Hi Everyone, it’s Vincent again back with another Art of Conversation blog.
So in this particular blog I wanted to talk about introducing people with style so that not only will it make the other person look good, but it will also make you look good as well. And any time you can kill two birds with one stone, I highly suggest that you do. Now what I’m about to share with you is meant to be used in social settings, such as parties, casual and fun networking events, at bars or lounges, and generally wouldn’t be advised for serious places of business.
Let’s say you’re at a party…you’re going with a person you’ve known for a while. You see another friend there, and you invite him or her to come on over and meet the two of you. There are a few options here.
- Introduce the two people generically by name (truthfully not the most interesting way of doing things.)
- Let the two people introduce themselves (again not so interesting as well,and we’ve all had those awkward pauses.)
- Take the initiative and be the one to introduce both of them to each other with flair and style.
Now number 3 is relatively easy to do, especially if the person(s) your introducing happens to be a long time friend. A buddy of mine Nelson Chow who’s from Vancouver would do this for me. When he use to introduce me to people he never just introduced my name , but he would go ” This is my buddy Vince, did you know this guy’s a dating coach?” Though the job itself is quite interesting and captured most people’s attention it was the concept that makes it revolutionary. (And by no means did I, nor Nelson come up with the concept, another dating coach Eric Von Markovich did.)
I was always amazed to see people glow when Nelson made such introductions to total strangers I had never met before. First it made such a good impression on other people, because it no longer sounded like bragging. Nelson did this in a fun way but at the same time was very genuine. Second, he also made me feel good about myself and therefore I always appreciated how he introduced me. I felt more confident and positive going into conversations when he did that. I try to do this with people I know as well. I try to introduce people based on something I believe would be fun and engaging. And even when i’m at social networking events, I’ll do this with people I’ve met for only 10 minutes. ” I want to introduce you to Bob here. We’ve been only talking for ten minutes, but this guy can tell you some really great stories about the culture in India.”
Some examples of introductions with style are:
- This is my friend April, she doesn’t usually tell people this but she went bungee jumping last summer.
- This is my friend Alan, Alan traveled to Europe in the summer time and has this great story about going to Paris.
- Hey, I want to introduce you to my friend Gillian. Gillian here loves to cook Italian food. She makes the best alfredo sauce I’ve ever had in my life! Makes my mouth water every single time.
If you noticed what I did, was that I introduced the person by name, and then I followed up with a fun fact. This way this helps the conversation go from the very start and gives a first impression about the person without him or her ever saying one single word first. So don’t make your introductions boring and then let your friends fish for ways to start a conversation, take charge and do it yourself. Go and practice your conversations by doing these introductions with style.
Some other side tips. Remember to make eye contact, shake hands with people you’ve met the first time (this shows confidence) and to smile (remember it’s meant to be in a social setting.)
Challenge: So are you ready? Next time you’re at a party, or out at another event, introduce two of your friends with style. It can be about something they’ve accomplished, a recent adventure they went on, what they’re are passionate about, whatever it is give the introduction some style! Until then continue to practice the conversation arts!
You can reach me at Conversation Arts
Technorati Tags: Art of Conversation, introducing people, networking, introductions
Related posts:
- How to Deal with Insults (and Creating Comebacks) when Meeting New People
- Interesting Conversation Questions | How to Ask Them
- Overcoming Approach Anxiety | The 3 Minute Rule
- Overcome Shyness by Starting Small
Do you need help with Conversations, Making Friends or Your Dating Life?
Comments on this entry are closed.