Business Etiquette For Introductions - How to Introduce Two People to Each Other

While etiquette in other areas of life has relaxed somewhat, it is still taken seriously in the business world. When making an introduction, it is important that you use the correct language and proper introduction order for the people you are introducing. If you're not quite sure what those are, keep reading to find out.

The first thing to know about business introductions is that the order is based on rank, with the lower-ranking person being presented to the higher-ranking person. Meaning it should start off something like: "Ms. High Rank, I'd like to introduce Ms. Low Rank..." So you would introduce an executive to a vice president, and so on. In business etiquette, you should always consider a client to be higher in rank than company employees, in order to honor them. Similarly, if you end up introducing two people of equal rank, consider the person who is outside your department as a guest, and present the person in your department to them, not the other way around.

When introducing two people, always make sure that you're using the same form for each name. It should be "Ms. Smith, I'd like to introduce Mr. Jones" or "Jane Smith, I'd like to introduce Robert Jones." It should never be "Jane, I'd like to introduce Mr. Jones" or "Ms. Smith, I'd like to introduce Robert Jones." Even if you are normally on a first name basis with one of the people you are introducing, you make it difficult for the other person to figure out how to address them properly. It's always polite to start out on a Mr. or Ms. (or Mrs.) Last Name basis, and only use first names when explicitly told it's okay to do so.

For women's names, always make sure that you're using the correct title, which will be "Ms." or "Mrs." in most circumstances. It may also be Doctor or Captain or something else. If you're not sure, just ask without making a big deal about it. A grown woman is never "Miss" anymore, and many adult women will be annoyed if called by a title that is currently used for young girls.

Somewhere in your introduction, you should say who the person is, such as "Vice President of X division" or "one of our clients" or "a representative from Company Y." Putting it all together, an example of a full introduction would be something like "Ms. Jones, I'd like to present Mr. Smith, an account executive in my division. Ms. Jones is the president of Company X." This may seem like a lot to remember off-hand, but with a little practice it's easy to come up with the right introduction every time.

Ruby doesn't just write articles about business etiquette. She recently created a new website about the natural light alarm clock, including information about the sunlight alarm clock.

By Ruby Giese