This document provides information on corporate etiquette and proper business conduct. It aims to generate awareness of etiquette standards to help professionals make positive first impressions. Topics covered include introductions, business events, office etiquette like meetings and emails, telephone etiquette, lift etiquette, dining etiquette, and power dressing. Dining etiquette emphasizes arriving on time, waiting to eat until all are served, keeping food off the table, turning off phones, and making appropriate small talk. Power dressing advises quality, fit, professionalism and looking polished and crisp. The document stresses the importance of etiquette in differentiating oneself and appearing confident across settings.

1. Corporate Etiquette
“You never get a second chance to make the
first impression”
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2. AIM
• THE AIM OF THIS WORKSHOP IS TO
GENERATE AWARENESS ABOUT
CORPORATE ETIQUETTE AND TO
ACQUAINT THE PARTICIPANTS WITH
CORPORATE DECORUM SO THAT THEY
ARE PROVIDED WITH A COMMON
LANGUAGE OF UNIVERSALLY ACCEPTED
BEHAVIOUR
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3. Consider the following
• Does the thought of walking into a party full of total
strangers fill you with dread?
• Does the thought of making small talk on the dinner
table at an event make you a wreck?
• Do you want to make a good impression at a business
event but are so nervous that you can hardly speak?
• Do you wish that you could happily talk to people
and make friends easily?
• Do you wish that you can handle a fork and knife
with aplomb
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4. HISTORY
• DERIVED FROM THE WORD TICKET
• ANCIENT EGYPTIANS FIRST TO USE FINGER
BOWLS
• ROMANS FIRST TO DRESS FOR DINNER
• FORKS WERE FIRST USED IN AD 800
• NAPKINS AS LARGE AS TOWELS WERE USED IN
EARLIER DAYS
• “LUNCH” DERIVED FROM THE WORD "LUMP”
• TEA A RELATIVELY RECENT PHENOMENON
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5. What is Etiquette??
Webster’s II New College Dictionary defines
Etiquette as:
The forms and practices prescribed by social
convention or by authority.
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6. How Does Etiquette Benefit You?
• Differentiates you from others in a competitive job market
• Enables you to be confident in a variety of settings with a variety of people
• Honors commitment to excellence and quality
• Modifies distracting behaviors and develops admired conduct
• Is a form of social intelligence
• Impact on stakeholders
“Be one step ahead, practice the social skills necessary to help you make a
great first impression and stand out in a competitive job market”.
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7. PREVIEW
• Executive Etiquette
• Dining Etiquette
• Power Dressing
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8. Executive Etiquette
Creating a positive image
• Greetings:
• A firm handshake
• Appropriate introductions
• Nonverbal communication is important
• Exchange of cards
• Small talk 8

9. INTRODUCTIONS
• INTRODUCING YOURSELF
• MENTION THE PERSON OF AUTHORITY
• NEVER CALL SUPERIOR BY FIRST NAME IN
PRESENCE OF AN OUTSIDER
• NEVER POINT TO ANOTHER PERSON WHILE
INTRODUCING
• DIFFICULT NAMES
• FORGETTING NAMES
• WHEN INTRODUCED
• GROUP INTRODUCTIONS
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10. Executive Etiquette
Business events:
• Always respond to an RSVP
• Follow the laid down dress code
• Introduce new people to those around you
• Avoid excessive drinking at company events.
• Send a thank you note to the host after the event.
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11. Office Etiquette
Attending a meeting
• Listen carefully
• Come prepared
• Be concise and articulate when speaking
• Show respect
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12. OFFICE ETIQUETTE
• LOUD TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS
• NOT CLEARING UP AFTER YOURSELFIN THE STAFF
KITCHEN
• SHOWING UP LATE FOR MEETINGS
• EAVESDROPPING/READING OVER SHOULDER
• WAERING TOO MUCH PERFUME/DEODORANT
• TALKING BEHIND SOMEONE’S BACK
• OFFENSIVE JOKES
• DISCUSSING TABOO SUBJECTS
• SMOKING IN COMMON AREAS
• CELLPHONE ETIQUETTE
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13. Executive Etiquette
Telephone etiquette:
• Placing calls
• Answering calls
• Transferring calls
• Some courteous closing statements:
Feel free to call us anytime
It was pleasure talking to you 13

14. Executive Etiquette
Rest room Etiquette
• Be hygienic: ALWAYS
• Don’t be stall neighbors if you can help it.
• Conversations can wait until you are done
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15. E MAIL ETIQUETTE
• PROFESSIONALISM, EFFICIENCY, PROTECTION FROM LIABILITY
• BE CONCISE AND TO THE POINT
• SPELLING AND GRAMMAR
• MAKE IT PERSONAL
• ANSWER SWIFTLY
• TRAF
• ATTACHMENTS
• STRUCTURE AND LAYOUT
• OVERUSE OF HIGH PRIORITY OPTIONS
• DO NOT WRITE IN CAPITALS
• READ BEFORE PRESSING SEND
• DO NOT OVER USE”REPLY TO ALL”
• USE OF BCC
• EMOTICONS AND ABBREVIATIONS
• CHAIN MAILS
• EMAIL POLICY
• SPAM
• CC FIELD SPARINGLY
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16. CONTD
• MIND YOUR MANNERS
• MIND YOUR TONE
• VIRUS WARNINGS
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17. Executive Etiquette
Lift Etiquette:
• If unwell, especially if you are coughing and
sneezing use a lift carriage which is empty
whenever possible
• In busy tower blocks: do not call a lift to stop if
you need to travel between 1 or 2 floors
• The person standing right next to the control panel
is NOT the lift operator
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18. The Importance of Dining
Appropriately
“Shirley Wiley, owner of Etiquette and
Company, California, reports that roughly 80%
of second interviews involve a business meal”.
*Texas Health Resources, “Placement Manuals”
August 2004
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19. Professional Dining Basics
American Style Dining
• Arrive on time
• Wait to sit until host/hostess indicated the seating
arrangement
• Put napkin in lap before drinking or eating
• Order easy to eat food
• Don’t order the most expensive items on the menu
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20. Professional Dining Basics
• Wait until everyone has been served before you
begin to eat
• Bring food to your mouth – NOT your head to
your plate
• Salt/Pepper pass together
• Generally pass food to the right
• Rest utensils on plate while talking
• Do not talk with your mouth full
• Do not chew with your mouth open
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21. Individual Place Setting
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22. Professional Dining Basics
• Proper posture is important
• Table manners please!!
– (No gum, no elbows on the table)
• “Please and Thank You”
• Turn your cell phone off
• Be responsible for keeping up and positively
contributing to the conversation
• Small Talk is appropriate – topics such as :
– Books, sports, food, theater, travel, current events etc.
– Follow employer’s lead
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23. What is Not Appropriate?
• No swearing
• No loud or obnoxious behavior
• No crude comments or topics
• Subjects to avoid: health, gossip, love life,
politics, religion, race and inappropriate
stories or jokes
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24. Power Dressing
• Grooming is fundamental
• Quality is the hallmark
• Fit is all important
• Look professional
• Appear sleek and crisp
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25. Power Dressing
Business Casual Wardrobe
• For women: dress pants, shirt, blouse, well maintained
dress or casual shoe (no tennis shoes, flip flops, etc.)
• For men: slacks/khaki pants, polo shirt, or other collared
dress shirt, well maintained dress or casual shoes (no tennis
shoes, flip flops, etc.)
**NOTHING SLOPPY**
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26. Wardrobe
• Professional Business Wardrobe
For women: skirted/pant suit, blouse or dress shirt, clean
well maintained dress shoes (generally closed-toe shoe)
• For men: suit, dress shirt, tie (well maintained dress shoes)
• Outerwear
Appropriate for women/men: Trench coat, umbrella
Power Dressing
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27. Color of dress you choose:
• Has various implications
Black or Dark grey
Blue
Green
Red
Brown
Power Dressing
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28. Casual Work Attire
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29. Professional Work Attire

30. Questions
Thank you
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