How to Introduce People

How to Introduce People

Introducing people is both an art and a means of ensuring
good manners. A good introduction can get people off to a
great conversational start and can help ease any discomfort
or unease at meeting for the first time. And to think all
that power is in your hands! Here is how to introduce
people effectively.

!! Steps !!

Understand the purpose of introducing people. Introducing people is
a basic means to give two people an opportunity to get to know one
another. Your role in introducing is to clarify the basics of who
each person is, and any relationship they have to you. You might
also need to help the conversation flow just after introducing but
only briefly.

* Avoid breaking into a serious conversation to make an
introduction. Wait until it is more convenient.

Work out who has the greater rank or authority of the two people
you are about to introduce. If you don't already know this, you'll
need to hazard an educated guess on the spot.

* Your boss will usually be of greater rank or authority than your
colleague, partner, or best friend.

* Your 70 year old mother-in-law is of greater seniority than your
brand new boyfriend.

* Your senior colleague takes precedence over your junior colleague.

* Your customer should be introduced to your employees.

* Great age takes precedence over most rank or authority, out of
courtesy and respect.

* For social introductions, men are usually introduced to women, as
a sign of respect. This does not apply in a business context where
women hold senior positions.

Make a formal introduction. For a formal occasion, the following
approach is appropriate. Use the phrase "May I present", "I'd like
to introduce", or "Have you met".

* Name the person of greater rank or authority first.

* Use both first and last names, and include any title such as
"Dr./Sir". If your spouse has a different last name from yours,
clarify this.

* Include relevant details as you introduce the two together, such
as any established relationship you have with the person you're
introducing. For example, you might say: "May I present Mr
Fitzwilliam Darcy. He is my boss."

Make an informal introduction. For a less formal occasion, such as
your backyard barbecue, you can simply present both people to one
another by name: "Fitzwilliam Darcy, Elizabeth Bennet."

* First names only is fine in informal situations.

* Do not repeat names or reverse the introduction. In both formal
and informal cases, you do not need to reverse the introductions.
It's obvious to both parties who is whom. Unless, of course, you
sense that one party was not listening and looks decidedly
uncomfortable!

Make a group introduction. In this case, you will need to spend a
little time introducing the newcomer to each individual of the group
unless it's a small, informal group where a general introduction
would suffice and it's neither time-consuming nor disruptive to name
each member of the group while you have the group's attention.

* For more formal, larger groups, introduce the newcomer to thew
whole group first, then take the newcomer to each person and
introduce by name: "Caroline, this is Fitzwilliam, my boss; Lydia,
this is Fitzwilliam, my boss," etc. Continue working your way
around the group in this manner.

Try to help initiate their conversation if they both seem unable
to pick up the threads and converse after your introduction. The
best way to help out is to mention something that is common ground
between them: "Elizabeth, have you met Fitzwilliam? I believe you
both share a love of reading Jane Austen while walking on the
moors."

* If helping with the conversation, _never_ commit the sin of
leaving out one of the introduced parties from the conversation.
It's impolite and akin to giving someone the cold shoulder.

!! Video !!

!! Tips !!

Methods of introducing to avoid include:

* Using "should" or "must" in your introduction. This can easily
come across as pushy, bossy, and impolite. For example, avoid
saying "You must meet", "You should get to know one another", or
"You must have lots to talk about" (how could you possibly assume
that?!).

* Equally, saying something that requires an action such as shaking
hands is also crossing the line of politeness, for example,
stating: "Please shake hands with".

* Using "This is" when introducing can be a little too informal, and
doesn't convey the import of the introduction for a formal
occasion.

* Forcing someone to meet when they have already made it clear to
you that they're not keen to meet the other person. Don't act as
rift-healer or belittle their concerns—their desire to not be
introduced is their own issue.

* Responses to being introduced should be simple, such as "hello",
or "nice to meet you" or "Elizabeth has told me so much about
you". Avoid any gushing or flowery language that can appear
insincere or old-fashioned. Peggy Post says that "exaggerated
praise is likely to be a turnoff."[1]

!! Warnings !!

* If you forget someone's name, don't fudge it. Simply admit that
the person's name has "escaped your memory" for the moment; be
humble!

* It is important to note that there are cultural, societal and
regional variations when it comes to introducing people. For
example, the advice in this article has been based on the American
expectations, whereas the video has a British approach. While very
similar, there are nuances that you might wish to find out about
if you are in unfamiliar territory. In a similar vein, there will
be differences between business and social introductions, where
some conventions that apply to one situation do not apply to the
other.

* Subjects to avoid raising in an introduction include divorce,
bereavement, job loss, illness, etc.[2] Topics like these leave
everyone feeling uncomfortable and unsure of what to say next.

!! Things You'll Need !!

* Knowledge of the rank or authority

* Knowledge of possible common ground between the parties

!! Related WikiHows !!

* How to Introduce Yourself

* How to Properly Greet Someone

* How to Greet People at Your First Introduction

* How to Greet and Meet People in a Business Setting

* How to Cause a Great Impression when Meeting People for the First
Time

!! Sources And Citations !!

* Erin Bried, _How to sew a button and other nifty things your
grandmother knew_, pp. 264-265, (2009), ISBN 978-0-345-51875-0 -
research source

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