Introducing ourselves at the start of a business meeting, sales call, or presentation might seem like an automatic task, similar to putting the key into the car’s ignition or tying a pair of shoes.
But there is more to introductions than just identifying names and affiliations, and many experts agree that the first impressions made during these brief encounters can have long-lasting affects on how people react to what we say.
In their book, “How to Communicate,” for example, Matthew McKay, Ph.D., Patrick Fanning, and Martha Davis, Ph.D. note, “The introduction is one of the most important parts of a speech. It gets your audience’s attention, establishes your relationship with them, sets the tone you want to take with them, and orients them to the subject matter.”
And while every business meeting or sales call may not involve a speech, the same principles apply to all forms of greetings and introductions.
Each introduction we make is an opportunity for us to further our relationship with our audience – whether it’s an audience of one or one-hundred.
A strong introduction will also increase the effectiveness of our communication by maximizing the audience’s interest level. If we start off on the “right foot,” it is much more likely that they will listen!
If you’re wondering how you might improve the effectiveness of your introductions, you might start by paying closer attention to each of the following parts of your typical intro:
- What you say
- Why you say it
- How you say it
- What you look like when saying it
Most of us focus on what we want to say, but few people take sufficient time to determine the “why,” which is the key to strategic communication.
What we say during an introduction, and why, should be a function of our purpose and will, therefore, vary depending upon what we’re doing.
On a sales call, the goal (the “why”) of our opening remarks should be to:
- Put our customer or prospect at ease
- Identify the purpose of our call
- Identify the benefits we’re offering (What’s in it for THEM?)
Notice that the intro does NOT include much about us personally – but if all goes well, we’ll build rapport with our customer, exhibit professionalism as well as respect for his or her time by stating the purpose of our call, and also begin to establish the value of our products or services by making appropriate benefit statements.
Naturally, some preparation is required, as we must know something about the customer’s needs and how our product or service will address those needs.
During presentations or business meetings, opening remarks should focus on connecting with the audience and should include clear statements of purpose and decorum – i.e., “I’m so glad we were able to schedule this time together – it’s nice to see you all, and it’s always productive to share ideas. As you know, we’re here to introduce a new IT system. Please feel free to ask questions at any time…” or “Let’s hold questions until the first break, which will be at…”
In all instances, tone and body language are very important, as both the way we sound and the way we look send powerful implied messages and have a strong bearing on how our introduction will be received.
In fact, research conducted by Dr. Albert Mehrabian, a noted expert in personality and psychological testing, indicates that nearly ninety-percent of a message’s impact comes from vocals (tone, volume, rhythm, pitch) and body movement. In addition, when we make introductions our posture, facial expressions, directness (eye contact), tone of voice and level of enthusiasm should all match the purpose of the sales call or meeting, and should also be consistent with the relationship that exists between the parties involved. Are we a seller making a presentation to prospects, or are we an expert in our field making a presentation to a group of students?
And finally, and to the surprise of many, these very same rules apply to sales calls or presentations made over the telephone.
Though successful telephone introductions might hinge a bit more on vocals, body language is still important as it affects our voice-tone and volume.
In fact, many tele-sales professionals will stand during their introductions because it helps them to speak from the diaphragm and come across more powerfully.
If you’re thinking that the idea of putting this much thought and effort into a simple introduction seems overwhelming, or if you’re wondering where you might learn more about the nuances of communication, such as strategic introductions, body language and implied messaging, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, learning to communicate is often accomplished through conscientious trial and error.
As stated by Doctors McKay and Davis in their above-referenced book, “Effective communication makes life work. But where can you learn it? Parents are often dismal role models and schools are too busy teaching French and trigonometry.”
But those who have taken the time to pay closer attention to these details have found it to be time well spent.
Increased awareness is the first step, and you might be surprised at the bottom-line results a few small changes in the way you introduce yourself might bring about in the effectiveness of your overall communication.