In natural pageants such as Miss American Coed (MAC), National American Miss (NAM), and other pageants similar in format, there is a required 20 or 30 second onstage personal introduction that you need to deliver to the judges.
The purpose of the introduction is to give the judges an instant snapshot into your personality.
For years I’ve been helping young girls write their introductions but it wasn’t until I had to write and memorize my own that I gained even more valuable insights. Honestly, memorizing the silly thing was creating stress I hadn’t felt in a long time. Ridiculous, right? Maybe. But I learned much by going through the process myself.
First, what looks good on paper doesn’t always come across well when spoken. You need to say your introduction out loud. Then say it to a couple different people. Ask them what they hear. Certain word combinations may not convey what you mean. Make necessary changes and say it out loud again.
Secondly, you have to believe in what you are saying. If it’s just a bunch of memorized words, it won’t stand out and will sound fake. People have to believe what you are saying.
Finally, focus on the meaning not the words. Your chances of getting tongue-tied are greater if you focus on each individual word instead of the whole meaning.
I probably had 10 different versions of my introduction before I decided on the final one. It developed over a couple weeks during the long hours of driving on the road.
So here are my final words of wisdom. Give yourself plenty of time to create it and say it out loud as often as you can. If it doesn’t feel right, change it. It must be 100% you. No one else.