How to Introduce People Like the Host(ess) with the Most(est)

It is important to help "newlymets" through their first nervous

moments.

"Susan, I'd like you to meet John Smith. John, this is Susan

Jones." Duh, what do you expect John and Susan to say?

"Smith? Umm, that's S-M-I-T-H, isn't it?"

"Uh, er, golly, Susan, well, now, there's an interesting name."

Nice-try-forget-it. Don't blame John or Susan for being less

than scintillating. The fault lies with the person who introduced

the two the way most people introduce their friends to each

other—with naked names. They cast out a line with no bait for

people to sink their teeth into.

Big winners may not talk a lot, but conversation never dies

unwillingly in their midst. They make sure of it with techniques

like "Never the Naked Introduction." When they introduce people, they buy an insurance policy on the conversation with a few

simple add-ons: "Susan, I'd like you to meet John. John has a wonderful boat we took a trip on last summer. John, this is Susan

Smith. Susan is editor in chief of Shoestring Gourmet magazine."

Padding the introduction gives Susan the opportunity to ask

what kind of boat John has or where the group went. It gives John

an opening to discuss his love of writing. Or of cooking. Or of

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How to Introduce People

Like the Host(ess) with

the Most(est)

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food. The conversation can then naturally expand to travel in general, life on boats, past vacations, favorite recipes, restaurants, budgets, diets, magazines, editorial policy—to infinity