How to properly introduce someone

There is a proper way to introduce someone? Yes, and it comes down to which name you say first.

Let’s say your parents are holding a BBQ and you invited a few of your friends… You want to introduce your friend Sam to your mom. You would say: “Mom, I would like you to meet my friend Sam Burns.” and then: “Sam, this is my mom, Linda Lee.” The rule of thumb is that you introduce the “lower rank person” to the “higher rank person”.

It may sound pretentious to talk about “lower rank”and “higher rank” but etiquette is all about protocols and formality. So who qualifies as “higher rank”?

• parents and grandparents (older generation)

• titled person (such as a doctor, a mayor, etc.)

• person less known to you

• person arriving

Here are 2 more examples:

“Kim, let me introduce you to my friend Sam Burns. Sam, this is Kim Smith, my sister’s walking buddy.

(You know Kim less than Sam, so you would say her name first)

“Rae, welcome to the BBQ! I would like you to meet my friend Sam Burns. Sam, this is Ray Thom, our neighbour.”

(Ray is the person arriving, so you say his name first)

In business situation, you would say the name of the higher rank person first. Clients are also considered to be “higher rank”. If you are introducing colleagues, it does not matter whose name you say first.

In different cultures, the rules may vary, but in western culture, these guidelines hold true.