Introductions are based on precedence (who outranks whom). Gender does not affect the order of introductions. Failure to make introductions is noticed and causes embarrassment and discomfort for those around us.
The name of the highest-ranking, oldest, or most distinguished person is always spoken first: “Mr. Older Person, I’d like to introduce to you Mr. Younger Person”.
General guidelines when making introductions:
- Always stand for introductions
- Respond to an introduction by repeating the person’s name (“Hello, Mr. Smith.”) Don’t just say “hi”.
- If you use an honorific with one person’s name, use an honorific for everyone: “Mr. Smith, I’d like to introduce to you Mr. Jones,” not “Mr. Smith, I’d like to introduce to you Phil Jones.”
- If you forget someone’s name, admit it and lighten the situation with a little humor.
- If you are misintroduced, correct the error immediately, but do it in a friendly way.