How to Write (and Use) a Great Intro Script

79 words.  

That’s all it takes to get my orange-glasses-wearing-self onto the stage.  My short and punchy intro script avoids all the ten mistakes we discussed yesterday.

And best of all?  It’s NOT a long and detailed bio like the ones you find printed in the meeting agenda.

Yes, you read that correctly.

One is great for people sitting quietly by themself reading from the agenda.  The other is perfect for being spoken aloud quickly and easily while igniting the energy you need to kick off your speech!

So today, let’s take a closer look at the things you can do RIGHT to craft an intro script that sizzles…

Put Yourself in Your Audience’s Shoes

(Or, should I say… seats?)

Your audience members are likely sitting comfortably in their conference hall chairs, sipping coffee, chit-chatting with their neighbors, and clutching a printed agenda for the conference.  Or, maybe they’re scrolling their phones and viewing a virtual agenda shared by the event.

Either way, they probably don’t know quite who YOU are.

Sure, they scanned over the list of speakers before they bought their tickets.  And maybe they heard a little chatter about your speech before you took to the stage.  But really, you are still an unproven quantity.  They don’t know that your speech will transform their world.

When it comes time for the emcee to read your intro script, you want the audience to sit up straighter in their chairs.  You want them to hear just enough interesting and relevant information that they start to feel a connection with you – they start to anticipate the message you’re about to share.

Then, before the intro gets too long, you rocket onto the stage, and start your speech.  You’re not relying on a long bio to tell them who you are.  Instead, you’re getting onto the stage quickly – with energy – so you can begin to show them.

Partway into your first bit, your audience member has a moment of inspiration.  They think...

“Hey, this guy is actually pretty good.  He seems to really know his stuff.  Who is he again?” 

That’s when they make their way back to that printed bio so they can read all those nitty-gritty details you didn’t include in your intro script.  So, if your intro script doesn’t include the fine points of your experience and credentials, what does it include?

So glad you asked!  Let’s take a look…

How to Write a Powerful Intro Script

Step #1: Make it short.

Short and punchy, to be precise.  To illustrate the difference, here is my 79-word intro script compared to my 120-word printed bio.  Notice how the lengths and sentence structures are different.