Do you search for words when you meet somebody? Are you confused on how to greet somebody? Don't worry, most us us who speak English as a second language are not very familiar with the greeting ways. Obviously, a 'Hello, how are you?' is a standard way to greet somebody, let's look at some other common ways to greet someone, based on the different situations.

Basic: Lesson 1

When you meet a person for the first time.

"Hi, myself is Sachin. It's nice to meet you."

An ideal response to this could be,

"It's a great pleasure to meet you, Sachin. I'm Rohan."

If the person does not respond in a similar fashion, you can ask his/her name.

What is your name?

If you were unable to hear the name, you can ask the person to repeat himself by saying, "Excuse me", "Pardon me".

The next most common question you would be asked, in such a situation is:

"What do you do Sachin?"

"I am working as a Sales executive in a bank."

"I am a teacher."

Basic: Lesson 2

When you meet a person you know.

"Hi Nancy, how are you? Or how have you been?"

"Hi Thomson, long time, what have you been up to?"

"Such a pleasure to see you. How have you been?"



An informal way to greet a friend

"Where have you been hiding?"

"It's been ages, how have you been?"

"What a surprise. It's a long time, how have you been?"

When you bump into somebody in a restaurant.

"Hey, how are you? Do you come to this eatery often?"

A typical response to this could be:

"This is one of my favorite restaurants, I come here quite often."

"I don't come on a regular basis, but I have been here once or twice."

While a good greeting sets the flow of a good conversation, it is equally important to pay attention to other aspects of greeting. For instance, your facial expression, smile, a firm handshake, confidence, etc.

If you are meeting somebody for the first time, for a professional purpose, make sure you wear a warm smile. Introduce yourself, giving away your full name, a welcome note, maintain an eye contact and make a firm handshake.

"Hi, I am Sophie Thomson from XYZ, it's nice to meet you."

Suppose you are meeting with a group of new people. Now, how would you go about it. Walk with confidence and proactively introduce yourself to everybody in the room. This is a better way than to wait for somebody to introduce you. Your confidence will shine at such moments.

Practice is the key to master the art of greeting, with these basics by your side, in no time you can be a charmer.

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