first business plan didn’t work. I didn’t know myself then.” Wells says, “We finally found our niche: “Silent Sports”. Kayaks are the heart of the company. People were asking to stay here, so we added four voyageur themed rooms with large windows and without telephones. We include a hearty breakfast. I like the kind of people who are our customers: hikers, sailors, photographers, musicians, artists, folks who like to watch storms, get married on the beach, or spend a night in a tepee.”
Employees are obviously top notch characters. Subservience doesn’t cut it. They have to have opinions.
“We have amazing staff. We don’t give them a policy manual. They need to be performers, and lead actors, especially when we take a group out for a week on the Big Water. They have to understand weather patterns and respect the lake with its craggy, wild shorelines. It’s dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing. They must know first aid and safety procedures, but more importantly, our guides must be pro-active and people friendly, with a grasp on group dynamics.”
Wells claims that Lake Superior’s offerings are becoming better known in the global travel market. “We were written up in The Lonely Planet Travel Guide. We won a Tourism Pinnacle Award this year, and National Geographic honoured us as one of the top ten kayak outfitters in the world. I tell people that this is comparable to places like Greenland, but the difference is, you can drive here. We’re innovative and sophisticated, yet affordable. We promote eco-tourism and ecological diversity in everything we do, and also donate 1% of our revenues to the Lake Superior Conservancy and Watershed Council. We are very much part of the Wawa community.”
Wells never tires of watching the water ebb and flow. “Back in 1994, I invested in the most expensive piece of property anywhere around Wawa. I think have horseshoes. I am where I like to be, and where Lake Superior wants me to be.”
Entrepreneurs Take Note
David Wells shares some important insights during this interview.
Wells claims that Lake Superior’s offerings are becoming better known in the global travel market. “We were written up in The Lonely Planet Travel Guide. We won a Tourism Pinnacle Award this year, and National Geographic honoured us as one of the top ten kayak outfitters in the world. I tell people that this is comparable to places like Greenland, but the difference is, you can drive here. We’re innovative and sophisticated, yet affordable. We promote eco-tourism and ecological diversity in everything we do, and also donate 1% of our revenues to the Lake Superior Conservancy and Watershed Council. We are very much part of the Wawa community.”
Wells never tires of watching the water ebb and flow. “Back in 1994, I invested in the most expensive piece of property anywhere around Wawa. I think have horseshoes. I am where I like to be, and where Lake Superior wants me to be.”
Entrepreneurs Take Note
David Wells shares some important insights during this interview.
To find your niche in business, search for what you naturally love. What makes your heart sing? What do you never tire of doing? Where in the world is the spot that is yours infinitely?
Answer these, and you’ve found your niche strategy.
- 30 -
Answer these, and you’ve found your niche strategy.
- 30 -
Maggie Chicoine is a professional member of the Professional Writer’s Association of Canada, the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers and a Master Coach. She specializes in strategies to think ahead. Reach her at 1 800 587 1767 or http://www.theideasculptor.com/
26.2.08
Leverage HOW to WOW
How HOW Becomes WOW!
If you think that this blog is about solving problems by exploring the concept of “leverage” you’re right on! It’s about turning a “how” question that keeps you up at night, into the “WOW” that is buried somewhere within digging distance. Did the “H” words in the Idea Du Jour spark the turning point for you?
This week’s personal wake-up call came as an email, one of those pseudo chain letters which these days is called a meme. I loved it! It got me thinking, and turned a “how” into a “WOW” by challenging my traditional approach to goal setting.
Ready? Here's the instructions...time required about 3 minutes.
1. Take the book closest to you, and turn to page 123.
2. Count down 4 sentences.
3. Copy the next 5 sentences and post.
4. Add a comment about any insights/inspirations you may have had as a result. Just click on the comments button below to send.
Here’s an example, from “The Seven Strategies of Master Negotiators”, by Dr. Brad McRae, a colleague from Halifax.
“Equally important (to Buzz) is the need to balance toughness with being pragmatic as the following excerpt from his book Labour of Love points out.”
“Some of my critics like to call me “the labour boss who rattles boardrooms” – as if my only intention is to be stubborn and force a strike on management. That’s absurd. I’m better known in labour-management circles as a person who knows how to reach a settlement by reading the situation and moving demands around on the table until the deal begins to look too sweet for the employers to pass up. Our goal is to always get a deal our members can be happy with.”
Comment: The How = How do you balance toughness with pragmaticism? How does he read the situation? How does he move demands around on the table? How does the deal begin to look too sweet? How do we know what makes our members happy?
The WOW for goal setting: it’s the thinking and the conversations about the various dimensions of the How. If X is what you want, then what’s the continuum of “now, near and far” that gets you there?
Post YOUR page 123 here by clicking comment below. You can also subscribe and receive the updates every Tuesday....email on top right!
If you think that this blog is about solving problems by exploring the concept of “leverage” you’re right on! It’s about turning a “how” question that keeps you up at night, into the “WOW” that is buried somewhere within digging distance. Did the “H” words in the Idea Du Jour spark the turning point for you?
This week’s personal wake-up call came as an email, one of those pseudo chain letters which these days is called a meme. I loved it! It got me thinking, and turned a “how” into a “WOW” by challenging my traditional approach to goal setting.
Ready? Here's the instructions...time required about 3 minutes.
1. Take the book closest to you, and turn to page 123.
2. Count down 4 sentences.
3. Copy the next 5 sentences and post.
4. Add a comment about any insights/inspirations you may have had as a result. Just click on the comments button below to send.
Here’s an example, from “The Seven Strategies of Master Negotiators”, by Dr. Brad McRae, a colleague from Halifax.
“Equally important (to Buzz) is the need to balance toughness with being pragmatic as the following excerpt from his book Labour of Love points out.”
“Some of my critics like to call me “the labour boss who rattles boardrooms” – as if my only intention is to be stubborn and force a strike on management. That’s absurd. I’m better known in labour-management circles as a person who knows how to reach a settlement by reading the situation and moving demands around on the table until the deal begins to look too sweet for the employers to pass up. Our goal is to always get a deal our members can be happy with.”
Comment: The How = How do you balance toughness with pragmaticism? How does he read the situation? How does he move demands around on the table? How does the deal begin to look too sweet? How do we know what makes our members happy?
The WOW for goal setting: it’s the thinking and the conversations about the various dimensions of the How. If X is what you want, then what’s the continuum of “now, near and far” that gets you there?
Post YOUR page 123 here by clicking comment below. You can also subscribe and receive the updates every Tuesday....email on top right!
Sneek peaks! You'll have to check in here (add to favourites) for the Ideas Du Jour list - new 7 word idea leverage every single day!
See you next Leverage Tuesday, for the letter I!
- Maggie
Thanks for dropping by!
maggiechicoine@gmail.com
maggiechicoine@gmail.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
