1 Business Etiquette Presented By: Tommy Philips

2 About Me

3 Topics Your Professional Image The First Contact - Shaking Hands What Do You Say After Hello? The Art of Meeting and Greeting Interacting with Others Think Before You Hit Send At The Sound Of The Tone Thank-You Notes

4 Your Professional Image “You always make some kind of statement, powerful or inept, with the way you dress.” - Robert Pante Prerequisite to any business attire: polished shoes manicured nails clean and conservatively styled hair freshly pressed and color coordinated clothing

5 Professional Image cont’d... Don'ts for men: poorly tailored clothing that is too tight or too loose wrinkled clothing and unpolished shoes short socks exposing the leg when seated too much cologne Don’ts for women: clothing that is too tight or too revealing short shirts/skirts multiple ear piercing heavy make-up “Big” hair heels higher than 3 inches

6 Professional Image cont’d... Summary dress according to the company culture when in doubt, don’t wear it consider your overall appearance remember first impressions make lasting impressions

7 First Contact - Shaking Hands The handshake is the universal custom for greeting in the business arena; it’s important that it is done properly to facilitate a favorable impression. - shaking hands correctly demonstrates self-confidence - wrong impression - limp handshake, fingers only - no longer necessary for women to extend her hand before a man Be cultural aware of the persons you interact with.

8 Shaking Hands cont’d... Summary shaking hands reveals a lot about a person be the first to extend your hand begin and end meetings by shaking hands stand to shake hands

9 What do you say after Hello? The exchange of pleasantries with every introduction sets the stage for engaging conversations What do you talk about after you say hello? Being able to find a common area of interest outside the business arena can also help to solidify business relationships. There are several conversational subjects to avoid, some of these would be:

10 What do you say? cont’d... Tips for making conversation easier: be well read stay up-to-date on current events read newspapers, both local and national listen to media news be aware of what is happening in your community/world “It is the mark of a secure individual who is able to not only recognize the success of others but also to acknowledge that success with a compliment.” - Unknown

11 Summary learn to chitchat about mundane subjects find common areas of interest with others be well read say “please” and “thank you” often “Politeness is better than logic. You can often persuade when you cannot convince.” - Henry Wheeler Shaw What do you say? cont’d...

12 The Art of Meeting and Greeting Basic rule - name the person with the higher position or rank first, except when introducing clients; gender is no longer a factor For example, if you were introducing the president of your company, Lee Raymond to your customer, the dialogue would go like this: “Lee. I would like to introduce to you John Smith. John is one of our best customers. John, this is Lee Raymond, President of our company.”

13 Meeting and Greeting cont’d... Tip: conversation flows easier when some information is given with the introduction How to remember names: pay attention and listen intently as the name is spoken repeat the name of the person when introduced use word associations with the name

14 Meeting and Greeting cont’d... Summary develop conversational skills by talking to strangers listen concentrate on names when introduced titles are important and should be used in introductions

15 Interacting with Others What do you do if..... you’re talking to someone and someone else walks up with an obvious need to talk to you, or you’re in your office working at your computer and someone walks in.... you walk into someone’s office while they’re working

16 Think Before You Hit Send “The virtue of man ought to be measured, not by his extraordinary exertions, but by his everyday conduct.” - Blaise Pascal reveals a lot about the person writing it: - once you hit the button, is irretrievable - remember that spelling and content in is as important as writing the traditional business letter - read your before sending it, often the written word is perceived differently from the spoken one

17 Think Before...Send cont’d... USING ALL CAPITAL LETTERS IN CORRESPONDENCE IS CONSIDERED THE EQUIVALENT OF SHOUTING. “Word once printed assumes a life of their own.” - Wilma Askinas Summary avoid abbreviations and slang in business when in doubt about the message, use the phone or face to face can be deadly if written in anger

18 At the Sound of the Tone The mainstay in business communication is the telephone. Five things that affect the way a telephone message is received: tone of voice manner of speech choice of words clarity of the message personality of the caller Phone messages should:

19 At the Sound...Tone cont’d... Summary leave clear messages state full name be professional smile when you record/leave message return calls within 24 hours repeat phone numbers change voice mail messages daily

20 Thank-You Notes “Most of us like to know what is expected of us, and we feel more comfortable when we know we are doing what is expected of us.” - Crane’s Blue Book of Stationary Thank you notes should contain: (1) greeting (2) appreciation of the item or favor (3) mention of how useful it will be (4) sign off with a suggestion of a future meeting

21 Thank-You Notes Summary ·hand-written thank-you notes are effective ·use proper form ·legibility in writing is a must ·quality paper speaks reams

22 Take-A ways Don’t ask about salaries Think twice before you send an Shake hands firmly Take diversity training Don’t burn bridges Remember: you never know who you might work for some day Learn to listen And when in doubt...common courtesy goes a long way.