How do you introduce a guest to the gathering?



If a guest speaker ever made a special request to the organizers that he would introduce himself to the gathering rather than being introduced, there may be a sound reason for that. One of compelling reasons could be that he was not happy the way he was introduced on previous occasions. I used to observe a senior colleague of mine in my earlier banking service, insisting on self introduction as a pre-condition for delivering talks. Once I asked him whether this kind of insistence did not amount to disrespect to the organizers and especially to the one who would be looking forward to doing this job. My colleague shared with me the reason that evening. He is a highly qualified person with four MA degrees in the string of at least a dozen qualifications. It seems the introducer went on to say,  ‘ …. I am happy to say that so and so appeared for his MA degree four times!’ My friend who was the Personnel Manager must have felt humiliated in front of new batch of officers who were to join the bank service on that day. Perhaps this particular incident must have terribly upset him and made him become a little obstinate.

I narrated this incident to bring home the fact that, one should take this task seriously  and ensure that howler of the above kind will not creep in,  in the course of your guest introduction. Here below are a few tips for managing this assignment well.

  1. Get to know a whole lot about the guest much in advance. Check for the authenticity and topicality with people in the know of things.
  2. It is better to talk to the guest a couple of days in advance as it helps you acclimatize yourself. More you know about him/her and closer you come, better will be the rapport.
  3. Do not take the risk of exaggerating someone’s position, accomplishment, connections etc. make a brief note on what to say without missing out on vital information.
  4. Do not ever talk in a casual manner about your guest.  You need not struggle to get the things by heart. Jot down the details neatly and practice reading till you feel comfortable.
  5. Do not read the text mechanically. Take advantage of the podium. Place the note and read it as if you read it not!
  6. As you introduce the guest, he may engage himself with a small talk with people around which is not really a welcome sign. Do not pause and show any frustration.
  7. After the introduction is over, return to your seat unobtrusively. Do not rush to the guest and extend hand.
  8. These tips are a few samples. Learn this job by observing others. Keep an eye on what to improve every time.
By, Dr. N  Jayarama Shetty,  Ph.D, M.Com, MBA, MA( Psy), LL B, CAIIB, D. TD, PG. DHRM, PG. DMM, Pragya, Visiting Professor, Nitte School of Management, Bengaluru




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