Introducing yourself, right?

This is like kind of an awkward thing to do.

And if you do it wrong, it's really awkward.

So here's a video, little formula on how to introduce yourself.

First, nonverbal.

So actually two parts of introducing yourself.

It's the verbal, what you say, but it's also the nonverbal.

Like I can have the perfect words, but look terrible.

Watch.

Hi, I'm Vanessa and I'm so happy to be here and meet you as the host of this event.

Like even though the verbal is good, like I look terrible.

So you have to match them.

So let's start with the nonverbal first.

If you feel like smiling, this is the perfect time to smile, but I only want you to smile.

If it's authentic, there is nothing worse than a fake smile.

Hi, I'm Vanessa and I'm so happy to be here.

So only smile if it's authentic.

If it's not, it's okay if you don't have a smile, but if you feel happy to be there, actually show the smile.

Second, nonverbally, you want to show if you're going to have some sort of touch or physical greeting.

So especially if you're in person, are you going to handshake?

Are you going to hug?

Are you going to high five?

Or do you want nothing?

This doesn't apply on video, but in person, if you're going to handshake, I want you to blade.

So hi, I'm Vanessa.

So nice to meet you.

Okay.

So you're going to put your hand out to show, I am about to give you a handshake.

This is going to avoid the most awkward moment for humans, which is are we going to handshake or hug?

Are we, are we going to fist bump, high five, hug, oh, side hug, awkward, cheek it, right?

You avoid that.

So if you want a handshake blade, if you want to hug, do the both hands open.

If you're on video or you're on stage, I highly recommend a nonverbal greeting from afar.

So hi everyone.

Nice to meet you.

Happy to be here.

A simple visible hand, visible hand also helps the brain see a friend, not foe.

We're not hiding anything.

So visible hand or open shake for a hug to be very clear.

And the last one is what I call full fronting, not full frontal, full fronting.

That is that you're angling your toes, your torso and your head towards the person that you're meeting.

We don't really like it when someone is, Hey, nice to meet ya.

We like it when a body is fully angled towards us.

So that is angling my head, my torso and my toes towards the person, especially if you're moving in towards them.

This works on video.

This works on stage.

If you're on stage, even like gesturing with your whole audience.

So hi everyone.

So nice to be here.

So I'm full fronting with everyone that's in front of me or the room that's in front of me.

Okay.

That's the nonverbal.

The verbal first, a quick greeting.

Hi, howdy.

Hello.

Welcome.

One word, right?

Just a quick one.

Second, your name slowly.

This is the biggest mistake we make when we introduce ourself.

And I am guilty of it, which is we rush through our name because we're nervous.

We think people have heard it before.

We just stumble over it.

So we swallow our name or rush through it.

The way that I used to do this is hi, I'm Vanessa.

No one even knows that.

So if you're in a casual setting, first name only, hi, I'm Vanessa.

If you're in a formal setting and introducing yourself in front of an audience, people who don't know you, hi, I'm Vanessa Van Edwards, full name slowly.

I know it sounds painfully slow to you, but it's worse when you rush through it because it signals low confidence.

So one word greeting.

Hi.

Howdy.

Hello.

Welcome.

Aloha.

Your name slowly.

Then I like to have just a very quick positive word.

I'm so happy to be here.

I'm so honored to be here.

I'm so excited to be here.

Or if you're leading, I'm so thrilled to be leading this meeting.

I'm so happy to be hosting this party.

I'm really happy to introduce my other friends.

Like one positive word.

It kind of injects a little bit of positivity in the, in the interaction and it sets you up for success.

We like people who use positive words.

So word, name, positive thing.

Then you're going to add your title or reason for being there.

So depending on where you're introducing yourself, are you hosting the party?

Are you leading the meeting?

Do you need to say who you are?

Your job title, your title that day.

So I could say, I introduce myself all the time in front of presentations.

So I would say, hi, I'm Vanessa Van Edwards.

I'm so honored to be here and I'm a recovering awkward person, right?

That's my funny one.

You could also say, um, and I'm lead marketer here.

I'll be leading the call.

So what's your title and reason for being there?

And lastly, if you want to, you can add a fun fact.

You don't have to, you don't have to, but if you're brave enough, it always breaks the ice.

So this could sound like, hi, I'm Vanessa.

I'm so happy to have you all at my home tonight.

We'll be serving lots of alcohol to hopefully relax you and not help you be nervous, right?

Like whatever it is that you're saying as a little bit of a fun fact.

Um, you can also have a fun fact about the meeting or a fun fact about your host, but really the first part is the most important.

So opening word, you're full fronting.

You are hopefully smiling.

If you feel like it, bonus points for eye contact.

You're going to say your name slowly, a positive word, your reason for being there.

And if you're brave enough, a fun fact.

By the way, introducing yourself as step one in a conversation, what should you do next?

How do you ask a conversation starter?

How do you have great conversation?

I highly recommend checking out my conversation mastery course, where I take you through all the steps, very practical actual steps on how to have amazing conversation with anyone.

So if you want the next steps, go check out that course.

I would love to have you.