Business Etiquette Made Easy: The Essential Guide to Professional Success

A Harvard-Stanford study concluded that one’s success, particularly in the workplace, is based 85 percent on social skills, and less than 15 percent on technical skill set.

Emotional intelligence is crucial in connecting with people, responding to people, and generally being likable. Your emotional intelligence determines your understanding and awareness of and compassion toward others when communicating both verbally and nonverbally. From the moment people with high emotional intelligence walk into a room, they know how to act, carry themselves, and respond in order to make others feel comfortable.

The core of what good etiquette in business means is to be kind, respectful, and considerate to all around you. From how you interact in an office environment and the way you treat your colleagues, to the way you present yourself, etiquette is the protocol we follow to show respect to others.

The way you physically enter a room can show confidence and authority, or a lack thereof.

Always dress the way you want to be addressed.

Your clothing and grooming are representative of your professional self.

You can go from confident and self-assured to insecure and lacking authority within a single second by showing poor posture.

one that trails off at the end of each sentence. You could be the best and most powerfully dressed person in the room, but if you open your mouth and it doesn’t match your appearance, you are doing yourself a major disservice.

Are you ready to take on the day or are you tired and bored and not wanting to be there? Your body can tell everyone in the room how you are feeling without you saying a single word.

Charisma is a characteristic held by people of great persuasion and influence. Charisma is charm, or evoking positive emotion in someone else,

Being professional shows that you are serious about your career and is also one of the most important attributes of a great leader.

Professionalism Image and Appearance: Do you look the part both in the way you dress and groom yourself? Organization and Preparation: From your appearance and presentation materials to your to-do list, are you clear, focused, and efficient? Competence: Are you capable of your skill and ability, needing little hand-holding? Knowledge and Expertise: Do you know your industry, craft, and service inside and out at the level you are at? Accountability: Are you responsible? Honesty and Integrity: Are you honest, truthful, and trustworthy? Practicing Good Etiquette: Are you respectful, kind, and considerate? Reliability: Can your coworkers count on you no matter what? The most valuable player in many instances is the first one in and the last one to leave. Maintaining Poise at All Times: In high-pressure situations, can you keep your cool? Work Ethic: Do you work incredibly hard and are proactive in your actions, always taking initiative and doing the best you can? Demeanor: Are you personable, likable, and friendly?

The handshake in business is always appropriate

The handshake in business is always appropriate. It’s the most professional greeting and a good one shows confidence and trust.

Your handshake is your physical signature.

A soft handshake shows lack of confidence. Practice

A soft handshake shows lack of confidence.

The entire time you are shaking hands, and even after the handshake is over, continue to lock eyes with the person you are greeting.

When you walk through a door, never turn your back to those already in the room. This means while you walk through the doorway, close the door with your left hand so that your right hand stays open to meet, greet, and shake hands. By not turning your back to those in the room you are entering, your body language is sharp and you make eye contact instantly, which in business is a trustworthy gesture.

Sometimes it matters less about what you’re saying and more about how you say it.