# How to Introduce a Speaker: What to Say Before They Talk

A good speaker introduction takes 30 to 60 seconds and answers three things: why this topic matters to this audience, why this person is the one to talk about it, and what people will get. Say the speaker's name last, lead the applause, and wait at the lectern until they arrive.

By the Speaking Coach team at Sodhera Intelligence. Updated 2026-10-22. Source: https://www.orecci.com/speaking-coach/speeches/introduction-speech/

## Your job in one sentence

You're not giving a speech. You're handing the room to someone else in a state where they want to listen. Every line should make the audience lean in for the person who's about to walk up, and none should steal their material.

## The three questions a good intro answers

1. **Why this topic?** Connect it to the audience in the room. "Half of you told us in the sign-up form that you're hiring this year."
2. **Why this speaker?** One or two credentials that matter for this topic, plus one human detail. Not their whole CV.
3. **Why now?** What the audience will walk away with, or why this talk is timely.

Then the name, last, said slowly and clearly, followed by applause you start.

## Structure and timing

| Part | What you say | Time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hook | The problem or question the talk addresses, tied to this audience | 10 seconds |
| Credentials | Two relevant facts about the speaker, in plain words | 15 to 20 seconds |
| Human detail | Something small and specific that makes them a person | 10 seconds |
| Promise | What the audience will get from the next 30 minutes | 5 to 10 seconds |
| Name and title | "Please welcome … [name]." | 5 seconds |

That's 45 to 60 seconds, or about 100 to 130 words. Use the [speech length calculator](/speaking-coach/tools/speech-length-calculator/) if you're writing to a set time.

## Why the name goes last

Saying the name at the end builds a small moment of anticipation and gives the audience a cue: the name means "clap now". It also gives the speaker a clear signal to stand up and walk forward. If the name comes first, people clap politely, then sit through a list of credentials, and the energy drops before the speaker says a word.

If the audience already knows exactly who's coming, it's fine to use the name earlier. Repeat it at the end anyway.

## Example introductions

These are made-up examples. Swap in your speaker's real details, and check them with the speaker beforehand.

### Example: conference keynote (about 55 seconds)

> "Most of us in this room have shipped a product that nobody used. We built it carefully, launched it on time, and then watched the numbers sit still. This morning's talk is about why that happens, and what to do in the first two weeks to stop it.
>
> Our speaker has spent twelve years running product teams, first at a small payments startup and then at a company with four million users. She's written about product launches for the last six years, and she has a rule that every team member must sit in on five customer calls before they're allowed to write a spec.
>
> She'll show you the three questions she asks before any launch. Please welcome the head of product at Larkfield, Ana Ruiz."

### Example: internal meeting, introducing a colleague (about 30 seconds)

> "Next up is someone who probably saved some of you a weekend last quarter. When the billing system went down in March, he was the one on the call at 2 a.m. who got it back up. He's going to walk us through what changed since then, and what you need to do differently from next month. Here's Tom Becker from platform engineering."

### Example: school or community event (about 40 seconds)

> "Every year we ask the parents' association who they'd like to hear from, and this year one name came up again and again. Our speaker has coached the under-12s for nine seasons, and she has never once cancelled a practice for rain. Tonight she's here to talk about something bigger than football: how kids learn to lose well. Please welcome Coach Helen Price."

## Before the event

1. **Ask the speaker how to pronounce their name**, and write it phonetically on your card. Ask which title they prefer.
2. **Ask what they'd like you to mention.** Many speakers have a short bio. Treat it as raw material, not a script.
3. **Don't preview their content.** Ask if there's anything they'd rather you not say, such as a story they plan to open with.
4. **Agree on the handover.** Do they walk up from the front row, or from backstage? Do you shake hands, or step aside?

## Delivery

- **Look at the audience, not the speaker**, until the last line. Then turn and gesture toward them.
- **Slow down on the name.** Nerves make people rush it. A short pause before the name helps; see [how to use pauses](/speaking-coach/guides/how-to-use-pauses/).
- **Start the applause yourself** and keep clapping until they reach the stage.
- **Stay at the lectern** until they arrive, then step aside. An empty stage for ten seconds feels long.

## Mistakes to avoid

| Mistake | Why it hurts | Instead |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reading the full bio | Sounds like a CV, takes two minutes | Pick the two facts that matter for this talk |
| "Our speaker needs no introduction" | Then why are you speaking? | Give the short version anyway |
| Telling their best story | They planned to open with it | Ask them first, or stick to credentials |
| Talking about yourself | The intro becomes your speech | One line about you at most, if needed |
| Mispronouncing the name | The worst possible first impression | Check it and practise it out loud |
| Over-hyping | "The best speaker you'll ever hear" sets them up to disappoint | Specific facts are more impressive than adjectives |

## Questions people ask

### How long should a speaker introduction be?

Thirty to sixty seconds for most events. A keynote at a big conference can stretch to ninety seconds. If you're past two minutes, you're giving a speech, not an introduction.

### Should I use the bio the speaker sent me?

Use it as source material. Pick the two or three facts that matter to this audience and rewrite them in spoken language. Read-aloud bios sound stiff.

### Do I say the speaker's name at the start or the end?

At the end. It works as a cue for applause and for the speaker to walk up. If you must use it earlier, repeat it at the end.

### What if I don't know the speaker?

Talk to them for five minutes beforehand. Ask why they care about the topic. You'll usually find the human detail you need.

### What do I do after the speaker finishes?

Lead the applause, thank them by name, and, if it's your role, move to Q&A or the next item. See [closing remarks](/speaking-coach/speeches/closing-remarks/) if you're also wrapping up the event.

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