198. Ask Anna: What do I say to introduce myself? Is it the same face-to-face, on Teams and on the phone?
Nov 29, 2023
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The podcast explores the topic of introducing oneself in different settings such as face-to-face, phone, and email exchanges. It simplifies the rules and provides examples for various communication scenarios and mediums.
When introducing yourself in person or during a video call, say 'Hello, my name is' or 'I'm.'
When introducing yourself on the phone, say 'Hello, this is [name] speaking' if answering the call, or 'Hi [name], my name is [name]' if making the call.
Deep dives
Introducing Yourself Face-to-Face or on Video
When introducing yourself in person or during a video call, it is most natural to say 'Hello, my name is' or 'I'm.' For instance, in a face-to-face meeting or a video conference, you would say 'Hello, my name is Anna' or 'I'm Anna.' However, when introducing someone else in these contexts, you would say 'This is [name],' like 'This is John, he's the finance lead.'
Introducing Yourself on the Phone
When introducing yourself on the phone, it depends on whether you are the one answering the call or making the call. If you are answering the call, it is common to say 'Hello, this is [name] speaking.' On the other hand, if you are making the call and introducing yourself to the person who picks up, it would be more natural to say 'Hi [name], my name is [name].' So, for example, if you answer the phone, you might say 'Hello, this is Anna speaking,' while if you make the call, you could say 'Hi Anna, I'm John.'
Introducing Yourself through Email or without Visuals
In emails, the most natural way to introduce yourself is by saying 'My name is [name]' or 'I'm [name].' For example, you might write 'Dear Anna, hello, my name is John, and I'm contacting you from XYZ.' In situations where there are no visuals, such as on a conference call without video or on platforms like Zoom or Teams when no one has their camera on, it is still appropriate to say 'Hi everyone, my name is [name]' or 'Hi everyone, I'm [name].' Despite the absence of visuals, the presence of people's names or their audio cues allows for the use of 'Hi, my name is...' instead of 'This is...'