Don’t Skip Part One

by Matt Mattson

I was reminded recently of a common habit of human interaction… skipping part 1 of a conversation/relationship. “The Introduction.”

This happens to me on planes a lot.  It happened to me at the Phillies vs. Braves game I went to in Atlanta the other day.  It happens to many people in typical social situations (in line at the coffee shop, in class, at the DMV, at the bar, etc.)

I’m talking about when you engage in a conversation with someone new, but you skipped the part where you reach out your hand and introduce yourself.  You just go straight from stranger to conversation-partner without coming back to the, “My name is ______.  Nice to meet you.”

This blog is just a simple reminder to come back to part one a.s.a.p.  “By the way, I’m ______. Sorry I didn’t introduce myself.”

If you don’t do that (and many times we fail to), you’ll leave the conversation with a smile on your face but a network that isn’t any larger.

It’s probably also a smart idea to say, “I’d love to connect again sometime.  Here’s my contact info. Do you mind if we trade E-mail addresses?”

If you accidentally skip that first part, just go back to it before you leave.

In the bottom of the 8th inning at Turner Field last Friday, I finally turned to my incredibly baseball-smart conversation partner and said, “By the way, I’m Matt.”  His name is Al.  He’s a part of my social network now.  Great ballgame too.