The Inside Intro
How to get buy-in during any workshop or live session
A tip for anyone facilitating for a group that isn't theirs.
Get someone from the client's team to introduce it.
It only needs a minute. Even 30 seconds.
Something like: "Hi everyone - we're here because of [X]. As you know, we're focused on [Y]. So we've brought in [NAME] to help us with [TOPIC]."
That's it. But it changes everything.
There are some good reasons why it works:
- Authority transfer. When an insider vouches for you, their credibility becomes yours. You're not a stranger - you're someone they invited.
- Relevance framing. You can't say why this matters to them - you're the outsider. When it comes from inside, it connects differently.
- Enrollment over attendance. Shifts the room from "you have to be here" to "we wanted this." Different energy to start with.
(This touches on Cialdini's work on authority and commitment, and Keller's research on relevance in learning - if you want to dig deeper.)
It shifts the room from "you have to be here" to "we wanted this." Different energy to start with.
I've noticed this makes every session better. Now I ask for it every time.
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