Making an Effective First Impression

Three steps to introducing yourself effectively:

Step 1: Project warmth and confidence.

Many people size you up even before you say a word, which is why it’s important to mind your body language. When you introduce yourself, stand up straight, relax, and establish eye contact.

Step 2: State your first name and your last name. Depending on the situation, you may also state your affiliation or your position in the company.

Example: “Hello. I’m Jill Smith. I’m the Quality Control Officer.”

Step 3: When the other person has given their name, repeat it in acknowledgment.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Andrews.” or “It’s nice to meet you, Joseph.” Repeating their name is an acknowledgment that you heard their introduction.

When you are networking is not just about presenting yourself. You may also find yourself introducing two strangers to one another. Here are some guidelines to introducing others:

Take note of the pecking order. In business, introductions are made based on a person’s seniority in a company. This is regardless of age and gender. When you make an introduction, present a person with the lesser status to the person with the higher status.

Example: “Caroline Daniels, I would like you to meet President Andrews. Caroline is the head of the Public Relations Department.”

Introduce strangers first

If you are introducing two persons of equal rank to one another, start with the person that you don’t know. This way you can use the introduction to make the newcomer feel welcome.

Mind titles

Unless invited otherwise, stick to using formal address such as “Mr. Gallagher” or “Attorney Louis Harris”.

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