University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
The Essentials of Business Etiquette
Book

The Essentials of Business Etiquette

How to Greet, Eat, and Tweet Your Way to Success

Barbara Pachter and Denise Cowie
McGraw-Hill, 2013
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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Applicable

Recommendation

While business environments and means of communication have changed, the need to present yourself professionally, behave appropriately and exhibit good manners has not. A major etiquette gaffe could cost you a job, lose you a promotion or cut you out of a deal. Business-etiquette expert Barbara Pachter, writing with journalist Denise Cowie, presents 101 protocols – drawn from Pachter’s blog, speeches and articles – as guidelines for professional behavior. This handy manual covers making introductions, composing emails and choosing appropriate work attire – and it explains which fork to use during business meals. Her laundry list may seem like dry reading, but getAbstract recommends this excellent primer to young people entering the workforce and to those from other cultures seeking to understand US business etiquette.

Summary

First and Second Impressions

Doing good work isn’t enough. Your image affects how others view your professional capabilities, and it can facilitate or detract from your upward mobility. Your appearance and manner influence your ability to build relationships, elicit respect, and put colleagues and clients at ease. Proper business etiquette helps you succeed in today’s ultracompetitive world. A lack of basic professional skills could be your downfall.

“Establishing Rapport”

Creating a connection with others gets them to like you, trust you and want to do business with you. When introducing yourself, use your full name. When the other person initiates the introduction, state your first and last names; replying with a simple “Hi” makes you appear inexperienced or timid. When you host a gathering or meeting, you should make the introductions. Name the higher ranking person first. Add a short description, such as, “Brittany Miller, this is Jennifer Cortez. Jennifer just joined us as a new sales representative. Brittany is the manager of sales training.” Everyone worries about forgetting someone’s name. If this happens, apologize, politely ask for the person’s name...

About the Authors

Business-etiquette coach Barbara Pachter’s books include When the Little Things Count…and They Always Count and The Power of Positive Confrontation. Journalist Denise Cowie worked for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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