1. Gaining the Competitive Edge with Business Etiquette
X420 Discussion Session # 29

2. Business Etiquette Discussion Session #29
Professional Etiquette
Dining Etiquette
Cocktail Parties
Correspondence Etiquette
Office Etiquette
Office Romance
Etiquette Abroad
Etiquette is simply practicing the “golden rule”. We have come to accept a general set of rules that defines who is and who isn’t polite. Business etiquette is a slight variation of that.

3. And you are certain to perform the ultimate...
Skip These Tips……..
And you are certain to perform the
ultimate...
For those who think that etiquette doesn’t matter, then your career will be short-lived.

4. C-L-M Career Limiting Move
Increasingly people are realizing the importance of good manners

5. Professional Etiquette
You only have ONE opportunity to make a good first impression

6. 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

7. Are First Impressions Lasting?
YES
Made with emotional not rational brain
Once made rational brain seeks validation
Don’t want to change opinions
Labels helps make sense of world
Experience teaches us validity of first impressions

8. Making Positive First Impressions
Determine audience
Identify their expectations
Establish objectives
Dress, behave, and communication in a way that reflects audience expectations

9. A,B,C’s of Image Appearance Behavior Communication
Color, wardrobe, grooming
Behavior
Etiquette, civility, attitude
Communication
Verbal, nonverbal, written

10. 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
Person of highest rank is introduced to others: ie Mr. Senior, I would like you to meet VP, Mr. Junior. Mr. Junior, this is Mr. Senior, President.
Clients are always introduced first
Shake hands from the elbow with the web of thumbs meeting. Use a firm grasp but not a bone crusher. Look the person in the eyes.

11. 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
Be interested in others and what they do for a living
Do not pretend to be an expert on topics that you are not
Do NOT correct another’s grammar or pronunciation in public
Gracefully accept compliments given to you
Do NOT ask for professional advice or information at a social function

12. Showing Respect
Always use last names with customers unless they are about your age and rank
Don’t 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

13. Business Cards Manage business card exchanges flawlessly
Always have a supply of cards
Ask for someone’s 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
Have them printed on quality paper using readable sized print
Only use clean cards
Don’t write on a card in the presence of the giver, but make notes later

14. Lunch/Dinner Meetings
You can survive!

15. 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

16. Lunch/Dinner Guest Reply promptly to invitation
Only cancel on very urgent business
Be on time—call 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!

17. Lunch/Dinner Meetings--Beginnings
Stand on the right side of your chair and enter from your left
Napkins go in lap asap—fold 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 first—pass salt and pepper as a set

18. Lunch/Dinner Meetings-- Ordering Food
Decide on your menu selections quickly
Order medium-priced food
Think about the mess factor
Don’t order alcohol
Do not share a dessert

19. 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
Luncheon napkins are completely unfolded, large dinner napkins are left folded in half
Pass salt and pepper shakers together
Pass food to the RIGHT
When asking for something, say “please pass the _____”

20. 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.
Salad—eat salad with fork, use knife only as last resort. Leave utensils on plate at 10:20 position
Dessert—Slide utensils down from top as dessert is served. Place both on plate when finished

21. Lunch/Dinner—Difficult Foods
Asparagus—Eat with fingers unless in sauce, then use knife and ford
Bacon—Only very crisp bacon may be eaten with fingers
Pastries—Cut in halves or quarters and eat with fingers or fork
French fries—Eat with fingers if served with sandwiches or burgers
Grapefruit halves—Eat with spoon, leave juice
Lemon Wedge—Squeeze over fish with fingers
Pasta—Separate a few strands with folk. Twirl onto fork with tines held again plate
Potatoes—Eat 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

22. 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

23. Lunch/Dinner Meetings-- Formal Place Settings
Answers 1. Water glass 2. Champagne glass (flute) 3. White wine glass 4. Red wine glass 5. Sherry glass 6. Cocktail fork 7. Soup spoon 8. Fish knife 9. Dinner knife 10. Salad knife 11. Salad fork 12. Dinner fork 13. Fish fork 14. Dessert knife 15. Dessert fork 16. Dessert spoon 17. Butter knife 18. Bread and butter plate 19. Place plate 20. Napkin

24. Lunch/Dinner Meetings-- Formal Place Settings
Less formal than previous slide
In a place setting your FOOD is to the left (4 letters each word) your drink is to the right (5 letters each word)
Do not replace used or dropped silverware on the table

25. Lunch/Dinner Meetings-- Silverware

26. Lunch/Dinner Meetings--Extras
Don’t 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

27. 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

28. 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

29. Cocktail Parties Work event—not social
Determine your strategy: network with new people or certain known targets
Don’t 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

30. Cocktail Party Tips
Go to food table first—easiest 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
Don’t overindulge in alcohol
Maneuver among people—don’t get stuck

31. Small Talk
3 distinct parts
Opener
Middle
Break away

32. Small Talk Openers Individuals Group Casual acquaintances
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?”

33. Small Talk Middle Safe topics Questions
Sports, books, movies, theater, art, travel
Questions
Ask, listen, elaborate with matching experience, Ask again
Be more interested than interesting

34. Small Talk Break-Away Stay no more than 10 min in one place
Break-away lines
“I don’t want to monopolize you.”
“I’m 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.

35. 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)

36. Etiquette
only those people to whom your messages actually pertain to—don’t send mass or chain letters
M-ake a point of responding to messages promptly
A-lways use spell-check and grammar check before sending messages—be brief and clear
I-nclude your telephone number in your message
L-earn that should be used for business rather than personal use—don’t send anything you wouldn’t want to see in public
Address people by name Use paragraphs Punctuate Don’t type in caps Make the subject line specific Clean up forwards Sign messages

37. 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

38. 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
Don’t give out credit card #
Refrain from using when driving

39. Office Etiquette Be self-aware-use common sense Mind your own business
Avoid strong cologne
Never ever go over your supervisor’s head
Obey your company’s 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

40. The 12 Commandments of Cubicle Etiquette
Thou shall not enter another person’s 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 don’t mix.
Thou shall not discuss a confidential matter in a cubicle setting.
Thou shall realize that everything 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.

41. 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

42. 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
Even knowing this, people often become involved with colleagues
Keep it private

43. 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
Don’t use work or voic systems
Remember when it ends you will still have to work with this person

44. 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

45. Evaluation Questions
Use: Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Don’t 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.