Chairmanships Hints and Tips

The Chairperson is the connecting link between the audience and the speaker.  The more you know about both, the better able you will be to do a professional job.  Here are a few tips on how to improve your performance:
 
Try to talk to each speaker beforehand to build rapport.  At the very least, check autobiographical facts, and ask if there’s anything in particular they’d like you to highlight in your introduction. The more you can convey the sense of knowing the speaker, the more the audience will be motivated to know them.
 
Begin proceedings with a “grabber” – an anecdote, something topical in the news, something relevant to your location.  It’s also sometimes useful to foreshadow what speakers are going to say, but don’t steal their thunder!
 
Use your linking to reiterate why you are all there. Keep them focused on the end objective.
 
Pick out one or two points from what the speaker has said, and add another example of your own, or highlight a general issue, before introducing the next person.
 
Anticipate any controversy, prejudice or areas of conflict in the audience, and if appropriate, address it head on.
 
Be clear at the start when you/the speaker wants questions from the floor.  Be prepared to step in if someone is monopolising the speaker or the time.
 
Sit up and lean forward slightly when you speak.  This gives the impression of commitment and energy.  Better still, stand up!
 
End on a high:  summarise, thank guests and audience, and include – where appropriate – a rallying call.

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