UNIT 1.

GREETING & INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION
Welcome to this unit on Greeting & Introduction. The unit introduces you tothe introduction in
business context.
Greetings are used to say hello in English. It's common to use different greetings
depending on whether you greet a friend, family or a business associate.
Introductions are the first phrases we say when we meet someone new. They are an
important part of small talk - what we say when we meet people at parties.
In this unit we shall look at the listening and speaking activity.

OBJECTIVES
By the end of this unit, you should be able to:
1. greet people in business situations
2. introduce yourself and others in business contexts
3. leave people in business situations

Listen to the dialogues entitled “Pleased to Meet You”and “Until Next Time”carefully.
As you listen, write (a) or (b) in the spaces given in the sentences to show the phrase that
has been said to complete the sentence.

Pleased to Meet You

Waiter hands drink to Victor.
VICTOR : Thank you very much.
SAM : Hello, 1. _________________. Sam Eriks.
a. I don't think we've met
b. I don't think we've seen
VICTOR : Victor Tang.____________
 a. Nice to meet you
b. Pleased to meet you
SAM : And 2. __________________ Mr Tang?
a. Which company do you represent?
b. What company are you from
VICTOR : OceanWide. I’m the sales representative for this region.
SAM : Ah yes. I know your company. Your business is expanding very rapidly at the
moment.
VICTOR : Yes, we're doing quite well. And yourself? Who do you work for?
SAM : Actually I work for myself. I'm the CEO of a small export and packaging
company. We specialise in seafood.
VICTOR : It's a growing market.
SAM : Yes, but a very competitive one Mr Tang.
VICTOR : 3. _____________________
a. Please call me Victor
b. Just call me Victor
SAM : Sam. Victor, 4. ________________. Lin – this is Victor Tang – he's the regional
rep for OceanWide. This is Lin Chan, my sales manager.
a. let me introduce you to someone
b. Allow me to introduce you to someone
LIN : 5. ________________?
a. How do you do Mr. Tang
b. How are you Mr. Tang
VICTOR : I'm very well thank you. Nice to meet you Ms Chan.
LIN : And you.
VICTOR : Can I get you another drink?
LIN : Thank you.

Until Next Time

Waiter serves drinks…
SAM : Thank you.
VICTOR : Well, 6. ____________________ Sam, and Lin.
a. it has been a great pleasure to meet you
b. It's been a great pleasure to meet you.
SAM : Yes, 7. _______________ Victor.
a. we've enjoyed meeting you too

b. we’ve pleased meeting you too

LIN : Yes, it's been great. What a pity you have to go home.
VICTOR : Well, all good things must come to an end. But 8._______________.
a. I'm sure we'll meet again
b. I hope we'll meet again
SAM : Yes, I hope so.
LIN : And good luck with your business. I'm sure it will go well.
VICTOR : And I wish you every success too.
SAM : Well, 9. ___________to the end of the conference, and to ourselves.Here's to

us.Cheers.
a. I think we should drink a toast
b. Let's drink to our next meeting
VICTOR : Cheers
LIN : Cheers.
SAM : We should keep in touch.
VICTOR : Yes. Have I given you my card?
SAM : No - thanks very much. Here's mine.
VICTOR : Do you have a card Lin?
LIN : Yes.

VICTOR : Thank you. I'll send you an email. And if you're ever in Singapore, you must look
me up.
SAM : We certainly will. And you have my number. When you're next in Sydney, give
me a call - we'll have a drink.
WAITER : May I take these? (takes glasses)
VICTOR : Well, I'd better get going or I'll miss my flight.
SAM : (shakes hands) Have a good flight home. Bon voyage.

LIN : Goodbye. 10. _________.

a. Until next time
b. see you next time
VICTOR : Goodbye.

I hope you got them right

Now, listen again to the explanation of each dialogue!

Pleased to Meet You
 Let's look at introductions. First – how did Sam introduce himself to Victor – who he didn't
know?
Hello, I don't think we've met. Sam Eriks.
Victor Tang. Pleased to meet you.
Sam said hello. We can say hello in most situations. He also said I don't think we've met.
This is a good phrase to use if you want to meet someone new.
Victor replied by saying his name and pleased to meet you. 'Pleased to meet you' is a good
formal greeting for most situations.
 And the Western tradition is to shake hands when you meet someone. Usually, when we
first meet someone in a business situation, we want to find out what they do - what their
job, or position is. Let's see how Victor and Sam do this.
And what company are you from Mr Tang?
OceanWide. I'm the sales representative for this region.
Ah yes. I know your company.
Your business is expanding very rapidly at the moment.
Yes, we're doing quite well. And yourself? Who do you work for?
Actually I work for myself. I'm the CEO of a small export and packaging company. We
specialise in seafood.
Sam asks “what company are you from?” There are a few different ways you could ask this
question, for example:
Which company do you represent?
What's your line of business?
And you can be more specific by asking about someone's job. You can use these.
 And what's your position there?
And what do you do there?
Position means the same as job, but it's a more formal term. Look at how both Sam and
Victor describe their positions:
I'm the sales representative for this region.
I'm the CEO of a small export and packaging company.
We describe our job by saying 'I am' or 'I'm' and then naming the position. Notice that Sam
says he is the CEO or Chief Executive Officer of his company. When someone asks who you
work for, it can be useful to also tell them what your job is. When meeting someone, it
helps them if you offer information before they ask. This makes the conversation more
relaxed.
 Now, the business of names. Should we use formal titles, such as Mr, Mrs or Ms, or should
we use informal, more familiar names. Let's see how Victor solves this problem:
It's a growing market.
Yes, but a very competitive one Mr Tang.
Please call me Victor.
Sam.
Sam uses Victor's formal title - Mr Tang. But Victor says Please call me Victor. Now that
they have met, it's more comfortable for them to use each other's first names - at least in
this less formal situation.
 Sam introduces Victor to someone else.
Victor, let me introduce you to someone.
Lin - this is Victor Tang - he's the regional rep for OceanWide.
This is Lin Chan, my sales manager.
How do you do Mr Tang?
I'm very well thank you.
Nice to meet you Ms Chan.
Sam says 'let me introduce you to someone'. This is a very useful phrase.
When Sam introduces Lin, he has four pieces of information. Look at to what they are:
This is Victor Tang – he’s the regional rep for OceanWide.
This is Lin Chan, my sales manager.
Did you see the four parts of Sam's introduction?
First, he told Lin Victor's full name. Second, he told her what Victor's position was and his
company name. Third, he introduced Lin using her full name, and finally he told Victor
what Lin's job was. This way both Victor and Lin know enough about each other to start a
conversation. When introducing people at a function, it's important to try to make them
feel comfortable.
 Finally, listen again to how Lin and Victor greet each other:
How do you do Mr Tang?
I'm very well thank you.
Nice to meet you Ms Chan.
And you.
Lin uses the phrase how do you do. 'How do you do' is another formal phrase for
introductions. Victor replies with a formal phrase too 'I'm very well thank you'. If someone
 says 'How do you do?' or 'How are you?' we usually say 'I'm very well thank you'. And we
could ask them how they are, by saying 'How do you do?' or 'How are you?'
 Remember, when meeting people, tell them something about yourself before being
asked.
 When you ask people questions about themselves in English, use a falling tone - it sounds
friendlier. Instead of 'Who do you work for?' (upward inflection) use 'Who do you work
for?' (downward inflection).
 And when introducing a colleague, or someone you've met, use the full names of both
people, and their positions.

Until Next Time

 Look at some of the phrases you may use when you're saying goodbye to someone -
either for a short time, or a long time. In our example, Victor is from another country,
and he's about to go back home. At a conference, he's met Sam and Lin.
It has been a great pleasure to meet you Sam and Lin.
We've enjoyed meeting you too Victor.
Yes, it's been great. What a pity you have to go home.

There are various phrases you can use to express how enjoyable it was to meet
someone. Which one you use depends on how well you got to know them.
It's been a great pleasure to meet you.
I have enjoyed meeting you.
I'm so glad to have met you.
Nice to meet you.
The phrase 'nice to meet you' would be used after one short meeting. You can also use
this phrase when you are introduced to someone.

What about the replies?

Nice to meet you.
You too.
It's been a pleasure to meet you.
And you.
Glad to have met you.
Glad to have met you too.
Notice that the reply should match the statement. So if someone says: 'I have enjoyed
meeting you', the reply can be 'So have I'.

If someone says 'It's been a pleasure to meet you', the reply can be 'A pleasure to meet you
too', or just 'And you.' Victor also says 'I'm sure we'll meet again.'

Here are some useful phrases to do with meeting again.

I'm sure we'll meet again.
 Hopefully we'll meet again.
I hope we'll meet again soon.
Notice again here - that the reply should match the statement, so if someone says: 'I'm sure
we'll meet again.', then the reply also uses 'am' 'So am I'. After the statement 'I hope we'll
meet again', the reply should be: 'So do I'.

Another part of saying goodbye can be wishing someone well for the future.
And good luck with your business. I'm sure it will go well.
And I wish you every success too.
Sam proposes a toast. Watch how he does this…
Well, I think we should drink a toast to the end of the conference, and to ourselves.
Here's to us. Cheers
Cheers

Cheers.
This is an informal toast. Sam says 'I think we should drink a toast'.

Another phrase he could use is: 'Let's drink to' - for example… 'Let's drink to the end of the
conference' or 'Let's drink to our future meeting'. Then they clink their glasses together and
say 'Cheers'.

Here's another version of the toast:

Sam: Let's drink to our next meeting.
Victor: Our next meeting!
Lin: Cheers
And of course, the toast doesn't have to be alcohol - it can be any kind of drink.

The next part of their conversation is about keeping in touch - or keeping in contact.
We should keep in touch.
Yes. Have I given you my card?
No - thanks very much. Here's mine.
Do you have a card Lin?
Yes.
Thankyou. I'll send you an email.
Repeat the phrases after Sam…
We must keep in touch.
We must keep in contact.
Here's my card.
Would you like my card?
Do you have a card?
The next part of their conversation is about meeting again. Listen…
And if you're ever in Singapore, you must look me up.
We certainly will. And you have my number. When you're next in Sydney, give me a
call - we'll have a drink.
To 'look someone up' just means to arrange a meeting. When Victor says 'You must look me
up', he is inviting Sam and Lin to meet him if they are in Singapore. This is more of a social
invitation, than a business one. Using the word 'must' is not like an order here - it suggests
that Victor will be very happy if Sam sees him in Singapore.

In the same way, Sam says 'Give me a call' to Victor. It sounds like an order, but in fact it's an
invitation. It's important to get the intonation - the way you say it - right - so that it sounds
like an invitation, and not an order.
You must look me up when you're in Singapore.
And if I don't?
I'll never speak to you again!
Practise these kinds of invitations with Victor.
You must look me up next time you're in town.
You must come and see me.
Why don't you give me a call when you're in town?
Ring me if you're in town.
Finally let's look at how the three friends say goodbye. Remember this is a semi-formal
situation.
Well, I'd better get going or I'll miss my flight.
Have a good flight home. Bon voyage.
Goodbye. Until next time.
Goodbye.
There are a few ways of saying goodbye - but the simplest and best is simply 'Goodbye'. Sam
says 'Bon voyage' - a French phrase which is also quite common for someone who is
travelling.

Now, let's review and practise some of the phrases we've learnt today.
It's been a pleasure to meet you.
I'm sure we'll meet again.
We must keep in touch.
Give me a call when you're in town.
I've enjoyed meeting you.
I wish you every success for the future.
May I give you my card?
Best wishes for the future.
I hope you have a good flight home.
The language you use in each situation may be slightly different depending on how well you
know the other people, and how friendly you are with them. If the situation is social, and
you have become quite friendly, you may use slightly less formal language. But it's important
not to forget the usual expressions of good wishes - such as for a good flight home, and to
say how you've enjoyed meeting the other person. But don't go too far.
Well, I'd better get going or I'll miss my flight.
I'm going to miss you Victor.
So am I. What will we do without you?
 Be strong.
Will we meet again?
I know we will.
Goodbye.
Goodbye Victor - and bon voyage.
You forgot my card!

Work with your group. Make a dialog with the following situation:
You meet someone new during the coffee break at an international conference. Greet each
other and make small talk. Then introduce him/ her to your friend. Finally, in the end of the
conference you have to say goodbye.

Put the dialog into practice –Remember it is language exercise, not a memory exercise.
Remember to smile (and use handshakes where appropriate).