Business Etiquette
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Introduction
Amazingly, American companies are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to send their managers to etiquette seminars—often $2500 a day—to help them learn how to mind their manners in a variety of business situations (Buhler, 2000). Over 50% of the business transactions are closed over a meal? If you’re focusing on how to eat, you may have trouble focusing on the business at hand! Today, I’m going to talk to you about why knowledge of business etiquette is important.
Major Point 1: Why a Knowledge of Business Etiquette is Important
Recent economic conditions have brought changes to the function of all employment with layoffs occurring in fields that have traditionally experienced shortages (Kermis and Kermis, 2010). With the increased difficulty in getting a job—along with the increased difficulty of keeping a job—the importance of soft skills has similarly increased. Even in the field of accounting, technical skills, while certainly critical, are not enough for a …”career that includes an individual’s selection, retention and advancement” (Kermis and Kermis, 2010, p. 1). Acquiring these important soft skills will help create a polished professional presence regardless of your career field.
Soft skills include knowledge of business etiquette, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to handle difficult situations, adaptability to change and diversity (Marsh, 2012). Soft skills are a blend of interpersonal skills and social skills as well as problem solving ability (Dixon, Belnap, Albrecht, & Lee, 2010). With the increased difficulty in getting a job—along with the increased difficulty of keeping a job—the importance of soft skills has similarly increased. Pamela Eyring is President of The Protocol School of Washington which is an accredited global leader in business etiquette and international protocol and says that “in the U. S. soft (people) skills account for 85% of job success…” (“The Protocol School of Washington,” p. 1).
Wilkie (2003) compares establishing one’s professional presence—or positioning oneself as a professional—to the important and complex marketing activity of positioning products in customers’ minds. An important part of a professional presence is the ability to get along with others and to interact well with others (Kirch, Tucker, & Kirch, 2001). In fact, many corporations recognize the importance of etiquette skills to productivity and profitability and are making training opportunities available to current and future leaders so that they can acquire these skills (Bass, 2010).
Major Point 2: Business Etiquette Guidelines
Knowing how to read a place setting is one of the important points of enhancing one’s professional presence (Pachter, 2010). Lizzie Post, co-author of Emily Post’s Etiquette, 18th edition and the great-great granddaughter of Emily Post explains, one’s bread and butter plate is to the left of one’s place setting while one’s glasses are to the right (Hevrdejs, 2010).
The traditional white napkin is being replaced by some restaurants with black napkins. Patrons often appreciate this because of the lint that a white napkin can leave on dark clothing (Ruggless, 2002). In fact, a new type of napkin with adhesives is patent pending (2012). When to put the napkin in one’s lap can be confusing. If there is a host, the diners would follow the host’s lead (Ford, 2001).
Passing common items is another important point of business dining. Common items include the bread basket and salad dressing among other items. The correct way is for the person nearest the common item to begin the passing, always passing to the right (Willbanks, 2012). Usually, the person closest to the item picks up the item, offers it to the person to his/her left, helps him/herself, and continues passing the item to the right (Glick, 2008).
Controlling one’s alcohol intake is important! Being intoxicated is a sure-fire way to sabotage a job interview, lose a client, or end one’s career. Even moderate intoxication can dull one’s senses at a time when it is most important to be at the top of one’s game or most responsible (Wilbanks, 2012). Knowing one’s limit is paramount to a positive professional presence. A business meal is not the time to experiment with alcohol, and even those who may know how alcohol typically affects their speech, behavior, and judgment, should limit their alcohol consumption to one or two drinks (Ramsey, 2004).
When being introduced, business people should stand. In fact, a man and woman are both expected to stand when being introduced in a professional setting because gender does not play a role in professional settings (Leonard, 2006; O’Brien, 1998. Women are expected to stand and may look less professional if they do not. In a survey of marketing professionals about the importance of business etiquette, the respondents were asked to give examples of good and poor business etiquette. “Not standing when being introduced” was listed among the examples of poor business etiquette given by the professionals (Schaffer & Kelley, 1993).
Summary
To summarize, I’ve mentioned reasons why a knowledge of business etiquette is important. For example, with the recent economic downturns and importance of developing soft skills such as business etiquette, corporations are putting more emphasis on business etiquette than even. I have also covered some of the guidelines important to know in business etiquette such as understanding the place setting, the napkin, and how to pass around common items.

References
Bass, A. N. (2010). From business dining to public speaking: Tips for acquiring professional presence and its role in the business curricula. American Journal of Business Education, 3(2), 57-63. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.library.astate.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/195912242?accountid=8363
Buhler, P. M. (2000). Business etiquette: A renewed interest in a lost art. SuperVision, 61(12), 14-16. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.library.astate.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/195593424?accountid=8363
Ford, C. (2001). 21st century etiquette. J. DeMontravel (ed). New York, NY: Penguin Press.
Hevrdejs, J. (2010, Jul 13). Place-setting decoder. McClatchy - Tribune Business News. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.library.astate.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/608907375?accountid=8363
Kirch, D. P., Tucker, M. L., & Kirch, C. E. (2001). The benefits of emotional intelligence in accounting firms. The CPA Journal, 71(8), 60-61. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.library.astate.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/212304917?accountid=8363
Leonard, M. (2006). Making that professional introduction. American Bankers Association.ABA Banking Journal, 98(9), 8-8. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.library.astate.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/218482537?accountid=8363

Pachter, B. (2010). Mind your business manners: Etiquette suggestions for success. CPA Practice Management Forum, 6(5), 16-18. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.library.astate.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/619746516?accountid=8363
Ruggless, R. (2002). Operators see the light, offer diners black-napkin option. Nation's Restaurant News, 36(39), 206-206. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.library.astate.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/229352158?accountid=8363
Wilbanks, L. (2012). Dining like an executive. IT Professional Magazine, 14(2), 8-9. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/MITP.2012.35
Wilkie, H. (2003). Professional presence. The Canadian Manager, 28(3), 14-14, 19. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.library.astate.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/213665707?accountid=8363