Meeting And Greeting

People notice your outward appearance first, but they also notice what you say and how you act when they meet you. You need to know how to introduce yourself and others, as well as how to make small talk and polite conversation with new acquaintances and peers. Greet everyone with a friendly smile. When it is appropriate, say, “Hello, how are you?”

Introduce yourself with the six S’s:

1. Stand
2. Smile
3. See their eyes
4. Shake hands
5. Speak your name
6. Say their name back to them

Most of us have trouble with introductions, whether introducing ourselves or someone else. We have trouble remembering names, and we can’t remember the rules. If you learn the six S’s and practice them often, you will always be comfortable when you meet people.

The first four S’s—stand, smile, see their eyes, and shake hands—are done almost simultaneously. The last two—speak your name and say the other person’s name back to them—follow.

Stand. It’s always polite to stand when you are meeting or greeting someone.

Smile. The smile is a language the deaf can hear and the blind can see. It takes fourteen muscles to smile, but more than seventy to frown.

See their eyes. Making eye contact with people is important. If you have trouble looking people in the eye, practice introducing yourself in front of a mirror. You will soon become more comfortable.

Shake hands. A handshake should be firm, but neither crushing nor limp. The Protocol School in Washington teaches that the Web between your thumb and index finger should meet the web of the other person’s hand. To keep your hand dry, wipe your hand on your clothing before extending it, if necessary. Don’t pump someone’s hand up and down as though you were priming a pump.

Say the person’s name back to him or her. After you have introduced yourself to someone, and the person tells you his or her name, repeat the name, saying, it slowly and distinctly. Repeating a name helps you remember it and makes sure you understand it correctly. It also makes other people feel good when you say their name.