Connecting with Listeners During Introductions

Most intros in group settings fall flat. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰? 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮?     Standard. Boring. And does very little to build bonds. If you want a group to actually connect - not just know about each other, but 𝙨𝙚𝙚 each other - we need better questions. Today, I kicked off a new cohort of leaders inside one of my corporate clients. We went beyond surface intros and added two prompts: ✨ “I’m the type of leader who ____________.” ✨ “If we asked your closest friends to describe you, what’s one attribute we’d hear consistently?” The energy shifted. People leaned in. Listened more closely. We weren’t only hearing job titles. 𝗪𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺. 👩💼 A bridge-builder. 👨💼 A challenger of the status quo. 👩💼 A sounding board. 👨💼 A truth-teller. In team coaching and group facilitation, great connection doesn’t happen by accident. It happens by design. Thoughtful questions are an easy, often underutilized tool for trust-building and team cohesion. 💭 What’s one effective question you've experienced to help people open up and connect? #thoughtfulthursdays #executivecoaching #groupcoaching

Okay, here is a disclaimer about this Tuesday post: This is not a rant (but an invitation for better listening). Every introduction I make about myself, half of those intros turn out to be an experience. Me: “Hi, I’m Meena, CEO of Namaste Data.” The other human in the interaction starts with: ● “I’ve been doing yoga for 15 years.” ● “I visited India 20 years ago!” ● “Oh! My cousin’s roommate’s uncle is from Nepal or maybe India?” ● “Namaste, I’m a yoga teacher.” ● “Congrats on your site. I just came from my yoga session. Namaste” All of them are far from questions like ● “What kind of data do you work with?” ● “Tell me more about the AI Equity Project.” ● “How do you help nonprofits with ethical data?” ● "I like that name. How did you come up with it?" I smile and nod — and also sigh a little. It’s like if someone told you their org was called “Orange Earth” and you replied: ● “I had an orange yesterday.” ● “Costco oranges are great.” ● “I bulk order oranges for my juice cleanse.” What if — and hear me out — we just paused? What if we seek more curiosity here? I don’t find these questions or comments offensive or annoying. Someone is trying to reach out in the best way they think – and I respect that intention. But what if, instead of finding common ground  – in the first intro statement -  through assumptions, we found it through thoughtful, pause-filled questions?...where we truly listened. And to listen better: ● Pauses are okay ● Questions are okay ● Seeking time to process what we heard is okay Maybe the intention in all our communication is a connection, but the connection deepens when, instead of finding commonalities based on better listening, being present in the conversation better. Let’s make space for conversations that go deeper than first impressions.

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨 As someone who has spoken on hundreds of stages, I’ve seen how small moments, like introducing a speaker, can create a big impact. Last week, Sara Feuerstein, Acting Public Affairs Officer from the U.S. Embassy Cambodia, did a superb introduction of me. Her introduction set the tone, built credibility, and prepared the audience to listen with intention (watch the video clip). Use this simple 5-step framework: 1. Start with a Greeting & Hook Welcome the audience and capture attention. 2. Give Context Share why this speaker and topic matter for this audience. 3. Highlight Credentials (but don’t overload) Focus on the most relevant achievements. 4. Add a Personal Touch A story, fun fact, or connection makes the speaker human and relatable. 5. Build Anticipation End with energy and invite the audience to welcome the speaker. Here’s a template: “Good afternoon, everyone. Today we’ll hear from [Speaker’s Name], a [title/role] with over [X years] of experience in [field]. Their work has [impact]. Beyond their professional expertise, [personal story/quality]. Please join me in welcoming [Speaker’s Full Name], who will be speaking on [topic].” This framework ensures you honor the speaker and engage the audience.

If you’re in a customer-facing role, the way you show up matters. First impressions set the tone and you’re far more likely to win trust (and business) if you lead with a strong introduction and professional presence. Here are 4 practical areas with Do’s ✅ and Don’ts ❌ to sharpen your customer interactions: 1. Introduction: Focus on Value, Not Tenure ✅ DO: Lead with your name, role, and how you help the customer. “Hi, I’m Freya, part of the solutions team here at [Company]. My role is to help you find the right setup so your team gets value faster.” ❌ DON’T: Open with how long you’ve been at the company—it can signal inexperience if short, or sound irrelevant if long. 2. Appearance: Dress for the Customer, Not for Yourself ✅ DO: Match the audience (smart casual for tech, formal for finance, practical-polished for manufacturing). Dress one notch above their expected standard. Stay consistent across touchpoints. ❌ DON’T: Show up underdressed (signals lack of respect) or overdressed (creates distance). Wear distracting logos, patterns, or accessories that pull focus away from you. 3. Tone & Presence: Read the Room ✅ DO: Be clear, confident, and warm. Mirror energy and language without mimicking. Project positive authority (helpful and confident, not overbearing). ❌ DON’T: Apologize for being “new” or “not knowing everything.” Monopolize the conversation - ask, listen, and adapt. Let nerves flatten your energy - customers feel it. 4. Practical Habits That Go a Long Way ✅ DO: Use the customer’s name naturally, early, and often. Have a one-liner that connects your role to their success. Keep eye contact (camera on if virtual). Smile - authentic warmth builds trust. ❌ DON’T: Start with “I’ve only been here X months.” Default to jargon unless you’re certain they share the same vocabulary. Multitask or glance at other screens - presence is everything. These are all general tips and many roads do lead to Rome. In my experience, the most successful customer facing professionals always keep in mind that your introduction isn’t about you - it’s about how you’ll help your customer. Show up prepared, aligned, and focused, and you’ll immediately separate yourself from 90% of the pack.

I talk to 9 new CXOs almost every week. 7 out of the 9 struggle with this 1 thing: "Connecting Emotionally with Their Audience" This happens because they frequently rely too much on statistics and facts, which makes their speech impersonal and dry. The next thing they know, their capacity to inspire and lead their groups, stakeholders, and clients goes down to 0! And it’s not like they haven’t worked on it. Infact, at least 5 of those CXOs have experimented with different approaches to enhance their public speaking abilities, including going to seminars, reading books, and even rehearsing in front of a mirror. But these attempts were more about technique than on the emotional connection, which eventually made them give up. Once we SWOT analysed it all, finding the right approach was easy for us. What did we do? The Empathy-Driven Communication Approach: → Storytelling: We created gripping stories to illustrate the most important points to make the information memorable and relatable. → Analysis of the Audience: We concentrated on learning about the needs, feelings, and viewpoints of the audience. → Training in Emotional Intelligence: We aimed to improve their capacity to identify, control, and relate to their own feelings as well as those of their audience. The result? → 3X the Influence → 2X the Engagement → Stronger Relationships Today, they have transitioned from being data-driven presenters to influential storytellers who can connect deeply with their audience. Interested in transforming your public speaking skills and becoming an influential leader? DM me “INFLUENCE” P.S. What do you find most challenging about connecting with your audience during a presentation?