Congratulations! Holding a conference is a fantastic opportunity. You are wise to work on the introduction: Usually, the audience pays more attention to the beginning and end of a speech. As a result, spending some additional time perfecting the start of the conference and your presentation can really be beneficial.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Understanding the Fundamentals
Step 1. Choose the right duration
It must last long enough. Too much, and you waste your audience's time. Too little, and the audience is bewildered. In general, the introduction should take less than 30 seconds.
- There is no need to rattle off your entire resume. Or to update people on your romantic adventures.
- Always remember that you have an audience made up of busy people. They took the time to come and hear you speak. Respect that time by not wasting it.
Step 2. Choose how to handle questions
Decide in advance and state in the introduction if you will allow interruptions to your speech, or if you would rather have questions postponed at the end of the conference. Either way, be sure to optimize your time so that there is room for questions. Set aside about 10% of the time available for this purpose.
- It means that for a one-hour lecture, you should allow 10 minutes for the questions and 45-50 minutes for the lesson.
- For a 15 minute gap, you should allow 1-2 minutes for questions and the remaining 13 minutes or so to speak.
Step 3. Identify the purpose of your conference
Now, before you can deliver the rest of your presentation, you need to identify your goal. There are 3 main categories: 1) the professional conference, 2) the educational conference, 3) the persuasive conference. Each has very different goals. Find the best category for your conference:
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Professional conference.
We talk about work. The goal is to impress, and to be qualified and professional.
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Educational conference.
Mainly aimed at teaching. It aims to inspire, inform and educate the public.
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Persuasive conference.
A “call to arms” or a “buying advice”. You have to persuade, motivate and make friends.
- Your conference may fall into more than one category, but there should be one more suitable than the others. Identify gender and goals. We will now look at how to use these objectives to select material for your introduction.
Part 2 of 4: Professional Conference
Step 1. Use the introduction to your professional conference to impress by proving you are fit (with an emphasis on "demonstrating", not "saying")
- Job interviews are also opportunities to assess your personality. And no one wants to work with a conceited braggart. Therefore, your introduction is not an opportunity to brag and list all your achievements.
- The great things that can be shared are those directly related to your conference. But even with those, many should be discreetly included within the speech.
- However, it would be a good time to introduce yourself. You should say your name, your current occupation / area of study and your current educational / training status. If relevant, also talk about past experiences.
Step 2. Quickly move on to introducing your speech after a few hints to your story
After all, almost everyone at a conference already knows who you are. What the public wants to know is what you can do for them, they want to know your skills. So cut it short and start exhibiting.
Step 3. Read this example:
Hi, my name is Pietro Gibboni. I work for Initech. I was trained by Guido Lombardi. Recently, I led a team that has designed and perfected new components of the company that have increased productivity. Today I will tell you about my work. in this new area, my methods for monitoring the adoption of the new system and the results of this new working method
Step 4. Note these correct elements within the example:
- The speaker briefly illustrated his personal details / credentials: "Hi, my name is Pietro Gibboni. I work for Initech. I was trained by Guido Lombardi."
- The speaker subtly boasted: "Recently, I led a team that designed and perfected…".
- The speaker then shared some skills in the introduction: "Today I will talk to you about my work in this new area, my methods for monitoring the adoption of the new system and the results of this new working method." This phrase implies that the speaker knows how to develop and refine new management systems and monitor their adoption. Skills that its viewers are assumed to be interested in.
Step 5. Write everything down
Now that you have decided that your conference will be professional and that you have identified your goals, it is time to build your introduction. You can use the above example as a template for yours. Obviously you will have to customize it according to your experience, your skills and your goals. Remember that the introduction is the perfect time to illustrate your skills and brag a little, but don't overdo it.
Step 6. Practice
Once written, rehearse your introduction in front of friends or colleagues. Ask for their dispassionate opinion before the big day. Rewrite and retry the introduction as needed, based on the feedback you get.
Part 3 of 4: Educational Conference
Step 1. Keep in mind that your goal is to inform and entertain
You want to appear friendly and relevant. In this case, the very fact that you are teaching means that you are already recognized as an expert. There is no need to impress the audience with your experiences, unless they are particularly interesting or bizarre.
Educational conferences are often more informal. They often lend themselves to jokes or analysis of current events. If you use jokes or anecdotes, make sure they are relevant. They should be used for attract attention, not just for entertaining.
Step 2. Keep your introduction short and simple
You will spend more time introducing your topic and personality. Don't forget your enthusiasm. After all, you want students to WANT to listen. It works best if you WANT to talk about it yourself, so at least pretend you want to.
Step 3. Read this example:
My name is Pietro Gibboni, I am a manager at Initech in the IT department. It is an honor to be here today to talk to you about this topic. As a manager, over the years I have often found myself trying to balance productivity with employee morale., a challenge that you surely know too. Today I will talk to you about a new system that we have recently developed at Initech to increase productivity, and about the results obtained also on employee morale. I hope you find this speech useful for the development of your schemes managerial
Step 4. Note the correct parts of the example:
- The speaker spent relatively little time bragging and talking about himself. He just said who he is and where he comes from. "My name is Pietro Gibboni, I'm a manager at Initech in the IT department." Then he immediately moved on to the topic of the conference.
- The speaker expressed his enthusiasm for the subject: "It is an honor to be here."
- The speaker extended a hand to the audience: "… a challenge that you surely know too".
- The speaker helped the audience to orient themselves on the goal of this educational experience: "I hope you find this speech useful for the development of your managerial schemes."
Step 5. Write everything down
Now that you have decided that your conference will be educational and have identified your goals, it is time to build your introduction. You can use the previous example as a template for yours. Obviously you will have to customize it according to your experience, your skills and your goals. Remember to express your enthusiasm for the topic in question.
Step 6. Practice
Once written, rehearse your introduction in front of friends or colleagues. Ask for their dispassionate opinion before the big day. Rewrite and retry the introduction as needed, based on the feedback you get.
Part 4 of 4: Persuasive Conference
Step 1. Keep in mind that the goal of this conference is to "convince" or "sell"
However, compared to job interviews, you are not selling yourself (unless you are a politician), but a product or service. So avoid spending too much time talking about your experiences or skills. Instead, focus on grabbing your audience's attention by illustrating what problems can you solve for them thanks to your product / service.
Step 2. Read this example:
Hi, my name is Pietro Gibboni, I am a manager at Initech in the IT department. I am delighted to be here today to talk to you about our new revolutionary system. I have discovered, working as a manager for many years, that I am always looking for a way to balance productivity and employee morale. A goal that I am sure you share. Today I will talk to you about a new system that can both increase productivity and improve morale in your company
Step 3. Note the correct parts of the example:
- The speaker spent relatively little time bragging and talking about himself. He just said who he is and where he comes from. "My name is Pietro Gibboni, I'm a manager at Initech in the IT department." Then he immediately moved on to the topic of the conference. It is similar to the style of the education section.
- The speaker extended a hand to the audience: "A goal that, I am sure, you share". This is also similar to the educational style.
- The speaker quickly revealed why the conference is worth following. It was done by presenting a common problem to be solved ("looking for a way to balance productivity and employee morale") and promising a solution with your product: "Today I'll tell you about a new system that can both increase productivity. than to improve the morale of your company. " Introducing a problem that promises to be solved is a method unique to this style.
Step 4. Write everything down
Now that you have decided that your lecture will be persuasive and that you have identified your goals, it is time to build your introduction. You can use the previous example as a template for yours. Obviously you will have to customize it according to your experience, your skills and your goals. Remember to emphasize shared experiences and be sure to disclose which problems you are able to help solve.
Step 5. Practice
Once written, rehearse your introduction in front of friends or colleagues. Ask their dispassionate opinion before the big day. Rewrite and retry the introduction as needed, based on the feedback you get.
Advice
- You smile. If you're not happy to be there, why should your audience be? So be happy, or at least pretend: smile.
- Be yourself. Be as normal as possible. Holding a conference is like having a very lopsided conversation. Gesture, move, smile, laugh at yourself if things go wrong.
- Be professional. Dress appropriately. Keep jokes and anecdotes clean and harmless. If you can't, avoid using them.
- Have fun. A conference is a fantastic opportunity to make a good impression. Enjoy the opportunity.
