2. Try Meeting and Greeting and Talking to People

Nothing convinces others that you have good manners more than the way you talk. Learning to meet people and carry on short conversations is a valuable skill. Like all skills, what you say gets better (and much easier) with practice. Try this:

Stand when an outsider—man or woman—enters the group.

When you are introduced, shake hands, make eye contact with the new person, and say their name, "Hello, Tiffany," or "Hello, Mr. Roberts."

Learn to introduce people to each other.

The concept behind introductions is simple: remember to say the name of the most important person first. What makes someone important? Age, gender, or title. So, say the older person's name first: "Grandpa, this is my friend, Jason." If people are about the same age, say the woman's name first, "Lucy, this is my friend, Tyler." Or, first say the person with a title, "Bishop Manwaring, this is my uncle Max Johnson."

Stop thinking about yourself. Think about making the other person comfortable.

Prepare three harmless questions to start a conversation, like "Tell me about [your work, your vacation, your hobbies, your family]." Or, "What do you like best about [living in Cincinnati, winters in Colorado, the first half of the play]?"

Avoid saying "I," "me," or "mine" all the time.

Remember, being interested is more important than being interesting.

Watch for people nearby whom you can include.

Choose language that portrays courtesy. Offensive words are insensitive to everyone.