How to introduce yourself in a meeting

To introduce yourself in a meeting, you need to understand the meeting's environment and purpose, speak on your professional experience, and detail your position in the company. Here are some details on these steps and others you can take to effectively introduce yourself in a meeting:

• Understand the meeting's environment and purpose

Before you attend the meeting, make sure you understand the environment of the meeting and its purpose. You should also do some of the attendees. If you are heading the meeting, it is important to know your staff to know how to make your introduction. Depending on the attendees and meeting purpose you might have a more casual or formal introduction.

• Speak on your professional experience

This is crucial for any person that is introducing themselves at a meeting, and particularly important if you are a boss or stakeholder in the company. Talk about different ventures you have embarked on that were successful, or the culmination of career experience that has led you up to this point. This helps the attendees get to know and trust you as a leader.

• Detail your position in the company

If you are the employer or hold a high position of authority within the company you can detail your role in around two to three sentences. You don't want to go overboard, so stick to a concise and direct summary of your position.

• Write an introduction prior to the meeting

It can be good preparation to write an introduction prior to the meeting. This way you can practice your introduction beforehand. It is also a good idea not to write a firm "script" that you will stick to, but rather take down some notes about things you want to address or detail. If you read from a script or memorize your intro it can sound canned and inauthentic.

• Show professionalism

It is important to remain polite and professional during your introduction. Try to look into the attendees' eyes and shift your gaze to different sections of the room. This type of speech technique is useful in increasing engagement among attendees and showing them that you respect them. Non-verbal communication is an important part of an introduction.

• Show how you are different from others

It is likely that many people might introduce themselves at this meeting, which means you want your introduction to stand out and be memorable, especially if you are in a position of authority. Don't be afraid to use some humor in your introduction, if you are comfortable and it is tasteful. Anything to help you make a strong and good impression on others is encouraged.

• Keep the intro relevant

You should seek to tailor your introduction to the purpose of the meeting. Avoid using the same introduction in all meetings you attend.

Being original can be difficult, however, it can help to make an impact. Try to avoid just searching online for good introduction speeches and come up with your own unique intro.