Introminutes are the way to give more infomation about who the speaker is rather than what s/he does. What do they love to do? Is it travel, eating in different restaurants, movies, theatre? What are their hobbies and passtimes? Each answer gives the person being introduced more relatability. Recently I introduced David Wise the handyman on the Buckhead team whom I have known for a very long time. For David's introminute, I asked him to bring his wife Dona to our meeting. His introminute was shared with the team through her eyes giving members new insights into who David is.

I like to ask questions that the speaker rarely gets asked in an effort to get to know them the best.  Sometimes it gets the crowd they are speaking to that morning to laugh a little in an effort to loosen people up and pay more attention. 

Questions like...

What was the worst job you've ever had?

What was the worst haircut you've ever had?

What one accomplishment are you most proud of?

My approach to an intro minute is to break it into three parts: history, personal, business (and there is a level of cross over between the three areas).

History: where did you grow up, what was your favorite subject in school, how did you decide to get into this line of business ...

Personal: family trips planned, favorite vacation, how old are your children, what hobbies do you pursue, what did you do last weekend ...

Business: what trends are you seeing, is your business seasonal and why, what do you enjoy about your work ...

By attempting to make sure I have three parts to the introduction, the speaker has a balanced introduction that flows from the past, through the personal, and on to the business.  And the transition to the speaker is always their answers to the business questions.  The benefit is the speaker is set up for success with an natural flow into their topic.

I like to have a conversation with the speaker to see what new information I can uncover. I’m always looking for the thread that connects what they love doing and care about with what they do in their career – the personality and passion behind the work.

If the team is already engaged with new information and a deeper understanding of the speaker, they are ready to be all ears for the speaker’s 7 minute.

I look for something the speaker and the audience have in common. (I used to look for something the speaker and I have in common - but an introduction is not about me.)

The introduction that I prepared that gave the speaker the most benefit had five "Like you, she . . ." phrases. I watched people nodding and smiling - and they had good questions for her after the luncheon.

I always ask the presenter what the topic will be, what the team's take away should be, and if they have any specific remarks that they would like in the intro. My favorite intro minute question is: 

What is your favorite aphorism, saying, philosophical tidbit, or piece of folk wisdom?

I find that there is often a connection between the answer provided to this question and something the presenter is trying to convey. I try to tie it together somehow in the intro minute. 

I try focus on what is new or unique.  Current events in the speaker's business or personal life can be useful so that I'm not repeating intro material.  I will compile notes about the speaker and distill them into bullet points.  Then, looking at them together, come up with a theme or common thread which is characteristic of the speaker and can tie the various points together.

Powercore offers a wide range of professionals with their own experiance which is a great resource to refer to anyone.  When Introduce a person, I want provide information as to "Why" we want to refer tothe speak, who is a great referral or gate opening and how the person benefits them in the referral them.  Referrals are three way and sharing inforatmion on the speaker doesn't only benefit them but the audiance can benefit as well.  I also want to share the standard of client that is great to refer because not all business is good business for the speaker and we want to spread quality referrals. 

INTROMinutes are my favorite! I always try to find out something new about our team members. A tool I use: I have lists of questions I use as a reference to get a conversation started, but I try not to use the same questions more than once... that way the team is always hearing something new. 

I also think it's important for me to bring a little fun and energy to the meeting before they begin their seven-minute! After all, I'm the warmup act for the headliner :)

I like to tell some personal things about the person that also shows why they are good at their business. Sometimes there is a theme to it like travel or a fun personality trait which comes out naturally in our conversation. If not, I figure out an interesting way to weave a lot of seemingly unrelated information - maybe by making it a game with the team. I always bring it back around to why the person is good or qualified to do what they do. Then I use one word adjectives for each fact shared, as kind of a summary, to make their final introduction and turn it over to them.

I like to look at what personal accomplishments point to the speaker's current successes.  Who are they that makes what they so work.

What area of their business are they focused on building? 

Is there anything they particularly want me to talk about as part of their intro? 

I like to figure out what characteristics the person has that make him or her really great at what they do. 

I ask:

"What is the new thing going on in  your business that you are excited about?"

and follow-up

"What gave you the inspiration for this?"

"How do you think it will change, improve your business?"

Due to the fact not everyone gets a One to One with other PC Members I always like to capture information that has not been previously promoted and that may not be shared in an info minute. My questions and the cooresponding answers, allow others to get to know the person versus the product. In most cases I will ask about goals, bucket list items that have not been achevied, hobbies & down time. These nuggets allow for connections to be made outside of work. It expands the ability to connect in a broader sense since the information reflects common needs and felt interests. 

I try to incorporate a little bit of information about them both personally and professionally. It's helpful for people to get a full rounded view of that person and that makes it easier for people to give them referrals. I also think of IntroMinutes as an opportunity for me to brag on that person in a way that they couldn't brag on themselves. It's a great chance to bring up awards and certifications they've recieved. It makes them feel good and it shows the rest of the team how valuable they are!

When doing an introduction, I like to point out something unique I've learned about the person I'm introducing - something that will stick.

When giving intro minutes I focus on both the professional and personal side of the equation for those I introduce.  As someone once said "nobody cares what you know until they know that you care!" I like to spend half of the introminute speaking to the professional experience and awards of the subject.  The other half is a peek behind the professional curtain at the personal side of the speaker and what is their "why" to their "what".  

Introminutes need to bring value. Focus on relaying that value so that in turn leaves an impression. That impression will turn into a thought later remembered and possibly relayed to another party. 

leaving the impression about the speaker will create a memory to serve later as they discuss their 7 minute topic and hopefully that 7 minute will show or prove what you relayed in your introminute abou the speaker. This allows the listeners to build confidence in the speaker and the knowledge they have in their area.

Speakers are focused on their business in their 7-minutes so I always try to share information about them as a human being that makes them relatable to their audience. People like to feel a connection to the people they do business with! Professional but casual is my modus operandi.

The best tool for IntroMinutes is to focus on the value that the 7 Minute Speaker brings to the team. If I talk about how "nice" or "friendly" the Speaker is, what does the Team learn about that person? Not much. But if I focus on the Value they bring to the Team AND to their Clients, what makes them different i.e. someone that received above and beyond service and attention, that Value gives Credibility, and that will turn into Referrals.

Digging into their current client experiences, and teasing out those Credibility nuggets is the core of an IntroMinute. 

I like to ask the person I'm introducing what they are passionate about both personal and professionally.  I also like to discover something that the team may not know about them. Their answers help others relate to them and also can give new insights to other members of the team.  Finally, I look for a way to link their personal information to their professional so it creates a good transition into their 7-minute presentation.