Meeting with People – the “5 S’s”

Some things to remember when meeting with Anybody! but particularly important when in Business situations.

1. Stand up – this shows respect; even the President of the U.S. stands up when welcoming people to his office.

2. See the person(s) – Make Eye Contact; this puts you in the position of talking to the person, not at him/her, it makes things more personal and places you in conversation mode, not lecture mode.

3. Speak to the person(s) – failing to speak is the height of arrogance and shows lack of both respect and manners; speaking to the person places them there with you as part of what is going on; the corollary is not speaking which places the person outside the conversation and is downright rude!

4. Say his/her/their name(s) – One of the most important things to a person is his/her name; using that person’s name in the conversation does a number of things: 1. It makes the person feel that you have taken time for him personally; 2. It draws him/her into the conversation by making it more personal; 3. It helps you to remember the person’s name, particularly if you have just heard it for the first time, and remembering a person’s name is VERY important the next time you meet.

5. Shake hands – this is a personal gesture that tells the person that you really are pleased to make his/her acquaintance, or to meet him again; it is taking a moment to do something personal and to make contact personally (physically as well as socially). A good firm handshake is ALWAYS in line in business meetings (allowing for different cultural mores, which should be researched before the meeting takes place – Remember: NO SURPRISES!)