Gaining the Competitive

Edge with Business Etiquette

X420 Discussion Session # 29

Business Etiquette
Discussion Session #29

Professional Etiquette
Dining Etiquette
Cocktail Parties
Correspondence
Etiquette
Office Etiquette
Office Romance
Etiquette Abroad

Skip These
Tips..

And you are certain

to perform the
ultimate...

C-L-M
Career
Limiting
Move

Professional Etiquette

You only have ONE

opportunity to make a
good first impression

First Impressions
Within 30 seconds people judge your

Economic level
Educational level
Social position
Level of sophistication
Level of success

Within 4 minutes people decide your

Trustworthiness
Compassion
Reliability
Intelligence
Capability
Humility
Friendliness
Confidence

Are First Impressions Lasting?

YES
Made with emotional not rational brain
Once made rational brain seeks validation
Dont want to change opinions
Labels helps make sense of world
Experience teaches us validity of first
impressions

Making Positive First Impressions

Determine audience
Identify their expectations
Establish objectives
Dress, behave, and communication in a
way that reflects audience expectations

A,B,Cs of Image
Appearance
Color, wardrobe, grooming

Behavior
Etiquette, civility, attitude

Communication
Verbal, nonverbal, written

Professional Etiquette
Meeting and Greeting
Handshake: offer entire hand,
web-to-web, shake lightly and
release
Know whom to introduce first
Junior to senior
Fellow worker to client

Eliminate slang/jargon from your

vocabulary
Always on time, always
organized, always ready

Business networking
in social situations
Never introduce yourself

by your title
Name tags on your right
shoulder
Keep your right hand free
Stay informed of current
events
Maintain eye contact

Showing Respect
Always use last names with customers

unless they are about your age and rank

Dont keep customers waiting
Escort clients out
When someone of higher rank or from
outside the organization enters, everyone
in the office stands
Junior employees stand until seniors sit

Business Cards

Manage business card exchanges flawlessly

Always have a supply of cards
Ask for someones card before offering your own
Present card face up
Take time to look at received card
NEVER turn down an offered card
Be selective when distributing cards
Be aware of international card etiquette

Lunch/Dinner Meetings

You can survive!

Lunch/Dinner Host

Consider preferences of guests

Give specifics
Make reservation and reconfirm day before
Arrive 10 min early, look at table, meet server
Greet guest at entrance. Guest precedes down
aisle. Guest gets best seat. Seat yourself to
their left.
Offer menu advice to guests, order easy-to-eat
food and limit drinks for yourself

Lunch/Dinner Guest

Reply promptly to invitation

Only cancel on very urgent business
Be on timecall restaurant and send message
to host if late
If you arrive before host, you may sit at table but
eat nothing but water until host arrives
Never order the most expensive item
Take no notice of check. Do NOT offer to leave
tip
Thank your host!

Lunch/Dinner Meetings-Beginnings
Stand on the right side of your chair and
enter from your left
Napkins go in lap asapfold toward waist
Toasts may be offered before eating and
after dessert. Both are initiated by host.
Toasted party does NOT drink to himself
Pass to the right and do not help yourself
firstpass salt and pepper as a set

Lunch/Dinner Meetings-Ordering Food

Decide on your menu

selections quickly
Order medium-priced food
Think about the mess factor
Dont order alcohol
Do not share a dessert

Lunch/Dinner Meetings
Dealing with the Food

Put your napkin in your lap

Wait for all people to be served before

beginning
Know which silverware to use with
which food
Cut your meat one bite at a time
Break off small bites of bread and
butter only one bite at a time
Hold wine glass by the stem for whites
and by the bowl for reds
Take cues from the host-if in doubt,
watch and copy

Lunch/Dinner--Foods
Soup--dip spoon into soup sideways away from
you. Sip from side. Tip bowl only for last drops.
Never crumble saltines in soup Rest spoon on
plate when finished.
Saladeat salad with fork, use knife only as last
resort. Leave utensils on plate at 10:20 position
DessertSlide utensils down from top as
dessert is served. Place both on plate when
finished

Lunch/DinnerDifficult Foods
AsparagusEat with fingers unless in sauce, then use

knife and ford

BaconOnly very crisp bacon may be eaten with fingers
PastriesCut in halves or quarters and eat with fingers
or fork
French friesEat with fingers if served with sandwiches
or burgers
Grapefruit halvesEat with spoon, leave juice
Lemon WedgeSqueeze over fish with fingers
PastaSeparate a few strands with folk. Twirl onto fork
with tines held again plate
PotatoesEat baked potatoes with a fork. Skins with
knife and fork. Move butter from butter plate to potato
with fork. Never mash potatoes on plate. Eat chips with
fingers

Lunch/Dinner--Taboos

Elbows on table
Salt/pepper on food before tasting
Talking with mouth full
Drinking with food in mouth
Gesturing with silverware
Pushing back or stacking plates at end of meal
Answering or placing cell phone calls at table
Dunking anything into coffee or water
Making a fuss over incorrect orders
Arranging hair or applying makeup at table
Picking your teeth at the table
Asking for a doggy bag

Lunch/Dinner Meetings-Formal Place Settings

Lunch/Dinner Meetings-Formal Place Settings

Lunch/Dinner Meetings-Silverware

Lunch/Dinner Meetings--Extras
Dont eat with your mouth full
Keep one hand in your lap unless you are eating

European style
Remove anything from your mouth with the same
implement that it went in with (except bones)
Eat at a moderate speed
Try to maintain some polite dinner conversation
Never medicate yourself at the table
If you must leave the table, place your napkin in your
chair

Lunch/Dinner Meetings
Easy endings
Knife and fork side by side in the 10:20

position on dinner plate

The host or person who has issued
invitation pays (regardless of gender)
If you are paying bill, handle it with
waitperson as discreetly as possible
As you depart table, refold your napkin
simply and leave it to left of place setting

Tipping
Bartender (when drinking in the bar) -- $1 or 15% or round up

bill to next dollar when paying by the round of drinks

Bellman -- $1 per bag
Cloakroom attendant If there is no charge tip $1, if there is a
fee round up to nearest dollar
Doorman (only for getting you a taxi)-- $1
Maitre d (if you want a good table or want to become a favored
regular) -- $10 - $20 in a handshake
Parking Valet -- $1 - $2
Taxi 15% of fare
Waitperson 15%-20% of bill
Washroom attendant 50 cents or $1.00 in fancy hotel
Wine steward (handed directly to steward)-- $3-$5 per bottle or
15% of bill when billed separately from food

Cocktail Parties
Work eventnot social
Determine your strategy: network with new

people or certain known targets

Dont just hang out with friends
Enter room, step to one side, survey room
Move toward friendly faces or already formed
group
If someone enters your group, greet them and
make introductions

Cocktail Party Tips

Go to food table firsteasiest place to start

conversations
Stand in middle of room or near food table, stay
away from walls
Learn how to hold napkin, plate and glass in one
hand
Keep one hand free to shake hands
Dont overindulge in alcohol
Maneuver among peopledont get stuck

Small Talk
3 distinct parts
Opener
Middle
Break away

Small Talk Openers

Individuals
Compliment, weather, food, current event
I love your______. Is it a family heirloom?

Group

Something pertaining to everyone

How do you all know each other?
Will you be traveling this summer?

Casual acquaintances
General comments
How has your year been?

Small Talk Middle

Safe topics
Sports, books, movies, theater, art, travel

Questions
Ask, listen, elaborate with matching
experience, Ask again

Be more interested than interesting

Small Talk Break-Away

Stay no more than 10 min in one place
Break-away lines

I dont want to monopolize you.

Im going to circulate.
I see someone I must meet.

Tell them you enjoyed speaking with them

Discuss next steps
Going for food, to next person, etc.

Correspondence Etiquette
Every written invitation gets a

response unless it asks for money

Respond within 1 week
Follow directions for response
Special instructions (dress code) will
be in lower corners
Envelope will indicate if you may bring
guest
Send Thank you letters
Always include a cover letter for written
documents
Sit on written documents for 24 hours
(if possible)

E-mail Etiquette
E-mail only those people to whom

your messages actually pertain to

dont send mass or chain letters
M-ake a point of responding to
messages promptly
A-lways use spell-check and
grammar check before sending
messagesbe brief and clear
I-nclude your telephone number in
your message
L-earn that e-mail should be used for
business rather than personal use
dont send anything you wouldnt
want to see in public

Telephone manners
Answer the phone with your name and company (or

department)
When placing calls, state your name and company or
department immediately when phone is answered
Speak clearly
State the purpose of your call
Only use speakerphone for conference calls
Always smile when using the phone
Say please and thank you
Judge your audience before making small talk
Return your calls

Voice Mail/Mobile Phone Use

Realize proper usage of mobile phones in

business
Understand how to leave an adequate voice
message
Check messages frequently on a daily basis
Avoid using in a restaurant, movie, church,
or meeting
Limit your conversation when in close
quarters
Use a quiet voice
Dont give out credit card #
Refrain from using when driving

Office Etiquette

Be self-aware-use common sense

Mind your own business
Avoid strong cologne
Never ever go over your supervisors
head
Obey your companys business dress
attire
Keep your germs to yourself
Treat every employee with the same
respect
Do not post things of an offensive
nature
No matter your job or your title, always
hold yourself to a higher standard

The 12 Commandments of Cubicle Etiquette

Thou shall not enter another

Thou shall realize that everything

persons cubicle unless you are

invited.
Thou shall not interrupt someone
who is on the telephone by using
sign language or any other means
of communication.
Thou shall think twice before
interrupting someone who appears
deep in thought.
Thou shall be aware of how your
voice projects.
Thou shall realize that speaker
phones and cubicles dont mix.
Thou shall not discuss a
confidential matter in a cubicle
setting.

you say makes an impression on

your internal customers.
Thou shall not make or receive
personal telephone calls during
the workday.
Thou shall not establish eye
contact with someone when you
would prefer not to be interrupted.
Thou shall stand up and walk
toward the entrance of your
cubicle when you would like an
impromptu meeting short.
Thou shall recognize your cubicle
is a direct reflection of you. Keep
it neat and orderly.

Meeting Etiquette
Always have your calendar, notebook

& pen
Never bring up personal
problems/issues in a professional
situation
Avoid you talk
Stay on schedule
In conference rooms hang back until
power players have taken seats: ends
and middle sides of table are power
seats

Office Romance
Dating a supervisor or
subordinate is absolutely a
no-no
Any behavior of a sexual
nature on company
property gives the
company grounds for legal
action

Office Romance
(When it Happens Anyway)
Expect at the very least an office

relationship will be frowned upon

Risk loss of credibility
Difficulty focusing on work
Dont use work email or
voicemail systems
Remember when it ends you will
still have to work with this person

Etiquette Abroad
Know the various
cultural nuances of
the particular country
Do your homework
Problem solving &
issues of protocol and
chain of command
differ greatly between
countries

Evaluation Questions

Use:
Strongly agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly disagree
Dont know

1. I found the presentation of material easy to understand.

2. This discussion session increased my knowledge on the subject
presented.
3. I will be able to use some of the information from this discussion
session in the future.
4. The presenter was well prepared for this discussion session.
5. This presentation should be repeated in future semesters.