Business etiquette - more important than ever

The business world has changed profoundly over the last decade or two. "Etiquette" may sound like an old-fashioned word, but the new climate has made those guidelines one of the few stable factors in a shifting environment. In some ways, they're more important than ever.

Here are a few key areas to keep in mind as you make your way in the world of business.

Communication

There are plenty of new ways of communicating in the work environment, but most communication is still face-to-face. Remember these pointers:

Small talk

There's nothing small about small talk, and considering how often people have to cope with new jobs and corporate cultures, playing it safe with casual conversation and office gossip is important. Here are three key points:

• Be neutral and non-combative. Whatever you decide to talk about, make sure it won't offend anyone.
  
• Avoid talking too much about yourself, or you'll risk appearing self-absorbed.
  
• Be relevant and appropriate. Make your first words relevant to the current situation or event. You don't have to talk about big business, but keep the topic general so others can participate too.
  

Include yourself
If you assume you're part of the action from the beginning, so will everyone else. Use 'we' talk like this:

• "That new anti-trust law sure caught us by surprise, didn't it?"
  
• "We're in for an exciting ride if the industry trends continue the way they are."
  
• "Our greatest opportunities will come from support from the City Council."
  

Adjust your style to fit in

People are more comfortable with those who seem to be like them. A subtle but effective way to show others that you're "like them" is to mirror their vocal patterns. If the other person speaks slowly with a low voice and you're a fast-paced talker, bring your rate of speech and pitch down a few notches. Conversely, if the other person is talking quickly and you're more of a slow talker, you may want to crank it up some.

But be sincere, because others will pick up on it if you aren't.

Meetings

Most people regard meetings as a necessary evil. But they're also an opportunity to present yourself in the best possible light.

Here are some tips to not just survive, but to shine, at meetings:

• Before the meeting, refresh yourself about the subject. Collect what you'll need -- notes, references, writing materials -- in advance so you won't have to hunt them down at the last minute.
  
• Arrive on time or a bit early, and go straight in rather than hanging around outside the door.
  
• If seating isn't assigned, pick a good spot, but don't usurp space to be occupied by the person who called the meeting and his or her retinue.
  
• Put your briefcase or purse on the floor, not the table.
  
• If there's time, introduce yourself to those you don't know.
  
• This may seem obvious, but pay attention and remember your body language so you look attentive, too.
  
• Stay alert. When called on, pause just a moment to collect your thoughts, then present them with the key idea first. Speak clearly and loudly enough so everyone can hear you.
  
• Don't repeat yourself, ramble, or try to be funny or inappropriate. It's always better to err on the conservative side.
  
• Set your cell phone or pager to silent operation, or turn them off.
  

Electronic meetings have a few additional rules, whether they're held by conference call, teleconferencing, or online.

• If on the phone or teleconferencing, be extra careful to speak clearly and a bit more slowly than usual.
  
• If online, take care with keyboarding and punctuation.
  
• Remember that your body language is meaningless in these situations, so choose what you say carefully to unambiguously express your intent. Conversely, you can't interpret the body language of others, so take care not to ascribe motivations that may not be there. Give others the benefit of the doubt.
  

Telephone communication

More and more business is done by phone, and some people seem to have a phone surgically attached to their ear. Here are a few tips to make phone communication more pleasant and effective.

Answering systems

• If you're calling in, don't let the six levels of menus get you down. Wait until after the call is completed before you curse the inventor of voicemail.
  
• If you're routed to voicemail, keep it brief. Give your name and phone number, then leave a concise message. End the message with your name and number again, including your extension.
  
• Carefully enunciate your phone number. Say, "Eight-two-two, seven-zero-one-nine," rather than, "Eight-twenty-two-seventy-nineteen."
  
• When you create the greeting message for your system, don't be cute. Give your name, department name, and extension. If there's a best time to reach you by phone, include that too.
  

Effective telephoning

• If at all possible, call on a landline rather than depending on the vagaries of cell phone transmission.
  
• Take notes.
  
• Speak clearly, listen carefully, and don't eat or drink while placing or receiving a business call.
  
• Use your voice and word choice to express yourself since they can't see your facial expressions or body language. But don't hesitate to smile when appropriate, because people really can hear a smile in your voice.
  

A lot of business etiquette is made up of common sense, civil behavior, respectfulness, and taking others and yourself seriously. But in today's business world, it never hurts to remind yourself of these things from time to time.