Watched an introduction today where the speaker being introduced was not only an accomplished author but had his own radio show. And the introducer got up and made mention of these points, but bungled them by not being prepared. First, he apparently made up the extent of the book’s reach with a comment “it’s sold something like XYZ copies.” Then, the introducer made mention of the radio show with an uncertain, “And I think you can hear him speak on local radio 123.4 at . I think it’s at 9 o’clock, but I’m not sure.” This followed up the usual “I’m so thrilled to have the opportunity to introduce my good friend and hero, Joe, today.” The audience was left thinking that this person sure didn’t know much about their hero.If a fact is to be quoted or used or is instrumental in a point, then it should be researched and used correctly. While it’s certainly preferable to drop an “I think” in over mis-quoting a fact, things that are easily found (Hint: www.google.com is your friend!) should be researched and found. If an audience hears that a speaker didn’t take 20 seconds to research a fact, the credibility of even using it is drawn into question.
Research facts and use them correctly.
