Your Name Deserves to Be Heard
Up Front: Truly saying your name sets the foundation for your professional introduction and your professional presence. Clarifying what you want others to call you transforms a simple greeting into a moment full of potential for genuine connection.
I once worked with a training participant who dreaded introducing herself. Although she wanted people to know her full name, she felt that it – with multi-syllable first and middle and hyphenated last – was too long. So she built the habit of introducing herself with a shortened version for what she believed was everyone’s convenience. It wasn’t working.
When she decided that her name was longer than her listeners’ patience, she left herself with one undesirable option: to introduce herself in a way that felt inauthentic. This made her dread introductions even more, and she began avoiding professional situations where she’d have to introduce herself. She missed opportunities to make important connections (also a loss for her professional community, because she’s great).
Although she insisted that she was fine with her shortened name, everything about her demeanor said that she wasn’t. I asked if she’d be willing to try an experiment with our small group: to introduce herself with her shortened name and then with her full name, and let us tell her which we preferred. I knew this was a risk, because I was asking her to do something she hated doing, not once but twice, but – bravely and graciously – she agreed.
During her first introduction, with the shortened name, her speech was soft and hurried, her body language tense. As a professional introduction, it was minimally effective; we learned her name, but because she seemed so closed off, we didn’t sense any invitation to further connection.
The second introduction felt like meeting an entirely different person. She spoke more loudly and clearly. She slowed down to pronounce each part of her name, which made it easier for us to hear and commit it to memory. She stood up straighter and taller in a posture that projected confidence and ease.
Our verdict was unanimous. This was absolutely the better introduction. Even more than the improved verbal delivery, her authenticity and energy were contagious. When she introduced herself like this, she achieved the true goal of a professional introduction: making us want to get to know her better.
Say your name, establish your presence
Saying your name well is the foundation not only of your professional introduction, but also of your professional presence: the impression you make on everyone you encounter in your work life. (For ideas about what to say after you’ve said your name, this video is a great place to start.)
To build or strengthen this foundation, here are a few things to try:
Reflect. How do you feel about your name? If you dislike or feel uncomfortable with it, that will shape how you say it. A simple awareness of negative or complicated feelings about your name will make it easier for you to introduce yourself confidently despite them. If you’re adjusting to a new name or title, get clarity on how you feel about it, and keep your answers in mind as you experiment with introducing yourself.
Write it out. Spell your name out phonetically. This will give you a new perspective on how it sounds, and what listeners will need to hear.
Listen. Find a private space, shut the door, and hear yourself speaking your name aloud. Record yourself if you like (skip this step if you don’t think it will help). What do you notice?
Enunciate. Practice vocalizing every part of your name, and pause between each, so listeners can identify where one ends and the next begins. This is especially important if the ending sound of your first name is similar to the beginning sound of your last. (As a Rebecca Adelman, I have to work on this.)
Slow down. Speak your name more slowly than you think you should, probably about 10-15% slower than your usual conversational pace. Your name is very familiar to you but totally unfamiliar to your new acquaintances. If your pronunciation sounds a little too slow for you, it’s probably just right for them.
Clarify. If you prefer to be called something other than your official name, tell the listener how to refer to you. Sentences like “My name is _______, but I go by ______” and “My name is ______, but please call me _______” work well for this. Practice saying your names in these full sentences, without rushing, so you can project certainty when you use them for real.
Consider the listener’s perspective. Stating your name clearly, slowly, and correctly is a courtesy to the listener. It’s not presumptuous or inconvenient, as my training participant initially thought. Instead, you’re making it easier for them to learn, pronounce, and remember your name. Plus, you’re saving everyone the awkwardness of them getting it wrong later.
From introduction to connection
Your professional presence starts with the very first word you speak. Whether your name is short or long, common or unusual, native to English or another language, it deserves the space to be heard. When you truly share your name, you invite the other person to be authentic in return, transforming a greeting into a moment full of potential for genuine connection.
