Giving an Introduction? Get it Right!

Have you ever been asked to formally introduce a speaker or dignitary poised to step onto the stage to give a speech or receive an award or commendation? With the spotlight on you, and the need to “get it right” with everyone watching, it can be nerve-wracking. It’s even more nerve wracking when the introduction contains words or phrases that are unfamiliar to you, or tricky to speak—like names that are hard to pronounce.

We’re seeing a lot of this occurring with Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate for U.S. president. Even after her little nieces stepped out onto the stage at the Democratic National Convention and explained how to pronounce her name (First you say “Kama” like “comma in a sentence” and “then you say “La” like La La La La La!”) people still get it wrong.

OK, My Name Is A Mouthful.

I can identify. As someone who also has a tough name to pronounce (except in Greece, where my name originates), I admit that I have stood waiting and wincing in the wings as my host tried and failed to say my name correctly.? This has even happened after I’ve gone through the trouble of phonetically spelling it out for them on paper when I send them my intro:? “Eh-LAY-knee? Keh-LAH-kohss.”?

They are always deeply apologetic and not a little embarrassed.? “Oh, God!” they’ll utter into the microphone, as the audience titters, “I’m pretty sure I just butchered that!” ??

“No worries,” I’ll smile, as I walk towards the podium, “at least you were in the ballpark.”

It’s always an awkward moment, and admittedly not the best way for my audience to meet me for the first time.

It's Appreciated When You Try...

Now, I get it: I know my name--Eleni Kelakos--can be a mouthful. Having certainly struggled to pronounce certain names myself, I am truly ok when someone gets my name (or any other part of my intro) wrong when I know that they’ve done their best to get it right. FYI, I’m usually aware that my introducer has rehearsed my intro (and especially my name)?because they're nervous about it and tend to tell me so: “I'm worried I'm going to get your name wrong,” they'll say with a sheepish grin. "Can you tell me if I'm?saying it right?" Then they’ll give my name a go, “just to be sure.” If they botch it a little as they try it out on me, I gently correct them and urge them try it again a few more times. "Thanks for doing your best to get it right," I'll say, and mean it.? If, after that, they happen to step onto the stage and mess up my name due to a very normal surge of nerves, well, at least they gave it the old college try. I’m totally good with that-- we are, after all, only human, and humans mess up from time to time, even when we're prepared!

...Not So Appreciated When You Don't Try

I am, however, a little less “good about that” when an introducer butchers my name because they haven’t bothered to learn how to say it, or who stumbles spectacularly through my intro because they quite obviously didn’t take any time to familiarize themselves with it before they gave it. ?

As a speaker who has either been introduced--or has had to introduce others--countless times, I believe it’s important to do your best to get the name of the person you’re introducing-- and the rest of their introduction—right. Here are four steps that can help you do just that:

4 Steps to Get An Introduction Right

1.? Ask the person you are introducing to provide you with a brief, written introduction at least a week prior to the event, so that you'll have to time to familiarize yourself with it.

2.? If you’re unsure how to pronounce the speaker’s name (or other words in the intro), reach out to the speaker to learn how to say it correctly.? The time to do this is not the minute before you step onto the stage; you should do this a week or so ahead of the event so that you’ll have to time to practice it. Ask them to write it out phonetically, if need be, or record them saying their name so you can listen to it until you get it.??

3.? Practice a tricky or name (and other tricky words in the introduction) aloud until it becomes more comfortable for you to pronounce.

4.? Once you’ve mastered the names and phrases that give you trouble, practice the entire introduction out loud several times until it you can speak it smoothly and easily.

Making the effort to take those three steps will bring a greater level of confidence and verbal fluidity to your introduction. This honors both your audience and the speaker you’re introducing, kicking things off in a positive, professional manner that is a win-win for all concerned. ??

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