TOE - Vocabulary and Basic Rules of Introducing People

The person you know better

The person with the higher social or professional rank

The person with the lower social or professional rank

The younger person

"Hey everyone, this is John."

"This is John Smith, he works in accounting."

"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce Mr. John Smith, our esteemed colleague from the accounting department."

"Yo, this is John, he’s from accounting."

The person's favorite color

Relevant details such as their title or role

Their height and weight

Their hobbies

Pretend you didn’t need to introduce them

Apologize and ask for their name again

Make up a name

Avoid the introduction altogether

You should only introduce people if they ask

You should always introduce people using their first names only

You should provide context or common ground during the introduction

You should introduce people quickly and move on

To impress others with your knowledge

To help people understand each other’s positions and responsibilities

To make the introduction longer

To show off your memory skills

Wait for them to introduce themselves first

Start talking about your job immediately

Give a firm handshake, smile, and state your full name and role

Avoid introducing yourself and wait for someone else to do it

Only introduce their names and leave immediately

Highlight their common interests to help start the conversation

Tell them to figure it out themselves

Ignore the common interests

Mr. or Ms.

By their first name only

Dr.

Sir or Madam

Speak quickly to save time

Use slang and informal language

Be aware of cultural norms and titles

Avoid using titles altogether