Business Etiquette For Dummies
Overview
Make no mistake, etiquette is as important in business as it is in everyday life — it’s also a lot more complicated. From email and phone communications to personal interviews to adapting to corporate and international cultural differences, Business Etiquette For Dummies, 2nd Edition, keeps you on your best behavior in any business situation.
This friendly, authoritative guide shows you how to develop good etiquette on the job and navigate today’s diverse and complex business environment with great success. You’ll get savvy tips for dressing the part, making polite conversation, minding your manners at meetings and meals, behaving at off-site events, handling ethical dilemmas, and conducting international business. You’ll find out how to behave gracefully during tense negotiations, improve your communication skills, and overcome all sorts of work-related
challenges. Discover how to:
- Make a great first impression
- Meet and greet with ease
- Be a good company representative
- Practice proper online etiquette
- Adapt to the changing rules of etiquette
- Deal with difficult personalities without losing your cool
- Become a well-mannered traveler
- Develop good relationships with your peers, staff, and superiors
- Give compliments and offer criticism
- Respect physical, racial, ethnic, and gender differences at work
- Learn the difference between “casual Friday” and sloppy Saturday
- Develop cubicle courtesy
- Avoid conversational faux pas
Business etiquette is as important to your success as doing your job well. Read Business Etiquette For Dummies, 2nd Edition, and make no mistake.
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About The Author
Sue Fox is the author of Etiquette For Dummies, 2nd Edition, and a professional member of the International Association of Protocol Consultants (IAPC) in Washington, D.C.
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business etiquette for dummies
CHEAT SHEET
Business etiquette is vitally important for representing your company in the best manner possible. Having excellent business manners means two things above all else: respecting others, and treating people with courtesy and kindness. To get started, you should know how to deliver a proper handshake, master the art of gift-giving, and travel abroad without missteps.
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Business Communication
Business-casual dress codes have been established to allow employees (and employers!) to work comfortably in your business while still projecting a professional image on the job, with customers or clients. Casual business attire for women requires some thought because women have so many clothing choices. When choosing feminine business-casual clothing, keep it simple.
Business Communication
If your business is formal, or for those formal meetings and presentations, you need the right women's formal business-wear. Get some women's suits and appropriate, conservative coordinates in your business wardrobe:
Suits: The keys to suits (either skirt suits or pantsuits) are fabric, fit, and comfort. For autumn, winter, and spring, wool is still the best choice.
Body language can make or break a deal. How you carry yourself when engaged in conversation is often as important as what you say. Body language is nonverbal, but it communicates volumes about you nonetheless.
With almost infinite symbolic interpretations for body language, no wonder people are nervous about it!
Business Communication
Business etiquette is vitally important for representing your company in the best manner possible. Having excellent business manners means two things above all else: respecting others, and treating people with courtesy and kindness. To get started, you should know how to deliver a proper handshake, master the art of gift-giving, and travel abroad without missteps.
Business Communication
Observe every courtesy when you're on business travel abroad. The social blunders you may commit while working in a culture unlike your own could cost both you and your company business and relationships. If you want your business trip to be as successful as possible, the following business etiquette tips can help:
Develop enough awareness of cultural diversity to avoid exposing yourself as a person who may not respect another's culture and customs.
A voicemail message from your business's top client could make or break your business, so provide an appropriate greeting on your voicemail system and get back to the caller as soon as you can. When you record your voicemail greeting, remember that you're at work and not at home. Record a professional greeting that includes your name and your business's name.
Some conference calls, for smaller business groups, consist of several people calling in to a conference-call line at one participant’s business office. That person conferences everyone together by pressing the conference button for each addition. Other types of conference calls are monitored, meaning that all participants call a central number and are placed in the conference by speaking to an operator or by entering a password.
Business casual can be a tough assignment for some men. Although most men understand formal or business dress, they might have difficulty defining business-casual dress. One of the biggest reasons men struggle with sharp casual clothing is because there is some gray area with company policies and the guidelines of business casual.
Business Communication
Along with the cultural diversity inherent in the global marketplace comes confusion about how to behave. People don’t always know how to interact with others from different ethnic and racial backgrounds. In fact, people don’t even know whether their behavior should be different.
Race and ethnicity are less important than your beliefs and attitudes about these things.
A couple years ago, e-mail surpassed postal mail as the highest-volume carrier of messages. Its popularity has been booming ever since and shows no signs of stopping. Though volumes have been written about e-mail etiquette, many of the worst offenders don't seem to be reading. What can you do to keep your business e-mails proper?
Business Communication
Parts of Africa have seen tremendous business growth, so you may have an African business trip in your future. Africa is so huge, so diverse, so complicated, and so rich that almost nothing can be said about shared etiquette across the continent. Here are a few general customs, however:
The northern countries bordering the Mediterranean are Islamic.
Business Communication
Behaving on a business trip in Europe depends on the part of Europe to which you travel. Some codes of business-trip behavior are shared across Europe:
Language: The European Union has 15 official languages, but English is fast becoming the business “communication” language. Even though most business professionals throughout Europe speak some English, it’s always recommended to learn important key words of your destination’s language.
Business Communication
Every business should have a variety of stationery for communications with customers and contacts. Each type of business stationery has its function, but all types of your business stationery should share some characteristics:
High-quality paper: Paper for business letters should contain some rag-cotton content — typically, about 25 percent.
Business Communication
In Japan, the customs are so strict that a simple mistake on a Japanese business trip can cost you not only the deal, but also your dignity. Japan's major religion is Shinto (“the way of the gods”) and is woven into everything the Japanese do:
Language: The majority of the country speaks Japanese. You should use the language of your client in doing business.
Business Communication
Include a printed return address on envelopes for your business that match your business's letterhead. Ideally, the recipient’s address on these envelopes should be typed or printed by a software program, but they can be written by hand, especially if personal service is meant to be one of your business's selling points.
Business Communication
On a business trip to Latin America, remember that Latin American men are in business, and women stay home with the family. A business trip in many locations in Latin America can be jarring, especially for a businesswoman, for this reason. Here's a summary of Latin American business facts:
Language: Spanish is the primary language spoken in Latin America, where people are proud of their language and aren’t particularly eager to use English.
Business Communication
For men, formal business attire means a suit of some sort, but dressing well means much more than just slapping on a suit. Look through the following tips to find out how to bring some class to your business-formal wardrobe.
Suits: Get two or three made of wool and other blends for autumn and winter, and one made of cotton or tropic-weight wool for spring and summer.
Business Communication
In the Middle East, religion plays a significant role, which can have a great impact on your business-trip conduct. Middle East business-trip behavior depends on the country you visit, but here are some general guidelines:
Language: Several languages are spoken in the Middle East. English is widely used in business throughout the Middle East and as the second language in most schools.
Business Communication
Your business's employees keep your business going, so it's important that you keep them happy and productive if you want your business to grow. The key to having a good relationship with your employees is rather obvious: Your employees aren't your slaves, and they’re not drones; they’re people who deserve your respect.
Business Communication
Compliments and criticism are unavoidable in the workplace. Both cases point the way toward increased business success, so, from a managerial point of view, they are important tools for making your small business work.
Complimenting employees
Keeping your employees happy doesn't always have to cost you more money.
At some point, you might have the opportunity to host a social business event. Make sure you send your business invitation promptly to leave time for the invitations to be returned — either accepted or declined — well before the event. Also, make sure that everyone who should be invited is invited.
Although casual invitations are often extended by telephone, more formal or larger events call for written invitations.
You write most business letters with the intention of getting the reader to respond. Write your business letters with a clear purpose, making those letters error-free, friendly, and pertinent. All business correspondence should be on company letterhead, and the form of the rest of a business letter is standardized.
Business memorandum or memoranda — also called memo or memos — are specially formatted written communications within your business. A memo's format is typically informal (but still all-business) and public. Memos typically make announcements, discuss procedures, report on company activities, and disseminate employee information.
Business Communication
Videoconferencing at many businesses today comes as affordable Web and videoconferencing software for Internet meetings. Some businesses still use old-style videoconferencing, but the Web is taking over the videoconferencing world.
The following companies offer products that make Web or videoconferencing simple to use:
IVCi
MegaMeeting.
Business Communication
Clear business writing requires good grammar, spelling, and vocabulary and ruthless self-editing. You also need to make your business writing courteous, getting your point clearly across with civility. These tips can help you give a good impression with your business writing:
Read. You acquire a good vocabulary in only one way: by reading.
Business Communication
When you take a business trip to such a complex, diverse country as India, consider certain important factors in Indian culture when you’re doing business — among them regionalism, religion, language, and caste. You may need to modify your behavior and approach, depending on whom you are doing business with:
Language: Hindi is an official language of India.
Business Communication
South Africa is the economic hub of Africa, so Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, or Bloemfontein might be one of your business travel destinations. Going on a South African business trip means you need to know some cultural norms:
Language: South Africa has 11 official languages. However, most businesspeople speak English.
Business Communication
Making a toast reflects your esteem for the person that you're toasting. Toasts can be made with wine or any other beverage. Traditionally, you do not toast to yourself, although some people now think that it's okay to raise your glass in response. In either case, you do not drink if you're the one being toasted.
What is a proper handshake? In a business situation, you’re expected to offer a firm handshake to your business associate or client. A firm handshake with good eye contact communicates self-confidence. Handshaking is a form of nonverbal communication that says a lot about a person. For example, an overpowering handshake can indicate dominance or control.
Business Communication
You can organize a business meal, especially a business lunch, to be both enjoyable and professional. Organizing a business lunch implies neither the informality of a breakfast meeting nor the formality of a dinner meeting:
Schedule the lunch. If possible, select restaurants that you have been to, or choose a couple of restaurants that you think will appeal to your guest and let him or her have the final decision.
Business Communication
Planning a business-related social event, whether a weekend picnic or formal business dinner, requires a firm plan that you follow to the letter. Whatever the social event, you can follow the same basic procedure:
Make a schedule to keep yourself organized. Determine what you need to accomplish at certain points prior to the party (such as a month before, a week before, and a day before).
Planning a business meeting can be a thankless job. How you plan a business meeting goes unnoticed unless something at the business meeting goes wrong — and that kind of recognition is never good. Plan your next business meeting to run smoothly:
Determine the meeting's purpose.
Know why you’re holding the meeting and what you hope to accomplish.
Business Communication
Prepare and send thank-you notes within a day or two of the business interaction. Business-related thank-you notes should be short, gracious, and to the point. Two to three lines is a perfectly acceptable length; you don’t need to write several paragraphs.
If someone goes the extra mile for you, a thank-you note is appropriate; if the thank-you is just for day-to-day business, a verbal “Thank you” is good enough.
Your business may take you all over the city, country, or world. If you travel for business on a regular basis, you eventually learn what all good travelers learn: On the road, being self-reliant and having a routine are essential. Business travel doesn't have to be drudgery, and although some stress is inevitable, it doesn't have to make you miserable.
Business Communication
All employees and clients experience significant life events, and you should recognize those life events respectfully. Acknowledge these special times with employees and clients, taking into account each individual's reactions to these kinds of events:
Birthdays: If a person has acknowledged his or her birthday, a card signed by everyone in the office and perhaps a group lunch or a gift are in order.
Business Communication
Remembering names and titles in a business situation makes a lasting impression. If you can master remembering the names of people your business deals with, you can present yourself with confidence and authority — and outclass the competition. Remembering names is a skill, and one that you can acquire:
Repeat the person’s name a few times to yourself after you’re introduced.
Business Communication
In business etiquette, handshakes are the physical greetings that go along with your words. Remember that business handshakes are an important part of the first impression you make.
You're expected to shake hands in the following business situations:
When meeting someone for the first time
When renewing an acquaintance
When a client, a customer, or someone you don't know well enters your office, cubicle, or home
When greeting a host and being introduced to people at an event
When meeting someone you already know outside work or in your home
When ending a transaction or leaving a business or social event
In American business etiquette (and even in non-business settings), a handshake requires the following:
Hold out your right hand.
Business Communication
How you use high-tech gadgets at your business can reflect on your business courtesy. High-tech-device faux pas in business situations throw politeness out the window (and could affect your business relationships):
Text-messaging: Be with the one you’re with! Social norms say that the person you're conversing with takes precedence over text-messaging.
Business Communication
Cell phones have a place in today’s business world, but that place is somewhere private. If you’re using your business cell phone anywhere in public (especially for an important business call), find a secluded corner to converse away from others. Respect other people’s right not to hear your conversation.
Here are some business cell-phone points to keep in mind:
Cell phones have no place in restaurants; at the theater, movies, or symphony; in churches or classrooms; or in meetings.
Business Communication
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that employers make reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities. If your business hires an employee with a disability, you need to accommodate that employee. The National Organization on Disability (NOD) is a great place to start if you want to find out more about disability issues.
Business Communication
In the course of doing business, you'll likely have to visit other offices, warehouses, or showrooms in an official capacity. Whether you're buying parts, negotiating an advertising deal, or trying to sell your wares, how you present and handle yourself on someone else's business turf reflects on your entire company.
Business Communication
The table settings for business dinners can range from a basic table setting to a complex formal-dining table setting. To get your business-dinner table manners up to par, you need to know what table-setting items appear where and for what you're supposed to use them.
At every meal, your table setting includes
A plate
A napkin
Several utensils (usually a knife, fork, and soup spoon)
Forks are to the left of the plate, and knives and spoons go to the right.
Business Communication
Believe it or not, mingling is a vitally important business skill. Mingling well demonstrates that you're a friendly, open, and engaged person who is interested in other people. Mingling poorly shows others that you're either unsure of yourself or so egotistical that you can't listen to others.
Nowhere is the art of mingling more important to your career than at a company party.
Business Communication
Playing sports with business clients or business associates comes with business-specific sport-playing etiquette rules. Keep these business-outing sports tips in mind while you enjoy yourself:
Golf: The game is immensely frustrating on occasion, so it’s a remarkably accurate test of a person’s stress-management abilities.
Business Communication
Stereotyping, ridiculing, demeaning, or insulting other people is always a mistake. In business, this behavior can be disastrous. Racial and ethnic differences can be especially complex, particularly in the expanding global market.
Along with the cultural diversity inherent in the global marketplace comes confusion about how to behave.
Gift-giving is such a thorny issue in business that most organizations have explicit rules governing the practice. Know the etiquette of giving business gifts to prevent any misunderstanding. Here are a few important elements of business gift-giving:
Professional gifts can be quite varied, from food to wine to small conveniences (such as a business-card holder or a pen) to office items (such as a picture frame or a computer accessory).
Business Communication
A business trip to Australia or New Zealand means you need to realize that Australia and New Zealand are distinct countries. An Australian business trip will be casual, like the country. New Zealand, on the other hand, has greater formality:
Language: English is the official language of Australia. The two official languages of New Zealand are English and Maori.
Business Communication
On a business trip to China, you must deal with language, cultural, and political differences. For a successful Chinese business trip, try to understand and respect Chinese culture while building a relationship of trust:
Language: More than one billion people speak Mandarin. It’s the main language of China’s media, government, and educational institutions.
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