a hug or an air kiss, accept it graciously. 8 Manage introductions with grace . If you're with two people who don't know each other, but you know both of them, it's your responsibility to make the introduction. Follow these steps: The person who is of higher social rank should have the second person introduced to him or her. That is, the person of lower rank is the one who should be presented to the person of higher rank. (For example, "Mrs. Jones, I'd like to introduce you to my good friend, Jessica Smith." Jessica is the person of lower rank in this introduction.) This is relatively easy in some situations, but here are some guidelines for when it's less clear-cut: younger people should be presented to elders, men should be presented to women, and laypeople should be presented to clergy, public servants, members of the military, or other people of higher rank. If you're still confused, just go with your best judgment. Start out an introduction by naming the person of higher rank, then say "I'd like to introduce you to.." or "this is...", and name the person of lower rank. After the two people have greeted each other, offer some information about each person. For instance, you might say, "I've known Jessica since grade school" or "Mrs. Jones is my mother's dear friend." Whatever you say should be able to start or sustain a short conversation, which you're responsible for carrying. When you're being introduced to someone else,