Teens and AdultsMeeting and Greeting

Making Introductions

Say the honored person's name first: an older person, a guest, a client, or a senior colleague; at work, rank decides, not age or gender.

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You already know how to introduce two people: say the older person's name first and give each a detail to talk about. Adult life adds new settings, such as work, clients and formal events, but the same idea runs through all of them.

Key idea

Say the honored person's name first, then present the other person to them: an older person, a guest, a client, or a senior colleague. At work, rank decides, not age or gender. Then add a detail so they can start talking.

Why it works

Saying someone's name first is a small gesture of respect, like holding a door. It tells the honored person, "I am bringing this person to meet you." The added detail does the real work of an introduction: it gives two strangers something to say, so the introducer can step back and the conversation can begin.
Whose name comes first.
Say this name firstWhen you introduce them to
An older personA younger one
A guest or newcomer at a family eventA family member
A client or customerAnyone from your own company, even your boss
A senior colleagueA junior one
An official or someone with a titleSomeone without one
At work, the client is honored, even above your own manager.

Worked example: A family visit

Leo brings his new friend Sam home and meets his grandmother, Mrs. Hale. What does Leo say?
  1. Mrs. Hale is older, so her name comes first.
  2. "Grandma, this is my friend Sam Rivera. Sam, this is my grandmother, Mrs. Hale."
  3. He adds a detail: "Sam and I are on the robotics team."

Answer: Grandmother's name first, then Sam's, then a detail.

Worked example: Rank at work

Nora, a junior analyst, introduces James, a vice president of her company, to Ruby, a new intern. Whose name comes first?
  1. At work, rank decides.
  2. James is senior, so his name comes first: "James, I'd like you to meet Ruby Walsh, our new intern. Ruby, this is James Reed, our vice president."

Answer: James's name first.

Put the steps of an introduction in order.

Common mistake

Avoiding introductions because you fear getting the order wrong. Saying the names warmly matters far more than the order; a forgotten introduction, leaving someone standing unnamed, is the real slip. If you mix up the order, keep going: nobody will mind.

Practice

Pass with 3 right answers, the last 2 in a row. Each right answer earns 2 XP.

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Builds on

Leads to

Sources and further reading

  • Present-day American custom, as etiquette writers widely describe it: the order of introductions
  • Emily Post, Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics and at Home (1922; public domain), its chapter on introductions (history; the rule that a man is always presented to a woman has given way to rank and age)
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