Page 18 - 2019 February
P. 18
ON THE PATH
What are you?
The Importance of Introductions
James Wantz, DTM
“What are you exactly?” Dictionaries say it best: “The introduction to your
The question came 35 minutes into a Pathways speech serves a number of significant purposes:
webinar. I was stumped. It represents your chance to get your audience’s
“Uh...human,” I replied. attention before clearly stating your topic. It gives
“No, I mean, why do you do these or who are you opportunity to explain to your audience
you that you take the time to do these webinars?” why your topic is important while establishing
“Oh! I understand now. Well I’m...” your own credibility as a speaker on this topic.”
Thirty-five minutes into the webinar, and I (Thank you Google)
hadn’t introduced myself! Oops! That was a great Essentially, the intro answers three very
question. It pointed out my very serious breach important questions:
of webinar (and speech) etiquette (thankfully it • Why should I put down my mobile device
wasn’t recorded). to listen to YOU?
An introduction is crucial to a presentation • What’s in it for ME?
—if you don’t use one you aren’t prepared; you • Who are YOU to tell ME what’s important!?
might as well speak in your bathrobe (. . . and no, What does that look like in the wild? Here
I wasn’t in my bathrobe. . . not that time). is one of my standard (general purpose)
Unfortunately, in Toastmasters we don’t introductions:
encourage the use of effective introductions. James Wantz debuted on stage in the 4th
Think about it? When was the last time a prepared grade as Don Gato the love-sick cat. For the
speaker in your club had a full introduction—and next few decades James spent time avoiding
I don’t mean “Please welcome Ronda with her being himself by acting in college, community,
speech titled: Five Secret Ways to Effectively Muzzle and institutional theatres. His atrocious singing
your Neighbor’s Noisy Dog.” (Hmm. I’d actually like curtailed his theatre career and forced him to
to hear that speech.) listen to his mentor’s words, “Stop performing
That is not an effective introduction. Yes, you and start being yourself.”
get two pieces of information—the speaker’s After joining Toastmasters in 2008, James
name and the title of their speech—but if you realized that the skills he learned in the theatre
have an agenda in front of you then that intro is could help public speakers too. He has spent the
superfluous, unhelpful, and redundant. last few years helping speakers become more
What is an effective introduction? Oxford memorable by applying stage psychology to
18 ONE COMMUNITY
