Business

Etiquette and
Grooming
Introduction
Today, professional looks, corporate manners,
these terms have gained a lot of importance.
Thanks to globalization, work places have become
a microcosm of the world. We find ourselves often
confused as to how to behave, so that no cross -
cultural barriers are created while communicating
in a multi-cultural set up.
In order, to overcome these problems we could
encounter at the world of work, we need to
familiarize ourselves with acceptable professional
behavior and groom ourselves accordingly.
Dress and grooming
 The first impression of any individual is created by
external appearance. Even products are
thoughtfully packed for instant appeal.
 It is imperative that we take utmost care of our
appearance; of which our clothes and grooming
are an integral part.
 One should be appropriately dressed for any
occasion. Care should be taken that one is neither
over or under dressed. The minimum requirement
is that clothes should be ironed.
 Women have an array of clothes to choose from,
however in order to create a positive impact senior
executives should wear either a saree or a business
suit comprising a jacket, shirt, and skirt. A trouser
if not well tailored looks clumsy.
Dress and grooming

 Jeans even if allowed should be strictly

avoided, as it doesn't create a positive
impression.

 Women should take care that clothes are

not revealing. Low cut blouses and short
skirt lengths should be strictly avoided.
Bright, gaudy colours should be avoided
and pastels should be preferred.
Dress and grooming

 Clothes with large floral prints or large

checks are a strict no.

 Accessories should be appropriately

matched. Handbags have to be neatly
organized, in order to avoid spilling
things in others presence, also they
shouldn’t be too huge, torn or tacky
looking.
Dress and grooming

 Makeup shouldn’t be too heavy and

colours have to suit one’s skin colour
and dress.

 As regards jewellery, it has to be

minimal, dangling earrings should be
avoided and the number of finger rings
should be one per hand(for both men
and women).
Dress and grooming

 Hair should be neatly tied or cut, shoulder

length hair is managable ,thus preferred. It
is essential to wash and keep hair
absolutely clean on a daily basis.

 Men should also take care to wear

matching shirts with trousers. Shirts should
be lighter than the suit and the tie darker
than the shirt. Pastels should be preferred
over bright colours.
Dress and grooming

 Senior executives should wear neatly

tailored suits. Suits should be formal and
light colored in tropical country. Official
meetings should not be attended in
blazers.
Dress and grooming

 Belts should match shoes and if cuff links are

used they shouldn’t be cheap looking, with
the polish worn off.
 Shoes should be polished and should be in

shape. Shoes should be either brown or black

and white clothes should be strictly avoided.
Buy the best you can afford.
 Clothes shouldn’t be stained and seams

shouldn’t be ripped (especially collars and

hand cuffs).Wear a watch that reflects your
personality.
Dress and grooming
 Personal hygiene should be maintained.
 Nails should be clipped. Garish/gaudy nail

enamel should be banned (especially dark

reds and blues).
 Oral hygiene should be observed and mouth

fresheners should be kept handy. A neat hair

style should be maintained and hair should
be neatly combed and appropriately set.
 At a formal party it is a better idea to find out

the dress code in advance and if not

intimated, one should find out from the host
about the dress code. Above all one should
remember that it is better to be dressed
Courtesy

• It is said that, "Handsome is what handsome

does".
• As Erastus Wiman says, "Nothing is ever lost by
courtesy. It is the cheapest of the pleasures,
costs nothing and conveys much. It pleases
him who gives and him who receives and thus,
like mercy, it is twice blessed. "
• One must recognize other people’s work,
appreciate efforts. Appreciation is always
welcome from all quarters by everyone
• Conversations sprinkled with “Thank you,
Please, Excuse me”.
• After all, being courteous is nothing but being
Handshakes

• Handshakes are symbolic of friendship, goodwill and they go a long

way in creating warmth. However, handshakes could create awkward
situations rendering us uncomfortable.
• Especially, when we extend our hand while the other person doesn’t
respond instantly, which embarrasses both individuals. Thus it’s
better to familiarize ourselves with the basics of handshakes. Hands
should be shook when people meet for the first time.
• People are welcomed into organizations with a hand shake.
Handshakes are also common when people meet out of organizations
or when we say a bye to someone. While shaking hands, the grip
should be web to web, it should not be limp or bone crushing.
• Hands should be kept parallel to the floor-palms down is domineering
whereas palms up is submissive.
• Hands should be shook regardless of gender. While shaking hands,
one has to look the other person in the eye, smile and this should be
followed with a greeting. Both men and women should stand for
handshaking and all introductions.
Handshakes

1. You meet a long lost colleague at a dinner party,in the midst of the
dinner, you react:
A Without bothering to wipe your hands offer to shake hands.
B Quickly pick a napkin wipe your hands and then shake hands.
C Catch up with your friend after you are through with dinner.
Ans.B

2. Should you stand and shake hands when people enter your office?
Ans.Yes,it is courteous to do so.

3. Is it alright for a lady to be seated while shaking hands with a

gentleman?
Ans.No.It is no longer appropriate for a lady to sit while shaking hands.
Telephone manners

• Cell phones are an inseparable part of our lives today.Seemingly,landlines phones

are steadily on the path to becoming redundant yet due to added facilities like the
answering machine fax attachment,even they seem indispensible. There are
certain rules that need to be kept in mind that make telephone conversations
comfortable. Phones are used for several purposes, conferences can be conducted
over phones,voice mails (where calls can be recorded and answered at the
receiver’s convenience) and several others. There are certain basic rules that are to
be observed while speaking over the phone. Firstly,answer the call by the second
or third ring.Identify yourself instantly especially if you are speaking for the first
time introduce your name as well as the name of your company if required and
then proceed.

• Speak slowly,clearly and with courtesy don’t rush with your greeting allow the
listener to remember who you are and why you are calling.

• Speak with a smile.

• Always keep a pen and paper handy to note important point.Have information at
hand in case of unexpected queries.
Telephone manners
 Minimize background noise. If you have called,plan your
conversation and do not meander.Have information at hand in
case of unexpected queries.
 During conference calls,all parties should introduce themselves
before business starts.
 End positively and acknowledge the caller.
 Return voicemails in a timely manner if possible on the same day.
 Cell phones should be set on a vibrate mode.Don’t fidget with
your cell phone,it shows lack of confidence.Remember your cell
phone is not part of the meeting ,if there is a call excuse yourself
to take the call.
 Never talk on the phone while with a client and if you have a
call,the person who called must know who is listening to the
conversation.
Activity

1. When dining with a prospective client and your cell phone

rings, you:
A.Ignore the call.
B.Apologize and turn the phone on silent mode.The person
you are with takes priority.
C.Take the call,keep it brief and inform the caller that you are
dining with a business associate.
Ans.C

2. As you pass a colleagues office,his phone rings.You answer

the phone and ask Who is calling?Are you right in doing so?
Ans.It is better to introduce yourself first and then ask with
whom the caller would like to speak to.
 E-mail etiquette

 E-mails are the most commonly used form of communication. There

are certain rules of drafting e-mails that we need to be familiar with.
 First and foremost use correct grammar, punctuation marks and avoid
run-on lines.
 Be careful of the language aspect i.e with spellings ,proof reading and
missing words .
 Don’t make your e-mail colourful by using many colours. Do not use
fancy font styles. Avoid using uniform upper or lower case. Stick to
sentence case.
 Remain diplomatic and be positive throughout the conversation.
 Plan your e-mail in advance, do not run into many paragraphs as no
body reads them. People tend to look for pertinent matter and skip
frills.
E-mail etiquette

 Avoid using multiple ????? or !!!!!!!!!! as it reflects juvenile

behavior and desperation.
 If you receive an e-mail from an unknown source that is
to be handled by someone don’t sit over it,forward it with
a note explaining why you are sending it.
 Think before ccing or bccing.Email only essential
people ,if you do not want your inbox to be fullof replies.
 If possible share information using the intranet and
bulletin board.
 Use the priority inbox setting that pushes up the most
important mails up the list,this facility is available on
Google's Gmail.
 Finally hit the send button after a lot of contemplation.
Elevator manners

 Elevators and escalators have assumed an an important position in

our lives. There are certain rules that need to be observed as
regards getting on and off and while inside elevators. For instance,
If you happen to get in first, onto the elevator, press the button and
stand back.Hold the door till you are sure that the person getting
on after you has got a grip on the door and only then loosen yours.
With regards to lifts, the man should permit the lady to enter the
lift first. However, when getting out of the lift, the man should get
out first and hold the door open till the lady gets out. Allow people
to get off the elevator before getting on to it.
 Avoid discussing meetings that have just occurred, unless you are
away from the place where the meeting has occurred. Men should
allow women to get on to the escalator first and then stand facing
the lady. This is to ensure if there is a problem the lady should not
get inconvenienced.
Everyday etiquette

 Never address senior executives by their first name unless

you are asked to do so i.e without adding the prefix sir or
madam. If you are on a first name basis with the president
of the company and if you happen to pass him/her when
he/she is in the company of clients from outside it is better
to add the prefix, Mr.Shah or Hello Sir or Madam.
 It better to use the prefix Ms instead of Miss or Mrs as Ms
does not reveal the marital status of women ,so it is efficient
in business.It saves time and is a step towards equality.
 When in your cabin/cubicle in your office,use inside voices
for communicating. Let the talk be professional at the work
place.
Everyday etiquette

 If you happen to be the first person to enter

the room, open the door for all.
 Stand if an important person, client or an elder
enters the room.
 Do not cut jokes at others expense.
 Do not mix personal and professional life.
 Gender has no place in business and men and
women must treated as equal colleagues.
 As regards introductions the younger person or
the junior should be introduced to the senior.
Everyday etiquette

 Use of Time,Space and Things:

Time:
 Stick to your timeschedules and deadlines.Respect your time and other’s time,to avoid any

misunderstanding across cultures.

Space:
 Respect other’s Personal Space, people like their Space, even in personallife as also reflected in

professional relations . For example. Latin Americans or Arabs embrace frequently and prefer
talking nose-to-nose. On the other hand British males prefer to converse,even intimately,at a
respectable distance.
 The amount of office space occupied reflects the rank of the person occupying it.As an

individual climbs the corporate ladder,he/she grows from a cubicle enclosed by room dividers to
private offices.
 Thus communication can be facilitated or can break down as a consequence of sensitivity (or its

absence ) to the proper use of time and space.

Possession of things:
 It speaks about one’s status,wealth,education and taste.One should be extremely careful about

the choice of accessories,hand bags,watches,footwear etc .In a professional set up one should
use things that suit one’s status.It is observed that people of high status try to downplay the
importance of brands and the opposite is observed in people of lower status.
 Thus in order to communicate effectively and to create a positive impression in the professional

world,one should try to imbibe the rules mentioned above.

Everyday etiquette

Possession of things:
 It speaks about one’s status,wealth,education and

taste.One should be extremely careful about the choice

of accessories,hand bags,watches,footwear etc .In a
professional set up one should use things that suit
one’s status.It is observed that people of high status
try to downplay the importance of brands and the
opposite is observed in people of lower status.
 Thus in order to communicate effectively and to create

a positive impression in the professional world,one

should try to imbibe the rules mentioned above.
Activity

1.You receive an e-mail with all capital letters what does it tell you about the person and
what does the message suggest?

2.You find an elderly woman saddled with a lot of luggage trying to enter the elevator, but
you are on your way to your workplace you
A Ignore, as helping would crease your clothes.
B Help her out, without bothering about your clothes, rush to your workplace.
C Help her out and take a look at yourself, if clothes are soiled, then change and then rush to
your workplace.
Ans.C

3.You have to meet a prospective client at 10.30 am, as usual you leave your residence at
10.30 am, and due to the traffic reach 45 minutes late for the meeting, what kind of an
impression is created about you in the client’s mind? Is it right to reach late?

4.You have got a good bargain of hand bags at a local hand bag store, however, the bags are
not of superior quality, and you buy them with an intention of carrying all your things to your
workplace, are you right in doing so?
Activity

5.You carry a hand bag that is stuffed with things ,you reach
your workplace and you delve into your bag to fish out a ball
point pen and all your things spill out, leading to an
embarrassing situation, what does this reveal about you as an
individual?

6.A business associate has not turned up for a business lunch

even after half an hour after the scheduled time ,is it
appropriate to order lunch and go ahead with it ?
Ans. Yes. Since you have already waited for half an hour.

7.While travelling in a taxi with a client ,its best for you to sit
behind the driver. True/False .Why?
Ans True. Since it is easy to give instructions to the driver.