"I'd like you to meet…"

The other day Boy Scout brought one of his school friends to the troop meeting and when we got there a few of the other scouts were already setting up the chairs and tables they'd need that night. The Scoutmaster came over to greet us and I asked Boy Scout to introduce his friend. An outside observer might have thought I'd just asked him to expound on the importance of Tom Bombadil to the Lord of Rings trilogy with supporting charts and detailed analysis of each character interaction.

Those who have only seen the movies and not read the books just let out a collective, "Huh?" A full 70% of the people who read the books still just let out a collective, "Who?" Possibly 24% of the book readers remember Tom but still took a long pause to try to figure out an answer to the question, and the other 1% said, "Here we go again," and started mentally running through all of the places Tom appears in any of Tolkien's works.

And those who never read the books or saw the movies stopped reading this post entirely.

But that blank, eyes-rolled-back-and-mouth-agape, expression you just had--that's the one Boy Scout had! I've seen it many times in his short 10-year lifespan and I knew I had some teaching to do.

Why it's Important

Simply put, an introduction is the thing brings people together. A good one can lead to a new friendship, business relationship, or open the door to life opportunities you wouldn't otherwise have. A great introduction does more than just give you a person's name, it also tells you a little about him or her and is a lead-in to further conversation.

How to Do It

Let's take the case above with Boy Scout (BS), his friend (F), and the Scoutmaster (SM).

Boy Scout is the common link between the other two so it's up to him to make the introduction. Something or someone else might prompt the introduction (such as SM coming up to greet us), but it's BS's responsibility in this situation to take the main action.

The Basics
BS would start by addressing the person with higher authority or in the position commanding more respect, and tell them who the other person is.

"Scoutmaster, this is [F]."

But that's not all! You should also reciprocate the introduction by addressing the other person being introduced.

"[F], this is my Scoutmaster."

At this point SM and F should shake hands and/or exchange some other appropriate pleasantries. Easy, peasy. No need to panic and with a few canned phrases under your belt and a little practice making introductions shouldn't cause any anxiety attacks or blank stares as you fumble around trying to figure out what to do.

Advanced Techniques
But remember I said a great introduction is more than stating names? You can also tell a bit about the people being introduced so they have a little clue who the person is, their relationship to you, why it's important to meet them, etc.

So a sample introduction might look like this:

BS: "SM, I'd like you to meet [F]. He's one of my classmates and we like to ride bikes together."
BS: "[F], this is [SM], the leader of our troop."
SM: "It's nice to meet you, [F]. Later this summer our troop is going to learn bike repair. If you're interested let me know and I can talk to your parents about you joining us for that."

Other Tips

• Have a few introductory phrases memorized, such as: "____, I'd like to introduce ____" "____, I'd like you to meet ____."
• When including other information try to find something both of the other people like or would be interested in. It'll give them something to start their conversation together.
• Don't over share, one quick sentence or fact should be enough. Telling too much about a person when they're first introduced can be overwhelming to the other person. Let them start a conversation and decide what information they feel comfortable sharing and knowing.
• When you're introduced to someone extend your hand for a handshake and try to repeat their name. This will help you make sure you heard their name correctly and remember the person later.
• In formal settings use a person's rank, title or other term of respect such as: Captain Nathan Fillion, Doctor Julius Hibbert, Cousin Vinny.
• In informal settings it's okay to make the introductions more brief and use just a person's first name or the name you usually use to address them, such as, "Bob, meet Bucko" or even just "Bob, Bucko" with a gesture toward each person as you say their name.
• If you're sitting down, standing up when being introduced or introducing someone shows respect.