Stop Explaining, Start Leading
How to nail your first talk introductions with groups
QUOTE
The first time you speak to a group isn’t about proving you belong.
It’s about helping them see where you fit.
OBSERVATION
Most consultants treat their first talk like a guest lecture.
They walk in ready to educate:
“Here’s what sport psychology is…”
“My background is in…”
“Here’s how mental skills work…”
It’s well-intentioned — we’re proud of the field, and we want athletes to understand it.
But to them, it often sounds distant and unclear.
That’s when eyes glaze over.
Because athletes don’t want to be taught what mental skills are.
They want to know how this is going to help them compete better.
The real goal of a first talk isn’t to justify the field — it’s to create curiosity, excitement, and clarity in your role.
You don’t need to educate them into buy-in; you need to help them see themselves in the process you’re about to build together.
ACTIONABLE IDEA
Design your first talk to do three things:
Grab attention.
Ground your purpose.
Give direction.
Grab their attention around a key concept.
Lead with a phrase, story, or belief that makes them stop and think.
“Performance isn’t about trying harder — it’s about training with intention.”
That kind of opening sparks curiosity and tells them right away you’re not another motivational speaker.
Explain how you view performance — and why you’re here.
Keep it simple and concrete.
“My role isn’t to create more for you to do — it’s to help make sure your training is preparing you more consistently to compete. I work through your existing routines (i.e. film study, mental reps, pre-snap reads) to help you compete more intentionally.”
Show what this looks like and what comes next.
Give them something tangible so the relationship has structure from day one.
“You’ll get a short fillable worksheet after today. It takes two minutes after each practice — we’ll use it to track what’s working and what needs attention next week.”
That’s how you turn your introduction from an information dump into a more exciting launch point. You create curiosity, define your approach, and give the group a clear next step — all before they have time to lose interest.
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