![]() It so happened that the person I was introducing unexpectedly had a last name that was difficult for me to pronounce. In my situation, since I wasn’t able to get to know the person, I had to rely on the information from the bio included in the program.ĭuring the speech of introduction, make sure to say the person’s name, correctly, several times. Such direct communication might also allow you to make the introduction more personal, as you can note the lunch, phone call, or e-mail exchanges during your speech. You may want to communicate directly with the person and ask them a couple questions that you think the audience might find interesting but aren’t included in the typical bio. While these are good places to start to get to know the person you will introduce, it’s good to have some personal connection, too. You want to make sure the information is up to date and valid, so it’s good to verify any information found on the Internet or just contact the person directly to ask for a bio. The guest may have already sent a bio (a biographical sketch with information about their life and accomplishments) to put in the program. You can find biographical information about many people online, through their professional or personal websites or social media profiles. If you’ve just been asked to introduce the guest because you are involved in the planning of the event, then you have hopefully been asked in advance and can take some time to get to know the person. If you already know the person and have a relationship with them, then this step is easily checked off the preparation list. If you’ve been asked to introduce someone, you are likely part of the team planning the event or you have a relationship with the person. ![]() The first step in preparing a speech of introduction is to get to know the person you’re introducing. Such speeches are usually only one to two minutes long. Despite the lack of notice and my lack of knowledge about the person I would soon introduce, I drew on my knowledge of special-occasion speaking and made the most out of my five minutes of prep time.Ī speech of introduction is a speech in which one speaker briefly introduces an upcoming speaker who is usually the focus of the occasion. Knowing this can help you “expect the unexpected.” As we learned earlier, speaking anxiety increases when there is little time to prepare and practice a speech. This is just one example of how special-occasion speeches can sneak up on you. I didn’t know before the tap that I was going to introduce him, and I didn’t know that much about him. So delivering a long speech on such an occasion will likely create timing problems for the rest of the program.įive minutes after I felt a tap on my shoulder, I was introducing the provost of the university. There may be a dinner planned, a special surprise coming up, other people to be honored, or even a limit on how long the group can use the facility. Special occasions are planned events, and a speaker is just one part of a program. With only a couple exceptions, these speeches are shorter than other speech types. ![]() Special-occasion speeches should always be brief, unless otherwise noted. Given these reasons, it should be clear that even though ceremonial speeches are brief and don’t require the research of other speech types, they still require planning, good content, and good delivery. More than once, I have been asked to introduce a guest speaker at an event at the last minute. Another reason is that special occasion speeches can “sneak up” on you if the person in charge of the event didn’t plan ahead for the speaking parts of the program and has to ask people to participate at the last minute. One reason for this lack of preparation is that people often, mistakenly, think they can “wing” a toast, introduction, or acceptance speech. Even though most special occasions are planned, the speaking that goes on during these events isn’t always as planned. Speakers should always be prepared for a speech, but this can be challenging with special-occasion speaking because it is often unexpected. Before we get into specific examples of ceremonial speeches, we’ll discuss three general guidelines for ceremonial speeches: be prepared, be brief, and be occasion focused. Although most communication classes cover informative and persuasive speaking more than ceremonial speaking, I have had many students tell me after taking the class that the guidelines they learned for speaking on special occasions have been very useful for them. ![]() Ceremonial speaking refers to speeches of praise, tribute, and celebration that bring audiences together on special occasions.
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