Published July 2001
Put
your best foot
(and hand) forward
Knowing etiquette
is crucial in ‘competitive business arena,’ protocol expert says
By
Kimberly Hilden
Herald Business Journal Assistant Editor
Think
back to the last business meeting you attended.
Did you slouch in
your chair? Did you cross your leg at the knee? Did you ask a senior executive
for a business card?
If you answered
yes to any of the above, you committed a breach of business etiquette.
Hopefully, you weren’t caught — but don’t count on it.
“People notice when
you make a mistake. When you’re doing things well, it barely enters one’s
mind. When you make a mistake, it’s glaring, and it’s too late,” said
Veronica Staats, Director of Etiquette Educators Ltd. of Marysville.
And don’t think that
the rules of etiquette are dead, Staats told a group of women at the recent
Women on the Move conference sponsored by the Everett Area Chamber of
Commerce.
“Business
etiquette is very important in today’s fiercely competitive business arena,”
said Staats, a certified etiquette and protocol consultant with more than
30 years of experience as a trainer.
“If a sales person
was visiting a company ... or invited someone to dinner or lunch and made
some incredible faux pas, it would not reflect well on them or the company,”
Staats said in an interview. “Many business deals have been lost because
people did not understand proper etiquette.”
First, it’s important
to note the distinction between business etiquette and social etiquette,
which, Staats said, are “completely different.”
“Social etiquette
is based upon gender and chivalry. Business etiquette is based upon protocol
and precedence,” Staats said.
“There are no ladies
and gentlemen in business etiquette; there are men and women, and they’re
treated the same depending upon their position.”
For example, in a
business setting, if a man and woman arrive at the same time, it’s perfectly
acceptable for the woman to open the door, Staats said. And the woman
shouldn’t expect a man to help seat her, “but she should be gracious and
allow him to do so if he offers.”
Knowing the ins-and-outs
of business etiquette enables a person to maintain a sense of power and
authority, no matter the business setting, said Staats, who holds seminars
on everything from professional etiquette in today’s market to dining
skills and electronic etiquette.
For instance, if
you know the proper way to make introductions at a business function,
you’ll present yourself as confident and assured, but “if you fall all
over yourself making an introduction, you certainly lose power because
you lose control,” she said.
The same holds true
with handshakes (always be ready to initiate and receive a handshake at
a business-related social event, keeping your right hand free), direct
eye contact (which should be maintained 40 percent to 60 percent of the
time) and posture (stand tall, with arms at your side, feet 6 to 8 inches
apart with the right foot just slightly in front of the left).
“You’re safe at that
stance. You aren’t going to topple over,” Staats said, adding that you
“do not ever want to lean. The minute you lean, you’ve given away all
your power. Don’t lean on the wall. Don’t lean on anything.”
And most importantly,
women should “rise to the occasion,” Staats said, whether it’s for an
introduction or when someone enters a room.
“If you’re in a business
meeting or if you’re at a luncheon and there are men and women present
and someone walks in, what do the men do? They stand up,” Staats said.
“If a woman remains seated, what has she done? Given away her power.”
To maintain that
power, preparation is key, whether it’s for a business meeting or a cocktail
party, said Staats, who teaches the wisdom of the “Five P’s”: Prior planning
prevents poor performance.
Oh, and if you answered
yes to those examples at the beginning of this story, remember: maintain
good posture, keep your feet flat on the floor or cross your legs at the
ankle, and don’t ever ask a senior executive for a business card during
a meeting. It’s understood that junior executives should know how to get
in touch with senior executives (and if you don’t, ask his or her secretary
for one after the meeting).
For more information
on Etiquette Educators, call Staats at 360-659-8878.
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