In this first part of our “Business Etiquette” series, Billy Glading and Crystal L. Bailey from the Etiquette Institute of Washington walk us through the do’s and don’ts of business etiquette for workplace introductions and meetings.
Transcript
[ Music ] [ Multiple Speakers ] >> Every business interaction, the introduction, no matter what industry you're in or your level at the company, first impressions still matter and you need to know how to introduce yourself. >> It's said that we only have three to seven seconds to make that great first impression. And so making sure that you start off with eye contact, a smile, and a firm and friendly handshake, leaning in just a little bit about 20 degrees is also the way to go. >> Always stand when being introduced to someone. Say your full name and remember that a handshake is still the professional standard. If you're leading a meeting or a conference call, make sure to introduce all participants prior to beginning. >> When I meet somebody, I try to repeat their name in conversation at least three times. But if I don't have the opportunity to do that, and I've forgotten someone's name, nine times out of ten, I'll apologize, be honest be like, "I'm sorry. I forgot your name. What was it again?" And nobody, very rarely, are people put off by this because honesty is the name of the game. >> If there's one thing we know about business is that there are a lot of meetings, the breakfast meeting, the early afternoon meeting, and the "Todd from Accounting just needs to vent" meeting. But don't let your guard down during these times because typically there'll be a large concentration of your co-workers in attendance and maybe a boss or two. >> Two key things to keep in mind when you're in any type of meeting. Making sure that everyone has been introduced. If you have new players that are coming into the meeting, rising and standing and walking over and introducing yourself to those people. Making sure that you start on time and that you finish on time. For a lot of companies, they're sharing space, so when you run over, that causes, you know, another group to run over, as well. So, being considerate of others in that sense. >> Don't be late to a meeting. Arriving five minutes early is customary. And if a meeting is running late, and you have to leave, politely excuse yourself, and have a valid reason ready for why you had to leave. You want to show common courtesy. Don't interrupt people or dominate the conversation by talking too much. Also, group meetings are not the ideal place for confrontation. So if you have a disagreement, make sure you save it for a private conversation. And finally, the easiest way to score points in a meeting is to keep your cellphone in your pocket. >> It's actually good to kind of ask a couple of people before you go into a meeting, "Hey, what's typically done in that meeting? What's the typical pattern in there?" But just get to know one or two people in that room to start building up a rapport so that you can be a little bit more engaged in what's going on in the meeting. [ Music ]
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