The Difference Between Speaker Intros and Speaker Bios
Being a speaker is certainly about what you do on the stage. It’s being a subject matter expert. It’s about delivery and presentation. It’s about presence and engagement.
But it’s also about what you do off the stage – and every presentation really starts with the introduction.
Whenever I host guests on my podcast, I ask them to send me through their introduction. That is the piece of content that an MC or event host would use to introduce them before they speak. And of the 88 guests that I’ve hosted, only two have ever sent me an intro. In all other cases, I received a bio instead which I then needed to rewrite.
This is a problem because a bio doesn’t work as an intro (and vice versa).
Speaker Bios vs Speaker Intros – What’s the difference?
Speaker Bios
A speaker bio is the blurb about you that tells the world what you do and why you’re good at what you do. It generally lives on your website, is part of your about page and forms a section of your media kit. It will often mention your education and credentials and give some background information that might entice a perspective client to work with you or a prospective conference attendee to show up for your presentation. In fact, it’s whole goal is to market you as a speaker.
Bios are undoubtably important. But they aren’t introductions. They aren’t written to be read aloud, and they aren’t (generally) event specific.
Speaker Intros
On the other hand a speaker intro is written to be read aloud by the MC or event or podcast host. It needs to capture the imagination of the listener, building anticipation while also accomplishing the job of introducing you, as the speaker, to them. When an intro is done right, the audience should be captivated, engaged and ready to listen to what you have to say.
It also should be carefully designed to take into account the specific audience who will be listening to you speak. So your intro might be worded differently if you were delivering a keynote to a group of C-suite executives then if you were delivering to a room full of entrepreneurs.
Of course, it still needs to explain why you’re the right expert to speak on a subject, and give details of your experience and qualifications. But the main goal of the intro is to engage, excite and build anticipation.
Why Speaker Intros Matter
Some people might think that using your bio as the speaker intro is just fine. It will do the job of getting your name said on stage before you begin your keynote or presentation. But frankly, getting the job done is just not good enough when you’re a speaker.
Larry Winget, American speaker and author of six New York Times/Wall Street Journal bestsellers is known as the Pitbull of personal development. In fact, he is well known as being obsessive about his personal brand.
He’s retired now, however, he used to have a clause in his speaking contract that required the meeting planner to play a video that he creates and provided to them before he will even go on the stage. The reason for this is because he knows that his video introduces him properly.
You might not have this precise demand, but you can ensure that the host introduces you correctly by using the well-crafted intro that you provide and by pronouncing your name correctly. (And it is certainly worth double-checking both of these before your event.)
The Impact of Your Introduction
The impact of a great introduction can’t be overstated or the impact of a bad intro downplayed. As Warwick Merrick, a popular professional MC here in Australia, says, ‘Most speakers have no introduction, or even worse, a really bad introduction.’
You can think of your intro like the opening scene of your movie. While the bio might be the trailer (designed to get you in the seats!), the opening scene is designed to spark excitement and intrigue. Without this you’re going to have a very bored audience as you take the stage and that can impact your ability to deliver an impactful presentation.
Research from Princeton shows that first impressions are formed in a person’s mind within 1/10th of a second! That is incredibly short. Other anecdotal evidence says seven seconds or 20 or 30 seconds. But regardless of the exact number, the consensus is clear – your audience will form their opinion of you very, very quickly. And as your intro is the first exposure that they’re really getting to you, it really matters.
At the end of the day having a well-crafted introduction that is bespoke for each speaking gig you have allows you to show up professionally and show the world that you’re a world-class speaker.
Steps
Make a decision that you are world-class. Once you’ve made that decision be aware that a world-class expert uses well-crafted introductions.
Decide that your introduction will be part of your brand positioning. If you have to speak at a different event, you’ll spend the time rewriting the intro to engage different audiences.
Care enough to be exceptional.
People remember you. People recommend you.
When you make it easy for organisers to work with you, for audiences to engage with you, and for clients to get value from you, people remember you. They want to work with you and they recommend you. Both your speaker bio and speaker intro are part of this overall world-class positioning.
I’d love to hear your thoughts….