Knowing how to introduce people is a great people skill to have.
Example: I was at a friend's wedding.
At the reception, after grabbing a fresh drink, I saw my former co-worker, Michael.
He stood up and walked over, shook my hand, and we talked for a few minutes about the World Series.
As our conversation was wrapping up, he said "Hey! Let me introduce you to my wife."
What I was expecting: To walk over and be introduced with a simple "Hey, this is my buddy, Jeff."
What happened: He introduced me by enthusiastically saying: "This is my buddy Jeff, he's the creator of this incredible board game called Table Top Baseball, you would absolutely LOVE it! It is SO much fun!"
(Months ago, we'd played my Table Top Baseball board game and he loved it.)
And that introduction led to an effortless, fun conversation. Michael made it easy for me to make a fantastic first impression. He'd already done most of the heavy lifting.
Give People GREAT Introductions
Giving other people great introductions is one of those people skills that will reflexively make people gravitate to you.
Notice in the examples below how it just takes 5% more effort to be more interesting than 95% of people.
How To Introduce People: Examples & Word-For-Word Scripts
Let's break it down with some tasty examples & word-for-word scripts!
Here's how to introduce people in an engaging way.
Before introducing someone: Do a quick scan through your mind and think of one interesting thing about the person you're about to introduce.
(Bonus points if you can think of a way to make it relevant to the person you're introducing them to.)
Example: You're introducing Kate (An artist) to your friend Jerome (a writer).
You: "Jerome, this is Kate. Kate is an incredible artist, she has several pieces on display downtown. You make art with words, she makes art with inks!"
This gives Jerome and Kate plenty to talk about. It's boosting the likelihood that they'll hit it off.
Example: You're introducing Ilene (loves hiking) to your friend Amy (loves birdwatching)
You: "Amy, this is my good friend Ilene, she loves hiking over at Land's End. Didn't you tell me you were just over there last weekend looking for a Belted Kingfisher?"
Notice how you're not limited to job titles or professions. It even works for people you just met at a conference:
Example: You're introducing Scott (Who you just met) to Jason (Who you also just met).
You: "Jason! I want you to meet Scott. I just met Scott this morning, but I can already tell he's going to revolutionize how companies make first impressions with their new employees."
Nothing too fancy, and we've only just met Scott. This is where a dash of flexibility and adaptation are key.
Use these subtle tips to immediately stand out and be memorable, and make great introductions!
Bonus video: How to look more approachable
I answer a question from a reader about how to avoid the dreaded "RBF" face.
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