Greeting People

A day in the life of every businessperson is made up of a series of meetings and greetings. Whether you are making the initial contact with a client or a colleague, you want to get off on the right foot. Doing so will make the first encounter and subsequent ones go smoothly and easily.

Your goal of meeting other people is to make them feel comfortable and to put them ease so they will want to do business with you and you will have a solid start for long-term profitable relationships.

Strategies for a successful start

• Stand up when you meet someone. allows you to engage the person on an equal level - eye to eye. By remaining seated, you send a message that you don't think the other person is important enough to warrant the effort it takes to stand.


• Smile.Your facial expression says more than your words.


• Make eye contact. Looking at the people you meet says you are focused and interested in them.


• Introduce yourself immediately. Include a statement about who you are when necessary. It is not always enough to say, "Hello, I'm Mary Jones." Give more information. "Hello, I'm Mary Jones. I work for XYZ Corporation."Offer a firm handshake.


• Extend your hand as you give your greeting. The person who puts a hand out first comes across as confident and at ease.


• Pay attention to names when you meet people. If you concentrate and repeat the name as soon as you hear it, you stand a better chance of remembering it later.


• Use first names of people whom you have just met only after they give you permission. Not everyone wants to be addressed informally on the initial encounter. It is better to err on the side of formality than to offend the other person right off the bat.

WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS
polite – has good manners and behavior, not rude to other people
Ex) My nephew is a polite student

DISCUSSION
1. Are you comfortable at greeting people?
2. In Korea, do you shake the hand of the person you’re being introduced to?
3. When do you greet a person informally and when do you greet a person in a formal way?
4. How do you introduce a person? What do you need to say?
5. How will you introduce me to your wife or your family?
6. What should we remember when introducing someone?
7. Have you tried introducing someone in English? If so, how did you do it? If not, why?

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