If you’re not comfortable looking straight into someone’s eyes, stare at the point between the eyebrows; she won’t notice the difference. If you’re in a group setting, make periodic eye contact with those around you.
Repeating the person’s name will help you remember it, and give the introduction a more personal touch.
Be aware of cultural differences. For instance, it is considered rude to firmly shake hands in China. It is often appropriate to greet with a hug, especially if you’re meeting a friend of a friend or an in-law. Hugs show more openness than a handshake. Women more often than men may prefer a hug to a handshake. In many cultures, it is culturally appropriate to greet with a kiss. In South America, for instance, all women are greeted with one kiss, and in France, women are greeted with one kiss on each cheek. If you are unsure of the appropriate greeting, follow the other person’s lead or watch how other people greet around you.
You may tell a little bit of your background in order to engage conversation and share about yourself. Telling someone where you work or that you love rock climbing is appropriate and may lead to more conversation topics. Don’t take the opportunity to talk only about yourself. You will come across as selfish or uninteresting .
Say, “Good morning, I’m Chelle Arnold” or “How is everyone doing today? My name is Lisa Carroll”.
Who are you, professionally? Are you a teacher, a project manager, or a health care professional? Who do you work with? Do you work with children, cross-cultural project teams, or micro-finance organizations? What do you do? Do you help second-grade children develop their writing skills, do you help cross-cultural teams meet complete their goals while keeping their budgets, or do you help microfinance organizations expand their market base in developing countries? Now, put your sentence together. State who you are, who you work with, and what you do.
