5 Simple Steps for Making Flawless Introductions

By LisaMarie Luccioni, MA AICI CIP

In today’s world, introductions occur in both our personal and professional lives. And yet many of us fumble through the experience, feeling disheartened as we stumble over wording, wishing someone else would have assumed this specific responsibility. Here some helpful suggestions on how to smoothly, effortlessly—and correctly—handle our future introduction-making experiences.

1. Don’t rush introductions. Many people “zip” through them so quickly, they either stumble over the wording or confuse the people being introduced. The United States has been described as a “nervous” culture; we feel uncomfortable with silence and feel compelled to fill every moment with wording. Proper introductions should consume a portion of time; fight the urge to rush through the process.

2. Wait until the introduction is completed before you offer to shake hands. The end result? You pay closer attention to the name being voiced, especially valuable when the name is more verbally complex. “Iosifidis” is harder to catch than “Smith”. Waiting until all names have been said also allows you to focus on the information being offered.

3. If you’re feeling especially skilled in making the introduction, offer a piece of information about those you introduce. They’ll appreciate the detail because they can then use the specifics as a launching pad for conversational talk.

4. Be wary of referring to people in introductions as your “best friend”, “most valued client”, or “most skilled employee”. These types of qualifiers can make other friends, clients, and employees feel disregarded, unimportant, and inadequate.

5. If it’s obvious that someone doesn’t remember your name, be understanding and offer a self-introduction. Extend your hand and offer a gracious, “Hello, I’m LisaMarie Luccioni, the professor of Communication at UC. We met last month at the Women Leading Women’s Conference downtown. It’s nice to see you again.”

LisaMarie Luccioni is a professor of Communication at the University of Cincinnati, an etiquette expert, and the only certified image professional (CIP) in the state of Ohio. She can be reached at lisamarie.luccioni@uc.edu or 513.919.7636.