HornBlowers.Biz

Speaker introductions are important. Really important.

They can set the stage (pun intended) for the intent of the speaker. They can set the mood of the audience to prepare for the content. They can even help audience members decide whether or not to take a catnap during the upcoming speech.

Yes, speaker introductions are important.

You are good at what you do. Really good. So good that there are movers and shakers who need to meet you.

You are busy with your work. Really busy. So busy that you don’t have time to meet the movers and shakers who need to meet you.

Movers and shakers often belong to local service clubs. That’s the ticket! Write a 15-to-20 minute speech, call up the local Rotary president, and tell her which week you will attend their luncheon meeting as a Guest Speaker.

Next you can call the Kiwanis president; perhaps he’ll be more responsive if you give him a choice of dates.

Hmmm, Optimists Club? Maybe they will appreciate a quality cold-call when they hear one.

Or maybe the Lions Club. (Does your town even HAVE a Lions Club?)

You are good at what you do. Really good. Those club members do need to meet you.

We already know lots of civic group presidents and program chairs. Just sayin’ . . .

In the crowded, cluttered world of business, where look-alikes and copycats abound, it’s hard to get noticed. It’s expensive to get noticed. And it’s time-consuming to do the traditional activities to get noticed.

The concept of “Credibility Marketing”, as outlined in the book of the same name by Larry Chambers, is that prospects want the freedom to make their own selections.They do not want to be sold to. But when they encounter an expert who distinguishes him/herself, they are likely to initiate contact that can lead to business.

 There are 4 Components of Credibility Marketing:

1. Speaking to Groups
2. Getting Published
3. Becoming a Source for News Media
4. Publishing Articles On-Line

We’d love to help you explore the possibilities – let us toot your horn for you!

Want to be the favorite guest speaker of the entire, long year of a Program Chair or VP’s term? Easy! Come to speak armed with a complete typewritten Outro for the chair to read aloud as soon as you finish.

 At HornBlowers, we prepare a separate outro for each of our client’s speaking topics, so the client is prepared at all times. We like to think we spoil the Program Chairs.

Here’s the structure of a powerful outro:

1.  Start by addressing the Guest Speaker with a “thank you”.  Be sure to carefully state the speaker’s full name.

2.  Repeat one to three items from the speech. Ideally start with a colorful phrase, such as “I’m stunned to learn that . . .” or “Certainly we’ll all be looking out for . . . .“ or “Something that floored me was . . . “.

3. Comment on how valuable the presentation was to the audience/club members. “You have saved us lots of time and money . . . ” or “Now we all feel smarter about . . . “

4. Conclude by turning to the audience with a call to action. “Jeff’s website address is easy, it’s _____” or “Catherine is signing copies of her new book in the lobby after the meeting.”

5. Finally, initiate applause for the speaker once more, before resuming club administration (meeting and dues reminders, next month’s speaker, and the like).

p.s. Don’t blame us if you get asked back next time they have an opening for a guest speaker . . .

Positive Reinforcement is Powerful

Audience members are distractable. Hearing a different voice repeat the name of the speaker they’ve just heard will further lock it in their mind.

Same thing for hearing one or two key points repeated by another person’s voice.

“I’d never realized that that zoning codes vary so widely.”
“I’m sure we’re all going to check our smoke alarms after your talk!”

A call to action will remind the audience members to initiate contact with the Guest Speaker.

“Taylor’s books are available on the back table.”
“Megan will be in the lobby to answer questions.”

We show our speakers how to end their presentation with great Outros that will make them AND the program chairs look like Rock Stars!

Think back to the last luncheon meeting you attended. Was there a guest speaker? Did you enjoy their talk? Good!

Then what happened? Let me guess. The Program Chair took the microphone and said, “Thank you, Tony. Let’s give him a hand.”

Or maybe they said, “Thank you, Tony, that was interesting. Let’s give him a hand.”

How about “Thank you, Tony. That was interesting. Next week we will have Dr. Silverman here to talk about ______ “

Or, worse yet, “Thank you, Tony. Next week we will have Dr. Silverman here to talk about _____ And be sure to see Marsha if your August dues have not been paid yet.”

The comments immediately following a speech can be powerful. Powerful in reinforcing the speaker’s credibility (“you’ve reminded me to take another look at my 401K limitations”) or powerful in their ability to make the audience forget there even WAS an expert speaker!

We call the comments after a speaker is finished, the “Outro”. The most neglected part of a presentation, an effective outro can actually improve the audience’s perception of the speaker’s expertise AND of the brilliance of the person who found this guest speaker for the group!

A guest speaker can significantly improve how they are perceived by offering a written outro in advance of their speech. A written outro will free up the Program Chair to relax
. . . and maybe even enjoy the actual speech itself!