Why is it so difficult to really connect with people today?
For the past several years I’ve been wondering why no one gives a last name when they introduce themselves. “Hi, I’m Kathy” or “I’m William” seems to be the standard greeting. With no last name give, the person could be any Kathy in the world or any William. Personally, I like to interact with those I’m meeting and I always introduce myself with “Hi, I’m Jan Ross.” If you use a surname, you have a wonderful opportunity to start, of all things, a conversation.
The above point was brought home recently when I introduced myself to a young woman at our fitness center whom I had not previously met. Her response was “Hi, I’m Jessica.” I responded with “what’s your last name.” She gave it to me and I happened to know her father. I asked if she was attending her father’s school. She said “No, I'm going to____.” I responded, “I’ll bet he’s having a fit since they are such big rivals of his team.” In fact, without the last name given, mentioning her first name probably would have ended the conversation.
A person has much more opportunity for success in this world today because we’re able to make connections. We have those by engaging people we meet by always using our surname when introducing ourselves .
Try and see if it makes a difference in continuing the conversation!
