Business Etiquette Lessons for Beginners.

By Kobe Eru Godwin

In today’s world, there are myriad gestures that make you stand out; thereby creating value to the people you interact with on a daily basis within a vicinity or workplace. Change is a constant in life and norms for personal and professional behaviour change with time, but basic etiquette still remains. Etiquette, and in particular business etiquette, is simply a means of maximising your business prospect. Business etiquette is essential in developing harmonious relationships with people. Success or failure in the business world is determined by the quality of the relationship established by the parties to a particular business transaction. Business etiquette is predicated on certain qualities .Among these qualities are: a sense of empathy founded on a genuine interest in the views and feelings of others; a commitment to proper and diplomatic resolution of disputes and mutual respect. These qualities revolve around self-conduct. Business etiquette refines a person’s conduct and makes it fit for the work place. Business etiquette can be summed up into three categories: electronic etiquette, behavioural etiquette, appearance etiquette. Electronic etiquette: E-mails- Caution ought to be exercise when sending e-mails. The prevalence of e-mail can lead to the indiscriminate transmission of jokes, spam and personal notes at the expense of vital information. E-mails reflect a person’s professional character and at such should be business like. Another indispensable tool of communication in business is the Cell phone .Cell phones though very crucial to business transaction in a technology driven world can constitute a nuisance if not properly utilized. Calls should be purpose driven, detailed and concise. Behavioural etiquette: Attitude and manners say a lot about one. They focus more on the inner character. Proper business etiquette projects positive traits. Similarly, honesty is an invaluable behavioural quality. It fosters trust and ensures continuity in business. It is equally important to know the names of colleagues or clients; it shows how important they are to you and how much you value them. In shaking hands with people, the physical connection leaves a powerful impression. A pleasant hand shake is often associated with positive character traits. A firm hand shake accompanied by direct eye contact sets the tone for a productive relationship. For women, always remember to extend your hand during introduction to avoid any misunderstanding, because in the workplace men and women are equals. Appearance etiquette: Business etiquette teaches one how to suitably present oneself. The standard recommendations for business outfits are based on common sense – be tidy, smart and relatively conservative and understated. When you decide what to wear make sure you are in tune with the company environment and the requirements of the position. Dress up complete and formal when attending a management meeting or when going to see a superior. Good posture and looking presentable are key rudiments in making a good impression.   The aforementioned are just a couple of the plethora rules of business etiquette that operates in today’s business world. An internalization and consequent observance of these various rules of business etiquette guarantees productivity and effectiveness in the business environment.

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This article was first published on 8th February 2013 and updated on July 22nd, 2013 at 10:29 pm

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