Education & Training > Professional Development > Personal Skills

Business Ettiquette - Greetings and Introductions

What is Etiquette?
Etiquette is a code, written or unwritten, which “governs the expectations of social behaviour, according to the contemporary conventional norm within a society, social class or group”. It usually reflects the formulas of conduct in which society or “tradition” has invested. Etiquette is a word which can have many meanings, especially in a multicultural society with many clashing expectations. It prescribes the ways in which people interact with each other and show their respect for others by conforming to the norms of society or tradition.

Modern approaches
Times change and this affects the guidelines of etiquette. In the Western world business people seem to be taking a more casual approach to etiquette. Common sense will typically be your best guide, but “common sense” is not always so common! Therefore it is helpful to have some general ideas regarding business etiquette.

The scope of business etiquette is vast. We do greetings and introductions frequently in our work and daily life, therefore this article will highlight current views on business etiquette regarding greetings and introductions.

Greetings
When meeting someone, rise if you are seated, smile, extend your hand and repeat the other person’s name in your greeting. A good firm handshake is important. Contrary to popular belief, it does not matter who puts out their hand first. Also, it is no longer considered necessary to wait for a female to initiate the handshake.

IntroductionsWhen you are introduced to someone you should always stand and shake hands and make eye contact. A handshake is the physical greeting that accompanies the verbal introduction. Not shaking hands could be perceived as a sign of rejection and could be very insulting to the other person.

The general rule is that you always defer to authority by using a title (Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr., Prof etc.) until you are given permission to use a first name. Even if you are on a first-name basis with your boss, always introduce them using their title and full name. At that point your boss can tell the person to call them by his / her first name, if so desired.

Introducing Yourself
There are occasions in which you need to introduce yourself. To do so, extend your hand and say, “Hello, I am _________. I am the ________ with the Department _____.”

If you have been previously introduced to someone do not assume that they will remember you. Be prepared to reintroduce yourself if necessary.

Introducing Others
Introducing people is a very important role in business, yet few people know how to do it. One person is introduced to another person by saying the name of the person to whom the other is being introduced, for example, “Dr. Ina Smith, may I present Mr John Black, owner of Media Productions”.

Use a friendly relaxed manner when introducing people, and remember to smile. Mention both the first and last names distinctly, including titles. If you are in a group and you’re making many introductions, it is helpful to include a bit of information about each person, as this can facilitate further conversation.

Handling Different Situations
•The younger person is introduced to the older person
•A man is introduced to a woman
•A person of lower rank is introduced to a person of higher rank
•A younger couple is introduced to an older couple
•An untitled person is introduced to a titled person
•Use titles, unless you are requested not to
•For people who live together, give each person’s full name – no explanation needs to be given
•If you forget someone’s name, apologise briefly and wait for the person to volunteer their name
•If you are uncertain how to pronounce someone’s name ask them for the correct pronunciation prior to introducing them, if possible
•If you are introduced to someone and you do not hear the name clearly, simply ask them to repeat it.

Business Etiquette and a multicultural society
We are a multicultural society and are participating in a global economy. The points highlighted above are merely guidelines and cannot overrule what you know to be the cultural norms for an individual. If you will be meeting or working with people from another country you might wish to research the etiquette or taboos in their cultures. An extremely good online reference is http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/

Sources:
1. http://members.shaw.ca/toasted/business_etiquette.htm
2. Wikipedia
3. http://career.utk.edu/students/skills_etiquette.asp
4. http://members.shaw.ca/toasted/business_etiquette.htm

Towards better communication

Probably the most important skill anybody needs today in their professional life is one rarely taught in our education system - how to communicate? This is the skill that gets people their first job, helps get them promoted, creates respect and trust from meetings, develops confidence in others, and helps them become leaders.

More change has taken place in the past 30 years than in the whole history of mankind. This has included ever-increasing technological advances to enable us to communicate faster, more efficiently and more effectively. Technological advances have led to faster and more efficient communication, but are we communicating more effectively?

Everything we do throughout each day involves communication in one form or another. Communication touches every sphere of our lives. Yet communication is a largely undervalued, untaught asset in the modern world, often with disastrous results.

Verbal and non-verbal communication
Professor Stephen Hawking of Cambridge University recently stated that "the world's problems could be solved if we kept talking". This idea can be applied in almost any situation, whether business or personal.

Some tips for better verbal and non-verbal communication include the following: