Protocol and etiquette are no longer relegated to the international diplomatic community. Knowledge of business protocol & etiquette is necessary for anyone engaged in local or global business and exchange. We must be an enjoy for the firm we represent, equipped with knowledge and understanding of business and social customs of the person with whom we are negotiating. It is this know-how that will bring success.
TOP TEN BUSINESS ETIQUETTE TIPS
1. Enter a room with confidence and authority. You are in the spotlight. Use it to your advantage. Entering a room and quickly heading for the food or drink station is counterproductive. Never suh into a room. This allows you to see key people that you would like to meet and network with.
2. Stand tall and keep great posture while networking. If you slouch, or have bad posture, you look like you don’t really want to be there and you also look tired. The correct posture will give you one inch in height and will lose you 10 pounds.
3. Smile. The first thing you should do while you enter a room, shake someone’s hand and small talk, is smile. No one wants to talk to someone that looks uninviting.
4. Know what appropriate and inappropriate eye contact is for business. In the U.S., direct eye contact is a sign of trust and confidence, and is a must while networking. If you are doing business with other countries and cultures, research the eye contact in that country. Some countries expect more eye contact than we do in the U.S. and some expect much less.
5. Always give a firm handshake. Make sure you give a smile and great eye contact while shaking somneone’s hand. If doing business in the international arena, it is said that the American handshake toned down just a bit is worldwide and acceptable.
6. Properly introduce yourself. “Hello, my name is Brian Smith. I am the new Manager for Time Travel Agency”. Always say your name and who you are representing.
7. Know what is acceptable and unacceptable to talk about in the business arena. Stay away from politics and religion. Small talk is an art and it takes practice. Remember, if you are meeting someone for the first time, and they are not your best friend, knowing who you voted for and what religion you are might change the way they think of you. It’s only human.
8. Accept someone’s business card with respect. Make sure you look at it before putting it in a respectable place. Hand the business card face forward so the person you’re networking with doesn’t have to turn it around. Always carry a business card holder or keep your cards in the side pocket of your jacket, easy to access.
9. Cell phone’s should be turned off or on vibrate. If you need to take a call, excuse yourself and step outside.
10. Last, but not least, focus on the other person you are networking with. There is nothing worse than to network with someone you don’t know and they have told you their life story and don’t ask you who you are or who you are with. Make sure you take the time to let the other person sepak. Let them know you care about what they have to say as well. Ask them what company they are with and how they got started in their business.
True succcess isn’t attained by only taking the easy path; it’s achieved by walking through rough and bumpy terrain, even it it gets a litt painful and scary.
Last week my husband and I were in New York. We were going to an incredible restaurant called “Del Frisco’s”. This is a nice restaurant – white table clothes, great wines and a’la carte menu. I wasn’t sure what the proper attire for this restaurant would be. Yes, I know, I am an image coach and I should know these things, right? But, what is proper attire in Dayton or California may not be acceptable in New York.
