Download Etiquette

HOW TO
BE A
Best Seller
Brought to you by
t h e A I E S E C i n I n d i a B u s i n e s s D e v e l o p m e n t Te a m
The Etiquette we need
For:
Presidents
Vice Presidents
Te a m Le a d e r s
Members
Organizing Committees
( b a s i c a l l y, f o r e v e r y o n e ! )
ETIQUETTE
Etiquette, as it is defined is a certain behavior/code of conduct which needs to be followed and
especially in youth run organizations such as AIESEC, this will be something which will set us apart given the
fact that this etiquette is not commonly associated with youngsters.
As young people handling multiple stakeholders, it is extremely important for us to behave in a manner
which is deemed appropriate regardless of whether a stakeholder expects it or not.
Types of Etiquette
Corporate Etiquette
Social Etiquette
Meeting Etiquette
Telephone Etiquette
Corporate Etiquette refers to how an individual should behave while he is at work.
Social etiquette includes ways to behave in the society
Meeting Etiquette refers to styles one need to adopt when he is attending any meeting
Telephone etiquette refers to the way an individual should speak on the phone.
Corporate
Etiquette
How do you behave at your place of work, which may be your LC office spaces,
forums to client offices and their places of work is defined as corporate etiquette.
Corporate Etiquette - Open Offices
Keep the noise level to a minimum.
Everyone doesn’t need to know how awesome your playlist is.
Maintain the aesthetics and
ambiance.
Try not to eat in office, even if you do, see to it that your food is not
making anyone else uncomfortable.
Don’t be a distraction.
Just cause you are bored or done with work, don’t distract other
people because they might be in the zone at that time
Keep your desk organized.
Your space reflects your state of mind and an encouraging
ambiance is key to subconsciously creating comfort
Respect a person’s need to work.
AIESEC gives you the opportunity to explore and invent new ways of
getting work done and it would vary from person to person, in terms of
the time taken, working hours, the ambiances they need and so on.
Respect their need to work in the way they feel productive. Be open
to conversations to give them constructive feedback.
Corporate Etiquette - Open Offices
Be hygienic.
Be aware of the spaces that you share in the office, including the meeting
rooms, washrooms, kitchen. Make sure you are helping in maintaining the
hygiene and cleanliness of all the spaces in the office by helping clear stuff
regularly or not get it into the office in the first place.
Be productive.
Utilize your office spaces with a purpose which could be to hold a meeting,
meet a client and so on. Don’t come to the office to make use of the
resources for personal usage and to relax because it may end up
distracting/demotivating those who come to work.
Help with the upkeep.
The local office belongs to all of you and is your space to create magic.
Help in contributing to the office supplies whenever you notice anything
depleted. Contribute in your capacity to ensure your office space boosts
productivity and belonging.
Be flexible and
open-minded.
Goes without saying that while an open office gives you a chance to work
closely with people, it might feel to some as an intrusion into their privacy.
Sometimes, you won’t get the space you want to work, you will be
distracted by some activities, how can you still be productive and flexible
with what is happening around you is the challenge
Meeting Etiquette
Be on time.
Needless to say, make sure you start early and arrive a few minutes
prior to start the meeting on time. That is the first sign of a good
meeting
Make introductions.
Introduce yourself to everyone on the table starting with the person
who is the highest ranked on the table, in case you don’t know, start
with the person you are supposed to meet
Initiate the handshake
if you are the host or
the higher-ranking
person
If you are hosting the meeting, welcome the person with a
handshake or if you are meeting someone who is ranked below you.
However, be ready to extend a confident handshake with firm eye
contact and a gentle smile when the other person extends their
hand. Hand your business card over with both your hands.
Have a strong agenda
and come prepared
Always do your research about the person/client you are meeting and
go with an agenda in hand so that the meeting can take a flow with a
proper call to action by the end of it. Follow up by mailing the meeting
output and setting deadlines.
Always stand up when
you are being
introduced
This is a sign of respect, follow it up with a nod towards the person
and take your seat along with everyone else.
Meeting Etiquette
Speak up and
speak early
Speak loudly so that everyone on the table can hear you, ensure that you are
looking at everyone from time to time. Start speaking as and when it is relevant.
Sit appropriately
Sit upright, adjust your chair, don’t cross your legs or lean on the table, don’t
absent-mindedly start fiddling with things around you. Be aware of what is
happening.
Understand the
unwritten speaking
rules.
You would know when would the opposite person expect you to speak based on
their speech patterns and pauses. Notice this carefully and speak up when you
have to, don’t interrupt or be anxious to answer, note down things so that you are
paying attention and it will help you answer once you know what you have to say.
Do not have your
phone out.
Major distraction. This should be kept on silent and in your business bag so that
your meeting does not get interrupted and the client does not feel unimportant.
If you are expecting an important call, make sure you inform and seek permission
before you take it, everything else can wait.
Never pull out
anyone’s chair for
them
There are no gender rules in a business meeting, never pull out
anyone’s chair for them irrespective of who they are.
Meeting Etiquette
You can drink coffee,
but you need
permission for anything
else.
You can sip coffee from time to time but do not consume food unless
it is a meeting over breakfast/lunch/dinner. Seek permission if you
need to have anything
Clean up after
yourself.
Once you are done having your coffee/food, make sure to clean the
immediate space and yourself.
Don't save all
your questions for
the end.
Engage the other person in a constant conversation by building it
with questions and don’t save everything for the end because of the
chance that the meeting might have taken a different direction if you
asked prior.
Body Language
Body – Straight but not rigid posture, relaxed shoulders
Align your body to the person who is talking
Keep your legs apart than crossed and don’t move them constantly
Lean in a bit while listening to show that you are interested
Mirror the body language of the other person – A sign of agreement
Arms & Hands – Keep your arms by your side and uncrossed to show that you are open to what is
being said
Use hand gestures to communicate whenever you are speaking – improves credibility
A handshake should always be firm but not too firm or too loose – communicates confidence
Be aware of cultural greetings if the meeting is with an international
Head – Use timely nods, genuine smiles to agree and move the meeting forward
Laughter should be occasional and used in appropriate situations
Make eye contact but don’t do it continually or it can get creepy, feel like staring
Don’t blink too much
Mirror the facial expressions of the other person to show acceptance
Keep your voice consistent, vary it to emphasize on certain points
Telephone Etiquette
Greeting
Begin with a greeting which genuinely conveys the tone of the
conversation you want to set
Take permission and
be polite
If you have already reached the person you want to speak, request
them for a short period of time to have this conversation or ask to be
connected to the person you want to speak to
Identify self and the
organization
Introduce yourself with a designation which would be understood by
an external and use appropriate lingo to introduce your organization
in a short note
Clarity
Be clear in your tone, language and explain the need of the call, this
has to set the context of the entire conversation.
Purpose of the call
This is for yourself before you call the person, know why do you want
to do this and what should be the output of the call/call to action
Telephone Etiquette
Know your timeline and
keep it short
Maintain a flow once you know what you want to get out of the
call and keep it short. Maintain a notepad to keep jotting
down inferences
Avoid fillers and keep it
interesting
Don’t stammer and mutter in the middle of the call but be adaptable.
Practice the multiple possibilities where a conversation might lead to.
Smile through the phone
Be enthusiastic and upbeat about the chance to talk to this
person
Find some quiet place
Let nothing interfere with this call and choose smartly before you
go ahead with the call.
Summarize, paraphrase
and close
Summarize the call to ensure there is no confusion and also
to show that you have not missed out on anything and have
been listening attentively. Close the call with a greeting and
a looking forward to.
RESOURCES
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/276238 - Office Corporate Etiquette
http://www.businessinsider.in/15-meeting-etiquette-rules-every-professional-needs-toknow/articleshow/48427042.cms - Meeting etiquette
http://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/ss/body-language-mistakeseven-smart-people-make.html - Body Language
http://www.rediff.com/getahead/report/career-10-telephone-etiquette-tips-you-shouldkeep-in-mind/20160114.htm - Telephone etiquette