How to Give a Useful 90-Second Introduction
Use a short introduction to help people understand who you are, why your work may be relevant and what kind of conversation would make sense next. Choose one useful idea and a clear ending. Ninety seconds is a limit to work within, not empty space you must fill.
Check what kind of introduction is expected
A networking round, a new team meeting and a volunteer orientation have different purposes. Listen to the host’s instructions and respect the time. At work, your role and the reason colleagues might contact you may be enough. At a business event, a problem you help solve can give people a useful way to remember your work.
Start with something recognizable
For a fictional example, an organizer might say, “I help small associations run meetings where people know what was decided and who is doing what next.” The listener can picture the result. A list of specialist terms may be accurate, but it can leave people unsure when they would need you. Use language the particular group will understand.
Add one example or reason
You could briefly explain the situation that brings someone to you: meetings end with several different versions of the decision, so the group needs a clearer process. Present imagined examples as examples and use real results only when accurate and appropriate to share. You do not need to compress your entire service catalog into the middle of the introduction.
Choose a proportionate ending
If the setting invites follow-up, name the kind of conversation you would welcome. “I’m interested in talking with association organizers who are reviewing their meeting process” gives people a route. Do not assume a short introduction earns an immediate purchase or a private introduction to someone else. In a team setting, the ending might simply explain when colleagues should contact you.
Time the version you can actually say
Practice aloud with pauses. If it is too long, remove a secondary service or extra example. Do not accelerate through the useful part so you can squeeze in one more credential. Write a short version too, in case the host reduces everyone’s time. Keep your name, relevant work and ending; let optional background go.
Finish and make room for the next person
Once the introduction has done its job, stop. You can answer individual questions later. The goal is to make a relevant connection possible, not to resolve every uncertainty before anybody else speaks. A concise introduction gives listeners room to remember the point and the group room to continue.
More help for your next talk
If you want a practical guide to preparing, delivering and recovering during a talk, Speaking for People Who Don't Speak brings those skills together. Get the paperback on Amazon.
Next: How to Explain What You Do Without a Long Job Description · How to Make One Clear Point in a Minute.
Browse practical speaking help · Ask Michael about a workshop for your team