May I present? The right way to do business introductions

Business is about relationships, and relationships begin with introductions. The good news is that the old social rules about gender  and age don't apply to effective introductions in today's online and offline business world.

These days, it's all based on precedence. In other words, rank rates. When you perform an introduction, the “less important” (or lower ranking) person is presented to the “more important” (or higher ranking) one, whether you're in-person or online.

A key exception is in the case of clients and customers — they are considered more important than someone in your firm, even if the client has a lower rank than your colleague. So a sales rep taking a senior executive with his firm to meet a purchasing agent would present the executive to the purchasing agent, even though senior executives typically “outrank” purchasing agents.

If you're unsure of the precedence, be guided by the respective agendas of the people you're introducing. Treat the person with the most to gain from the contact as the “junior” person in the introduction. So if you're making a referral, the person in the selling position is presented to the prospective buyer:

“Sue [prospective buyer], I'd like you to meet Sam [ seller] with Wonderful Widgets.”

Along with names, your introduction should include a brief bit of information about the individuals. Keep the details appropriate to the situation, perhaps giving a title or recent business accomplishment, and be straightforward.

If you're doing an introduction by email, be sure to include both parties' contact information. On a conference call, the organizer can ask participants to introduce themselves in an order appropriate to the situation.

Do not:

• mention personal issues
• try to be humorous
• poke fun at an unusual name

When you're the one being introduced in person, remember that custom calls for the senior person to initiate the handshake — but if they don't, you should go ahead. The person who extends the hand first is at an advantage because they're taking the initiative.

What about introducing yourself?

Sometimes you have to take the initiative to meet the people you want to get to know. However, never break in on two people, especially if they're in deep conversation. You might hover nearby for a few moments to see if they notice you and signal you to join them.

For groups of three or more, simply wait for a lull in the conversation, ask if you can join them, introduce yourself and shake hands all around. This forces everyone else to shake hands and say their names—and most people will be delighted that you had the courage to make the first move.

How do you handle introductions?

What are your best tips for effective introductions? Or do you have an introduction disaster story to share?