Gaining the Competitive Edge with Business Etiquette

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

3. Skip These Tips…….. And you are certain to perform the ultimate...

4. C-L-M Career Limiting Move

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 • 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

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

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

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

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

24. Lunch/Dinner Meetings-- Formal Place Settings

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 • 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 • 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. E-mail Etiquette • E-mail 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 e-mail should be used for business rather than personal use—don’t send anything you wouldn’t want to see in public

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. 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. The 12 Commandments of Cubicle Etiquette

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

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 email or voicemail 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 agreeAgreeDisagreeStrongly disagreeDon’t know1.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.