What your introduction might be missing

In traditional communication training, there's always been a strong emphasis on introductions. You've likely heard these "communication experts" claiming that the introduction is where you need to hook the audience and connect with everyone - it's assumed introductions work for all of us in the same way. But cognitively, people are actually seeking different things.

Relational thinkers are looking for shared context - a sense of common experience, meaning, or connection. Communication that jumps immediately into other information can lose this part of the audience because they're assessing something first: Does this person understand me, include me, or feel authentic in what they're saying here?

It's the common ground their brain uses to engage with your ideas and understand how the information connects to them. Something as simple as:

"We've all experienced…", "I think many people struggle with this...", "You may recognize this in yourself…"

This inclusive language allows Relational thinkers to feel cognitively connected to fully engage with what comes next.

This is not a scripted icebreaker. It's not small talk. It's not a long, self-directed story. The key to relational context is it needs to be real - it has to sound like you, and reflect genuine consideration of the meaning and impact for others.

I've coached this part of my framework with clients for many years, and I'm always impressed by how much of a difference it makes. Even adding a few seconds of Relational context to a presentation, difficult conversation, or pitch can completely change how the message lands.

This is the first step of my Cognitive Sequence Method. I'll be sharing a free online version of the method with all of you next week, so stay tuned.

Gregor