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The Business Introduction In American Business

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The Business Introduction In American Business

Phyllis Davis (Business Etiquette Consultant) gives expert video advice on: What are the other elements of a good introduction?; Why is it so important to remember people's names in business and why is it so difficult?; What if I blank on the name of someone I know? and more...

Is there an easy way to remember who I should introduce to whom?

There is an easy way to remember who is introduced to whom. The person whose name gets used first, all over the world and in any circumstances, it would sort of make him the most important person on earth - that person is the pope. It's not because of he's the head of the roman catholic church in as much as is it he's the longest line of held offices on the planet. Since 90 AD, there was a pope and that's been a consistent office. So we acknowledge that office and thus everyone on the earth is introduced to the pope. So it would be "your holiness" (which is his title), "Id like to introduce you to my aunt, Mildred", for example. When it comes to the president of the United States, if that introduction were made to his holiness, it would be "your holiness, may I introduce you to the president of the United States" and then his name.

Should I address clients by first or last name?

When it comes to addressing clients by their first or last names, every situation is different. If I, Phyllis Davis, am calling on the director of training that I want to go in and do some editor training for, for lets say, Microsoft, I might call the head of training for Microsoft by their last name; using Mr. or Mrs. and then their last name. But if they want me to call them by their first name, they will. If I'm in the office and it's a small office, I might say, "Joe, it's so nice to meet you." You see the difference? So you have to be a little bit sensitive to power when deciding whether to address clients by their first or last names.

What are the other elements of a good introduction?

Other elements of a good introduction that I implement is that I like to include a little bit of information about each person. so that if I were to step away it would be an ice-breaker. For example, if I were introducing the CEO of my company to my next door neighbour, I would say, “Jim, I'd like you to meet Sarah.” And then I'd turn to Jim and say, “Sarah and I live next door to each other.” And then I might turn to my neighbour and say, “Sarah, Joe is the CEO of my company.” So, if I were to step away at that moment, they would have enough of an ice-breaker to continue that conversation., and that is another element of a good introduction.

What should I do when I am introduced to someone?

When you are introduced to some, say the CEO, you should make an effort to ask questions such as "How long have you been CEO?" The CEO might say your name, and then ask you how long have you lived in that neighbourhood. You should ask them some little something to let them know that you were listening. We live in such an impersonal world, so if there is any way that you can do anything to focus on them, and take the focus off of you to create rapport, that's that extra effort and the best ting to do when you are introduced to someone.

Why is it so important to remember people's names in business and why is it so difficult?

Remembering peoples names is one of the most important things you can do in business because it means you're listening, it means you care. And it's not appropriate to just not listen to their name when it's being said. Indeed that's the problem today because only a very small percentage of people are what we consider auditory, we're mostly visual people today, that's why it's so hard to remember people's names when you are introduced to them. Now, if someone gives me their business card, or gives you their business card, we have a higher chance of remembering their name than if we just hear it. So the decision is a choice. When I hear people's names that they tell me the first time, I listen. I really make a conscious decision to listen to their name. I can also remember people's names if I see them written more easily because again, I am more visual than I am auditory. But the more sophisticated business person I become over the years, the more auditory I become because its all about listening when you are being introduced to someone.

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