Business Etiquette Made Easy: The Essential Guide to Professional Success

“confidence is king.”

Use facts, statistics, or stories when speaking to make your point.

Make decisions. Be confident in a choice or decision and express it. Instead of saying “I agree,” say “I think we should do _____.”

If you don’t do something, say something, apply for something, etc., because you are fearful, you are the only person preventing yourself from achieving your goals.

Get rid of fear. If you don’t do something, say something, apply for something, etc., because you are fearful, you are the only person preventing yourself from achieving your goals.

Maintain a positive attitude. No matter how bad a morning you’ve had, always walk in without complaining and a smile on your face. Nobody wants to work with a negative person.

Change negative perceptions. Change negative perceptions people may have about you such as “he always shows up late for meetings” or “she never speaks up on conference calls.”

Surround yourself with happy people. Happy people are the most attractive. Build rapport, spend time asking people genuine questions, and the next time you see those people, bring up the last conversation you had to show you were paying attention and that you care!

Whether you are in an interview or have just given a presentation, it’s important to always be humble about yourself and your success. For example, I often give keynote speeches across America on a number of different topics. The last time I gave one, the president of the company told me how much his team loved my presentation. While I said thank you and accepted the compliment, I was also careful to remain modest by saying “I truly couldn’t have done it without my amazing team!” Modesty is a great quality to have for anyone in a position of success.

“Can I ask a quick question?”—Asking permission in business makes you submissive. Stop doing it, and instead simply say what you want. For example, “I’d like to add in _____.”

“Just”—This word should be taken out of your business vocabulary. For example, “I just need a minute,” implies that you are begging for a quick moment of someone’s time and that you are not worthy of more than that!

“I can’t”—When your boss asks you to complete a task and you don’t have the time or capacity to take on more work, it’s easy to tell your boss that you can’t do it. I can assure you, however, that this is not what your boss wants to hear. Instead, try to say you’d be happy to tackle more work with some extra resources/time/whatever it is you will need to accomplish the task.

“I can’t”—When your boss asks you to complete a task and you don’t have the time or capacity to take on more work, it’s easy to tell your boss that you can’t do it. I can assure you, however, that this is not what your boss wants to hear. Instead, try to say you’d be happy to tackle more work with some extra resources/time/whatever it is you will need to accomplish the task. You can also say you are currently working on XYZ and ask your boss how they would like you to prioritize your tasks, and proceed in that order.

“To be honest with you . . .”—This phrase implies that maybe you haven’t been honest in the past.

To always give a strong toast, all you need do is follow a technique called Past-Present-Future, and remember to keep it short!

To always give a strong toast, all you need do is follow a technique called Past-Present-Future, and remember to keep it short! When you need to give a toast, simply say something either about the person, company, or people you are toasting to that previously happened, then you say something from today, and then you say something about what is yet to come.

Toast: Good evening everyone, and thank you for coming to our annual holiday dinner. I’d like to take a moment and raise a glass to thank the incredible team at XYZ Consulting Group for three years of dedicated service (past). We are so delighted you could be here with us today to celebrate a wonderful and successful year, thanks to you, our valuable partners (present). I, along with my team, look forward to many more successful years to come (future), and bravo for your amazing work this year. To XYZ—cheers!”

If you are giving a toast at a small table and everyone can hear you easily, there is no need to stand. If, however, you are giving a toast to multiple tables in a room, you should stand so your voice projects to everyone at each table.

Q: Who should give a toast or speech? A: The host of the event or one of the most senior representatives of a company in attendance

You are your own walking, talking, breathing billboard, with your own style and personality that you present to others.