First impressions are vital—you never get a second chance to make a first impression. This lesson will introduce you to the course, and show you how to introduce yourself using professional language and strong delivery.
The aim of this course is to show you how to both speak and act professionally in English. This means a few things.
- Your teacher understanding is not enough. Even making clients and colleagues understand is not enough. The goal is to impress and build trust with colleagues and clients.
- We will pay attention to not only meaning, but also nuance and common usage.
- We will practice speaking smoothly with great delivery.
Now, let's consider all this from the perspective of introductions.
A. Imagine you are meeting your teacher for the first time. Give a quick (one minute or less) introduction of yourself to your teacher. Be mindful of your audience.
B. Let's think about your introduction from the viewpoint of professionalism.
- When speaking in your native language, do you pay more attention to what you are saying or want to say, or are you paying more attention to what the other person understands or wants to know?
- What about in English?
A. Look at the following phrases and discuss the context in which you might use it:
- It’s a pleasure meeting you.
- It’s nice to meet you in person.
- It’s great to finally meet you!
- It was good to meet you / a pleasure meeting you.
Practice not only the meaning, but also the intonation.
B. You may want to discuss your background or experience:
- I have a background in ______.
- I've been at my company for about ____ years.
or: I've been in consulting for about ____ years in total. - I’ve worked on projects in a variety of fields, from ______ , to ______ , to ______ .
-
I specialize in the _______ industry.
or: I generally work on projects in the _______ industry.
or: I'm really interested in _______ projects. -
(Other information, depending on context)
C. It's often nice to end internal introductions on a high note. If you are introducing yourself to a team or to a manager, you can use the following phrases. Can you think of any more?
- I'm really looking forward to working together.
- If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask.
- I like to keep a frank and friendly atmosphere, so don't be shy.
- I also like to have some fun and have a drink when we reach milestones.
Introductions should be neither too long, nor too short. First, listen to your teacher's introduction.
Now try giving quick introductions for the following situations:
Situation 1: You have started on a new project in the digital marketing area. Give your typical introduction to the group.
Situation 2: It's time to meet the client. You will be working closely with counterparts; in fact, you are to be spending the majority of your time with them. Tell them about yourself.
Situation 3: After a week of working on that project, you have a new addition to the team who has just started at your company. Introduce yourself one-on-one.
Situation 4: After a month on the project, you finally have a chance to meet the client CEO. You've emailed a couple of times about topics related to your work, but this is your first in-person meeting.
Situation 5: You're meeting a new English teacher for the first time. Give a super quick, friendly introduction.