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“Etiquette is what you are doing and saying when people are looking and listening. What you are thinking is your business.” – Virginia Cary Hudson
Polite behavior and decorum are a must – the rules are unwritten and apply to social situations and workplace relationships. In the workplace, business etiquette includes working professionally, maintaining proper manners, and engaging with co-workers in a spirit of cooperation and respect. Business etiquette is easily noticeable – both when it is present and absent. It makes you stand out among multiple people. It increases one’s chances of achieving greater success in your choice of job. Business etiquette closely aligns with appreciating diversity.
When you respect the varied backgrounds and cultures of the people you work with, you will conduct yourself in accordance. You will be mindful of the things you should say and do or not say and not do. Business etiquette is the glue that binds people. It keeps them happy in an otherwise, stressed-out job and market environment. It is extremely important to practice business etiquette to succeed. Business etiquette fosters good relationships, not just with employees, but also customers and other business vital partners. With interactive decision trees, you can use product knowledge to offer the right information.
Good business etiquette leads to success
Failure to indulge in and practice good business etiquette will inevitably put stumbling blocks on the path to success. No one likes to work with or be associated with unpleasant people. Hence, a company and its people that don’t practice business etiquette will soon be shunned. Considerate people and those attentive to the needs of others are able to forge stronger business relationships. They are extremely crucial to surviving in the business world. Through the practice of business etiquette, a company and its employees earn respect and trust from customers, other key players in the market, stakeholders, and also learn to respect and appreciate each other more. A pleasant work environment is a productive and highly beneficial place to be in.
It creates a solid foundation within the business community
Business etiquette is significant from the point of view of building rapport and a solid foundation within the business community. Good manners foster positive relationships. As people work with you they appreciate politeness and are more willing to enhance the relationships. Business etiquette is also about smooth communication skills. Even if a person does not understand or is too fluent in a particular language, communication remains effective, given the respect and trust between people. How do you know a person believes in and practices business etiquette? They listen actively, provide constructive feedback, pay attention when someone speaks to them, are more likely to smile and make eye contact, speak clearly, and avoid any language or words that could be misunderstood and display other such proper behaviors.
Business etiquette is about verbal and nonverbal cues
Business etiquette is not only about the spoken word. It also encompasses overall demeanor and non-verbal cues. It’s about dressing and having an appearance that’s not offensive and uncomfortable for others in the workplace, given a diverse workforce. Business etiquette demands that each person dresses and conducts themselves professionally. They should be mindful to pick up cues from those with whom they work with. Another factor of business etiquette is respecting the space and time of others. Being punctual for meetings, arriving at the office, and other such behaviors that will not have people waiting for you.
It helps to take cues from those one works with. The behavior aligns with the needs and expectations of others. As we mentioned earlier, business etiquette is an unwritten code of conduct. It is not only for the top brass of the company. It must be a general norm/culture and value of the company. In some jobs or positions, business etiquette is required in an elevated form. More often than other positions, customer service, sales and marketing, and other such job roles require employees to have a heightened awareness of business etiquette and good manners.
Good business etiquette builds strong relationships
People and companies that display good business etiquette are professional, respectful, and serious about their job and relationships with their customers, company, and co-workers. Such individuals and companies are highly regarded in the business world. They put themselves on the road to success and move ahead rapidly in their career. In addition, understanding the business etiquette of many cultures facilitates better communication and opens up opportunities for business. It results in a flow of innovative ideas brought about by the interaction of people from across industries, countries, experience levels, knowledge bases, and skills. When people in an organization work and conduct themselves within the framework of business etiquette, they give lesser preference to their own communication styles, culture, and management inclinations. They keep biases, prejudices, and self-centered behavior aside.
It maintains professionalism
Business etiquette also includes maintaining professionalism and proper conduct when communicating with people through virtual communication channels. Social media, email, online chats, and other such virtual communication are now indispensable in business relations. Being aware of business etiquette would entail that communication via these channels is clear, precise, concise, and meticulously written. For example, bold, underlined, capital letters, use of different colors, multiple question or exclamation marks, and other such written matter is construed as extremely rude. It often causes a breakdown in communication. It is also not professional to use emoticons when communicating with a business client or customer. In spoken language, it is possible to explain immediately if the other person misunderstands a word or expression. However, in written communication, extreme caution, and restraint must be exercised when formulating the email/letter.
Business etiquette creates lasting impressions
Making good and lasting impressions is also a big part of business etiquette. Sloppy appearances, unkempt face and hair, and other such slovenly behavior constitute disrespect for those who you work for and with. People outside of the company also form impressions of the company based on the outward appearance of the employees. Careless and untidy appearances make people believe that the company overall operates in this fashion. It can result in lost business. Nobody likes working with people who do not take their work and business relationships seriously. Perceptions become reality.
Maintaining good etiquette outside the office
Business etiquette does not begin and end in the office alone. Maintaining good manners and decorum in business gatherings, meetings and lunches/dinners is also an essential part of business etiquette. There is a rather amusing and simultaneously sad incident a friend told me about that I recall. This one person had extremely poor manners, especially during office parties. He was loud, would get in people’s way, would start eating and drinking before others, and continue eating till much later. He also had very poor manners while eating – making loud slurping and chewing noises.
The sad part was that he did not realize these poor behaviors. Everyone else was too embarrassed to tell him either. As a result, he was often left alone during such gatherings. People with good table and social manners, on the other hand, are extremely popular in such gatherings. They are able to win over the attention and appreciation of their colleagues, superiors, and others attending these gatherings.
How businesses can maintain a good etiquette
It is the duty of a company to put down in writing certain ground rules that would constitute business etiquette. With such established guidelines and rules in place people would know when their behavior is appropriate and when it is a violation of etiquette. Without such communication, employee behavior towards the company and each other would not follow a pattern. It could result in the breakdown of communication and conflicts.
Business etiquette encourages solidarity, fellowship, and unity among the people in the company. When people work together, they achieve greater heights and gain more success for themselves and the company they work in. Treating each other and the company with respect is a very basic requirement for any business relationship. Proper business etiquette leads to individual development and enhances the reputation and profitability of the company.
