What do I say after someone introduces themselves?
Acknowledge the introduction, use their name once, and ask one question about their work rather than offering an opinion about yours. The reliable moves are a short greeting, a question they can answer in one sentence, and a follow-up drawn from their answer.
Acknowledge the introduction, use their name once, and ask one question about their work rather than offering an opinion about yours. The reliable moves are a short greeting, a question they can answer in one sentence, and a follow-up drawn from their answer.
- Good to meet you. What does a typical week look like on your team?
- That is a part of the business I never see. How did you get into it?
- I had not heard that before. What made your team try it?
Then listen for the word you do not understand and ask about that word, rather than nodding past it. One real follow-up is worth more than three compliments, because it proves you were listening rather than waiting for your turn.
If the name did not land, ask at that moment rather than three sentences later: a short request costs nothing, while a late question tells them you were not listening. Repeat the name back inside your first reply, because saying it once fixes it in memory and signals attention. If you are still unsure, ask how it is spelled, which is a normal request and easier to recover from than a mispronunciation you both notice.