Since many people travel for business and often eat meals with clients or executives of their business, it is a great idea to keep brushed up on business etiquette.
Jacqueline Whitmore has written a classic book called Business Class, etiquette essentials for success at work. This book has all of the etiquette tips that our mother’s tried to teach us, but we did not want to listen.
Some of the advice may seem “old fashion,” but it is not. People have just forgotten (or were never taught) what proper etiquette is. Below are a few questions of topics that the book shares to see how much etiquette you have and use and what you may need to brush up on.
1. When making a business introduction, you
a. Wing it.
b. Introduce a client to the president of your company.
c. Introduce the president of you company to a client.
d. Don’t do anything. It is their responsibility to introduce themselves to one another.
2. In the business arena, it is necessary for a man
a. To pull a chair out for a woman.
b. To stand when a woman leaves the table.
c. To pay for a woman’s dinner.
d. All of the above.
e. None of the above.
3. For easy reading, one’s name badge should be worn.
a. On the left shoulder.
b. On the right shoulder.
c. On the left hip.
d. Around one’s neck.
4. When you bite into a piece of meat that is tough and very difficult to chew, you..
a. Pretend to wipe your mouth and deposit the piece of meat in your napkin.
b. When no one is looking, discreetly use two fingers to remove it and place it on the edge of your plate or underneath a piece of parsley.
c. Swallow it and hope you don’t choke.
This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to business etiquette. Whether we like it or not, people judge us on how we look and behave first. This first impressions are powerful in influencing how others feel about us and whether they want to do business with us.
We need to look the part and act the part if we want to go far in the business world. If you want to know how you did on the questions, the answers are below.
1. c, 2. e, 3. b, 4. b.
It is time to sharpen up on those etiquette skills as you never know who is watching.
10/17/14
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