We got to work with a small group of people last week who were all practicing short introductions. These were about a minute long and served the purpose of kicking off a “lunch and learn” type of event.
One minute. Short enough to maybe not bother really preparing, but definitely long enough to set the tone, for better or worse. When we find ourselves at this crossroads, many of us default to “why bother.” It’s just an introduction, it’s only a minute, I’m not the main speaker, they’re not there to hear me.
But you are speaking. And you’re speaking first. Your voice is the one that can engage and inspire, or throw away and diminish your own words (and thus the event itself, before it even gets off the ground).
Even a minute is an opportunity. How can you prepare for this one minute in a way that adds to the overall experience? What energy and purpose do you need to bring to this audience, at this time?
