Hello. How are you. What’s up. Hey.
All of us greet differently. There is no right or wrong. So a few thoughts on greetings that might create a few laughs:
1. If I don’t know you, we’re probably not going to hug. Let’s stick with a firm handshake for the first introduction.
2. If I’ve already seen you that day, we don’t have to regreet each other. Regardless of in the office, at an event, or at a social gathering, we’ve already established a connection, so no need to have to re-establish that. Stick with a simple headnod.
3. When greeting, avoid using nicknames that you think are funny and the other person doesn’t. Not necessarily a good way to build a bridge.
4. For greeting those you know, I prefer the clasp and hug, not just the straight hug. Straight hugging can get awkward, but when you go to the clasp handshake first, it establishes a point of contact to then hug from.
5. Unless you really want to know, don’t ask me how I’m doing. Just make a statement instead, a statement that stands on its own, that doesn’t require a response from me. Something like “today’s the day” or “there he is!” or “you’re the man!
6. If we are just exchanging friendly passerby greetings, don’t ask me something deep, or something that requires me to necessarily stop for a complete conversation. Again, I love conversations, but if we’re passing by, that probably means we are both on our way somewhere.
7. If I know who’s calling me on my phone, because of caller ID, I’ll usually greet them with a customized greeting vs. a standard greeting. You should do the same. If I am confident of who is calling, I don’t need to say “This is Brad.” But maybe “what’s up bigtime” or “where are you?” or “you ready to go?” Feel free to say the other person’s name in your customized greeting.
