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In nursery or pre-school, some of us were extremely shy and would barely talk in class. Meanwhile, several others found it extremely easy to just go up to someone and make friends. They could do all of this by discussing their favorite color and cartoon.
Things are a little different when you are older. In a professional setting, you may have to exclude the name of your favorite animated character from your introduction. But you still need to make it impactful, short and to the point.
You may have to introduce yourself professionally during a job interview, a presentation or a client meeting. Each of these situations is important for your career growth. Let’s look at how you can frame a professional introduction that leaves a lasting impression.
How To Introduce Yourself Professionally
Before you frame your introduction, you must understand your audience and the setting. If it’s a job interview, your introduction should be relevant to the role. For a presentation, however, you just need to do a quick introduction before diving into the deck.
It’s important to read the room and tailor your words accordingly. A prepared introduction should only provide a skeleton for the final act.
Here are some ways to frame an impressive professional introduction:
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State Who You Are, Why You Are There
Your introduction should always state your name, position and purpose. To save time and avoid confusion, it’s a good practice to tell people who you are and why you’re meeting them. They may already have their plate full and can do without the added confusion of who they’re speaking to. If you’re making a presentation, your introduction can include the topic, key ideas and results. This way, the audience will know what to expect.
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Know The Audience
Tailor your introduction according to the audience and purpose. For instance, if you’re meeting your coworkers, you can simply state your name and talk about things you like to do. Use the PAM (Purpose-Audience-Message) Framework to create a powerful professional introduction. A strong introduction will show people who you are and establish your credibility. For instance, if you’re at a networking event, you can talk about your business ideas, share your achievements and describe the organization you work for.
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Tell A Memorable Story
Remember to tell a story instead of simply stating facts. If you want people to remember you, you have to give them something more than what is on your resume. Storytelling is an effective way to tailor your introduction. Share anecdotes or personal experiences to improve the quality of your introduction. You can even share little-known facts to pique your audience’s interest.
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Speak Clearly And Confidently
How you communicate your introduction is just as important as its content. Your speaking skills play a significant role in making an impact. The tone, volume and pitch of your voice determine how your words are received. You must remember to speak in a clear voice so that your audience can easily understand you. Speak with confidence if you want others to take you seriously. If you’re too meek or anxious, it can affect your oral delivery.
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Be Mindful Of Your Body Language
Speaking is not just about verbal communication, but also nonverbal communication—gestures, body language and facial expressions. Sitting upright, making eye contact and smiling displays a positive demeanor. Slouching or clasping your hands tightly can hamper your speaking ability. Whether you are speaking in public or during a one-on-one interview, check your body language and make sure you come across as confident and credible.
Examples Of A Professional Introduction
Let’s look at a few examples of how to introduce yourself professionally:
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Job interview with Archival, an organization that offers curated museum experiences:
Hi, my name’s Mahima. I’m a recent history graduate from Delhi University. I’ve worked with the National Museum archives in Delhi. I designed a new organization method to categorize the historic articles, which was adopted and implemented by the museum curator. It was fulfilling to know that I had done my bit to preserve India’s history. I would love to work with Archival as I can use my knowledge to improve the visitor's experience.
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Client presentation to propose a new advertisement campaign:
Hi, I’m Sahil. I work as a copywriter at AdVent. Today, I’ll take you through our new advertising strategy for your product. The presentation includes the new social media channels that feature the approved tagline. We’ve also incorporated a large-scale outreach program to increase our customer base.
Use these strategies the next time you have to introduce yourself in a professional setting. Prepare and practice what you’re going to say. Learn to speak with confidence and achieve your goals with Harappa Education’s Speaking Effectively course. You will learn how to speak during an interview, focus on nonverbal communication and improve your public speaking skills.
Explore topics & skills such as Self-Introduction, Verbal Communication, Oral Communication & Speaking Skills from Harappa Diaries and learn to express your ideas with confidence.
