1 business etiquette and protocol doing business in a global forum

1

Business Etiquette and Protocol

Doing Business in a Global Forum

2

Goals

• Review elements of business etiquette

• Provide up-to-date information

• Provide guidelines for business decorum

• Provide information on cultures and countries

3

Business Etiquette and Protocol – Why?

• Must be aware of more rules of behavior than you expect to encounter in most social situations.

• Need to be aware of the behavior that is expected in the world of work.

• It is how you play the game.

4

Common Business Faux-pas

• Expressing negative attitudes

• Wearing inappropriate clothing

• Failing to make proper introductions

• Disregarding workplace courtesies

• Taking messages carelessly

5


Suit up for Success

6

Dress for Success

• Enhance your personal brand and overall package

• Gets your foot in the door

• Look the part - prepared and promotable

• Invest in a few good suits

• Grooming

• Think CONSERVATIVE

7

Introductions


8

Greetings & Introductions

• Nametags – right side• When making introductions, the

old adage of introducing the woman to the man is no longer valid.

• Introduce the more prominent to the less prominent

• Stand for introductions

9

Greetings & Introductions

• Include something of interest that would start a conversation if the situation permits.

• When you have been introduced, use the person’s name three times.

• Ask to have the name repeated if it was not clear.

• Be honest! Say if you do not remember their name. Offer your name first.

10

The Proper Handshake

• Involves eye contact• Is firm and painless• Lasts three seconds• Takes only 2 or 3 pumps• Starts and stops crisply• Does not continue through the

entire introduction

Handshake Etiquette TipsHandshake Dos and Don’ts

11

Hugs and Kisses

• Hugs or kisses are inappropriate in any business environment.

• Touching others in the workplace, of the same gender or not, is impolite.

12

What about Doors?

• If you reach the door first: open it, go through, and hold it.

• Men no longer hold doors for women just because they are women.

• Allow senior executive to reach and go through first.

• If someone’s arms are laden or full, hold the door.

13

Workplace Etiquette

• Meetings

• Electronic

• Telephone

• Voice Mail

• Cell phones

• Cubicles

14

Strategies for Successful Meetings

• Have an Agenda• Be prepared- Pre-work, action

items• Arrive on time or early. Do not be

late.• Bring all necessary materials• Put bag on floor next to your

chair• Turn off phones, pagers, and

PDAs• Do not multi-task

15

The Meeting Agenda

• List discussion items• Designate who is responsible for

items and due dates• Amount of time devoted for each

item• Handle most important/relevant

items first• Distribute before the meeting• Follow the agenda!

16

Meeting Minutes

• Someone to record or take meeting notes

• Timekeeper

• Minutes distributed 24 hours after the meeting

17

Electronic Etiquette: Email

• Easy and fun to use

• Casual approach

• Does not go away when you press Delete

• Can be retrieved, forwarded, and traced

18


• Treat Email as you would printed letters– Always use a salutation and signature– Show your full name as the alias– Create a clear concise Subject line– Always check for spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Failure to do so makes you, and those you represent, look bad.

– Respond in a timely manner; use an Auto-reply when unable to address for long periods of time.

19


• Keep messages professional– Never reprimand or criticize others– Do not Reply All with negative comments– Do not reply immediately following an emotionally-

charged email. Calm down and give your response some thought.

– Do not start a new topic of discussion by replying to an old message

– Do not send jokes or other non-business material without first asking the recipient

20


• When forwarding an email to another for response/resolution, copy the original sender.

• Take the time to review each email before clicking Send to ensure your message is clear and you are relaying the tone that you want.

21

Electronic Etiquette: Instant Message

• Convenient way to communicate short bits of information to others – great for quick questions

• Used for single or multiple recipients• Ongoing discussions should be handled via email or

phone• Take care with messages- recipient may not be intended

person• Be mindful of Status- Available, Away, On Phone, In

Meeting.• Many programs “pop up” or give audio prompts when

messages are received.• Not an excuse to forget your grade school education.

22

Business Telephone Etiquette

• Vocal quality- 70%• Words spoken- 30%• What you say and how you say it are important• Be sure listener gets message loud and clear• Avoid using a cell phone in areas with

questionable service- static is annoying• Do not chew, eat, or drink while on the phone• Mute when not speaking or asking a question• Do not interrupt others

23

Conference Calls – Speak up

• Announce yourself for the benefit of participants

• Think before you speak• Be brief, get to the point• Avoid confrontational language• Do not upstage the meeting organizer• No public criticism• Do not interrupt• Do not forget to un-mute when

speaking!

24

Closing a Call

• Thank the person(s) for the call

• End on a positive note

• Do not say “See ya”, “Bye-Bye”, or “Later”. Say Goodbye.

25

Voicemail Etiquette

• Who

• What

• When

• Where

• Why

26

Voicemail Etiquette: Greeting & Messages

• Write it out and practice

• Smile when you speak

• Do not use sound effects or gimmicks

• Briefer is better

27

Cell phones, pagers, & PDAs

• Connected to vital source of informational nourishment

• Does not include license to be rude

• Know when to turn off!

28

Video Chat/Skype

Video calls over the Internet are a great way to stay in touch with friends and family in far-off lands. But software applications also help business, bringing all corners of the globe closer.

• Don’t just do it. It’s polite to let someone know you would like to call them. It just may not be

a good time for the other person to take your call — they may be on the phone or in another meeting.

• Confidentiality is not a given. Never assume your recipient is the only one looking at that computer screen.

• Visuals count. – Good light, including backlighting. – If you work from home, make sure your bed/bath

is not visible– Tidy any clutter– Do not wear pajamas.

29

Cubicles- a special challenge

• Do not use speakerphone• Keep private matters private• Talk softly• Respect privacy• Minimum snacking/meals• Scents• Foliage• Electronics• If it bothers you when others

do it, do not do it either!

30

Other Etiquette Items

• Tipping

• Business Card

• Business Meals

31

Tipping

• Wait staff & bartenders• Delivery drivers• Head waiters• Wash room attendants• Bell staff & Skycaps• Chambermaids• Room service• Calling a Cab• Taxi

32

Business Cards

• Have a stock of recently printed business cards on hand.

• A business card should convey your basic contact information such as your name and email.

• When offered a business card, say thank you and present your card in return.

• Can be used as enclosures in gifts, information packets, or with flowers

33


DINING SITUATIONS

34

Dining Videos

• Basic Dining Etiquette - Table Taboos

• Basic Dining Etiquette - The Place Setting

Other videos available on www.monkeyseevideos.com

35

Table Manners

• Begin eating when everyone else has his or her food • Offer to others to begin eating if your food is the only order

not yet served • Always offer to pass bread, salt and pepper, butter and

other condiments near you • Passing food (if it is in front of you) • Pass to the right • Pass salt and pepper together • Eating and talking at the same time? Take small bites so

you can quickly finish and swallow before speaking

36

No-Nos

• Do not salt your food before you taste it – shows you make hasty decisions

• Do not push your plate or chair away unless you are getting up from the table

• Do not rearrange or stack your dirty dishes • Never tilt your chair • Do not ask people where they are going when they get up from the

table • If you belch, excuse yourself to no one in particular • Never crumble crackers in your soup or blow on it • Do not chew ice or other inedible parts of the meal • Put butter first on your plate, not directly onto your bread • To get the last bit of soup, tilt the bowl away from you

37

Business Meals – 10 Commandments

1. Thou shall not jump straight into business talk

2. Thou shall not be late

3. Thou shall not table hop

4. Thou shall not talk politics, diet or family

5. Thou shall not dominate the conversation

38

Business Meals – 10 Commandments

6. Thou shall not dawdle over the ordering or eating

7. Thou shall not drink too much (or any) alcohol

8. Thou shall not fight over who pays the bill

9. Thou shall not neglect thy table manners

10. Thou shall not forget to show appreciation

39

International Protocol

“Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

40

One BPW Member’s Impressions

“If you thought diversity and inclusion is an issue in the US, it doesn’t compare to Asia. There are countries who just don’t like each other! I was in Korea this week and you could feel the coolness. China and India compete fiercely and this was a surprise. Then, being an American isn’t always welcome. (By the way, I am the only American so far in management. Most expats are German.)”

41

International Business Etiquette and Protocol

• Appearance– Highlight Dos and Don’ts for Dress, Clothing,

Body Language, and Gestures

• Behavior– Dining, Gift-giving, Meetings, Customs,

Negotiations, and General behavioral guidelines

• Communications– Greetings, introductions, and Conversation

42

Very Important…

• Learn a phrase, or several, in the other country’s native language

• When speaking, speak slowly

• Watch the accent

• Common phrases or slang

• Dress conservatively

43

Other Countries and Cultures

• China, Germany, India, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia

• More resources– http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/etiquette/doing-

business-middleeast.html

44

• Questions, comments, suggestions?

45

References

• Etiquette Dinner. 2011. https://stmartin.edu/careercenter/resources/etiquettedinnerpresentation.pdf

• http://www.wbjournal.com/news50854.html

Individual Development Program © 2008, Used with Permission, under License.

Updated February 2012.

1 business etiquette and protocol doing business in a global forum

Documents