Episode #157 What Is The Best Way To introduce Yourself When Presenting

In high-stakes business presentations, your introduction is often your first impression with clients, partners, and internal stakeholders. Yet many executives in 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (foreign-capital / multinational companies) leave this critical moment entirely in the hands of an overworked MC and hope for the best.

When your introduction is flat, confusing, or inaccurate, your credibility drops before you even say a word. When it is concise, strategic, and well-timed, it sets you up as the clear authority and makes the audience eager to listen.

In leadership, sales, and プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training), we see the same pattern: audiences decide very quickly whether you are worth paying attention to.

A strong introduction:

• Establishes credibility and relevance for this specific audience

• Signals why your topic deserves their attention right now

• Frames you as a problem-solver, not just a “guest speaker”

A weak or generic introduction:

• Sounds like a long biography nobody remembers

• Fails to connect your experience to their business challenges

• Encourages people to quietly reach for their phones

Mini-summary: Treat your introduction as a strategic business asset, not a formality. It should clearly answer: “Why should this audience listen to you on this topic today?”

Can you rely on the MC to introduce you properly?

Short answer: no.

Most MCs are busy, under-prepared, and juggling multiple logistics. Some will copy-paste your full biography. Others will skim it, improvise, and unintentionally distort your background. A few may even try to be the “star” and overshadow you.

Common risks:

• Important achievements are skipped or trivialized

• Facts get exaggerated, mixed up, or miscommunicated

• Your introduction becomes too long, too short, or completely off-message

Relying on the MC alone is especially risky when you are speaking to senior leaders in 日本企業 (Japanese companies) or 外資系企業 (multinational companies) in 東京 (Tokyo), where hierarchy, credibility, and first impressions are critical.

Mini-summary: The MC’s job is to open the door for you — not to design your personal brand. You must control the content of your introduction.

Your goal is to make the MC’s job easy and your positioning strong.

Give the MC only three things:

1. A short, strategic MC script (2–4 sentences)

   • Who you are (current role and organization)

   • Why you are relevant to this topic

   • One or two high-impact achievements linked to the audience’s interests

2. Clear “do and don’t” guidance

   • Do emphasize your relevant experience, case studies, or industry focus

   • Don’t read your full biography or list every qualification

3. A single key phrase that frames you

   • e.g., “He has helped leadership teams in both 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies) transform their sales culture,”

   • or “She specializes in プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training) and エグゼクティブ・コーチング (executive coaching) for senior leaders in 東京 (Tokyo).”

By limiting what the MC receives, you reduce the chance they will improvise a long, inaccurate monologue about your life.

Mini-summary: Script the MC briefly and precisely. Feed them only the key points you want the audience to hear, and nothing more.

Do not start your talk by repeating your biography. The audience has just heard the MC, and their attention is at its highest level only for a few seconds.

Step 1: Start with a blockbuster opening.
Your first lines should stop people from escaping into their phones:

• A surprising statistic about leadership failure or sales performance

• A short story about a turning point with a client

• A provocative question:

  • “How many of you feel your current プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training) is really changing behavior, not just skills?”

Step 2: Then weave in a brief self-introduction.
After the hook, you can connect:

• “The reason I care about this is that for over 10 years, I’ve worked with leadership teams in 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies) here in 東京 (Tokyo) on リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training), 営業研修 (sales training), and DEI研修 (DEI training).”

Keep it short, relevant to the topic, and clearly tied to the value you bring to them.

Mini-summary: First, earn attention with a powerful opening. Only then offer a short, strategic self-introduction that explains why you are the right person to solve their problem.

Executives often struggle with the balance between credibility and humility. A simple solution: use stories, not lists.

Instead of:

“I’ve led many global projects and won multiple awards…”

Try:

“Three years ago, a client in the manufacturing sector asked us to help their mid-level leaders. Their engagement scores were flat, and sales teams were isolated. Through targeted リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training) and エグゼクティブ・コーチング (executive coaching), we helped them break down silos and grow revenue by double digits.”

Within the story, your:

• Expertise

• Industry exposure

• Results

…all become clear without you reading a résumé from the stage.

Focus on stories that show:

• Success

• Ability

• Innovation

• Bravery

• Learning

Save your “failure stories” for later in the talk, after your credibility is clear.

Mini-summary: Use short, specific stories to demonstrate your value. Let the audience infer how good you are, instead of telling them directly.

To ensure your introduction works in any context — whether for リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training), 営業研修 (sales training), プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training), エグゼクティブ・コーチング (executive coaching), or DEI研修 (DEI training) — avoid these pitfalls:

1. Overloading the MC with your full biography

   • They will either ignore it or read it verbatim — both are bad outcomes.

2. Starting your talk by re-reading your CV

   • You waste the most valuable attention window and lose momentum.

3. Using generic claims

   • “I’ve worked with many companies.” Instead, be concrete:

     • “I’ve worked with senior leaders in 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies) across finance, tech, and manufacturing in 東京 (Tokyo).”

4. Sharing too many minor achievements

   • If everything is “very important,” nothing stands out.

5. Letting your introduction happen “to you”

   • You should own the script, the structure, and the timing of how you appear.

Mini-summary: Be selective, specific, and strategic. Your introduction should feel focused and intentional, not random or ego-driven.

For over 100 years globally and more than 60 years in 東京 (Tokyo), Dale Carnegie has helped leaders in 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies) strengthen their impact through:

• リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training) that elevates executive presence and influence

• 営業研修 (sales training) that builds trust and drives long-term client relationships

• プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training) that transforms nervous speakers into confident, persuasive communicators

• エグゼクティブ・コーチング (executive coaching) that personalizes feedback and accelerates growth

• DEI研修 (DEI training) that supports inclusive, high-performing cultures

Your introduction is one visible part of a broader skill set: how you lead, how you communicate, and how you build credibility across cultures.

Mini-summary: Mastering your introduction is part of mastering your overall executive presence — an area where Dale Carnegie Tokyo has deep, long-standing expertise.

• Own your introduction. Do not leave it entirely to the MC; provide a short, strategic script that positions you clearly.

• Hook first, then introduce. Start with a compelling opening that stops people from reaching for their phones, then give a concise self-introduction.

• Use stories, not lists. Demonstrate your value through specific stories that show results, not through long lists of titles and awards.

• Be selective and memorable. Choose a few high-impact points and stories that position you as credible, relevant, and worth listening to.

Founded in the U.S. in 1912, Dale Carnegie Training has supported individuals and companies worldwide for over a century in leadership, sales, presentation, executive coaching, and DEI. Our Tokyo office, established in 1963, has been empowering both Japanese and multinational corporate clients ever since.