Today, we explore in more depth the skill of good communication at work. From meetings and greetings to phone and internet etiquette. I hope you enjoy it, and find few helpful tips to make your work more pleasant when interacting with others.
Graceful introductions
Being able to introduce people and explain who they are, makes everyone feel comfortable. The skill of introducing yourself to others confidently, demonstrate that you are in control and able to make others feel at ease.
The aim of introductions is to provide information about each other. This is, to provide a common ground to carry conversations. Knowing how to make introductions appropriately, will help you to make a great first impression. So, let's explore some general rules:
The most senior executive (the host) meets, greets and introduces you to other guests.
In less formal situations, you can introduce each others in a circle.
If you enter a circle where everyone already introduced themselves, you are expected to introduce yourself.
In business, introductions are made by the person's rank. And, it makes no difference whether the person is a man or woman, senior or junior. You name the senior person first, and than the person who is being introduced.
Always use Mr or Ms, unless you are being asked to drop the titles, even when someone introduced themselves by their name.
It must be noted, that client always takes precedence over the owner of the business or boss.
When you are introducing two people of an equal rank, introduce the person from outside the company first. Because everyone is of equal rank, the key is to honour the guest from another office.
In a large group, introduce one person at the time. Again, this is done following the hierarchy of the most senior person. Depending on the rank, the most important person's name goes first. It is also helpful, to give people little information about one another.
What about introducing yourself?
If you are waiting in a conference room for a meeting to arrive and someone new just arrived, you stand, offer your right hand and introduce yourself and your role. Always use your first and last name when you meet new people.
In business environment, titles are crucial in interactions. Whether the person works in marketing, engineering or any other profession, it allows to put one another in ease, feel comfortable and start a conversation. People want to know to whom they are speaking to.
If you are meeting a new person, never assume, that you can immediately call someone by their first name.
Everyone has a problem in remembering names.
If you can master the skill of remembering someones name, you can make a great first impressions! It may help to repeat the persons name few times in your head. It also helps to use the persons name in the conversation often. One good rule, is to jot down their name or simply ask for their business card.
Never walk up to someone and ask "Remember me?" You need to reintroduce yourself politely.
When you are handed a business card, read it thoroughly at the time. You may want to repeat their name and the company they work for. You may also want to ask something about the company. This shows so much respect. Finally, express your gratitude and smile.
Hanshake
The handshake is a physical greeting that accompany verbal greeting. Not shaking hand, may be a sign of rejection and make others feel uncomfortable, or even insulted.
You are expected to offer a firm handshake with your right hand. Make eye contact while you do it. This will communicate self-confidence and good manners.
Shake it a couple of times in vertical motion. A good handshake it held from 3 to 4 seconds.
Overbearing handshake indicates dominance and control, and a weak handshake can indicate insecurity, shyness and lack of social skills.
If someone makes an introduction, always remember to stand so that you can shake the hand of the other person. The rule goes for woman as well. If for any reason standing or reaching to the other person is difficult, mention how regretful you are about not being able to greet them properly. By doing this, you show respect and good business etiquette.
If you are using a name tag, always pin it at the right shoulder. If someone has many things in their hands when you are being introduced, do not force a handshake. Simply nod your head. When holding a drink at reception, hold your drink in your left hand. You do not want to offer to someone wet or cold hand to shake.
If you are in a formal attire and wear gloves, always remove them before shaking hand. The same applies for wearing sunglasses.
You should try to shake hands all the time. Do it when you acknowledge someone entering a room, greeting new client, coworker, concluding a transaction and leaving a business or social event.
Ensure your hand is always warm, so stick your hand in a pocket for few minutes to warm it up. The same applies to sweaty hands, use sanitiser to make it dry and clean.
Speaking and listening
The person who is able to draw another into conversation, introduce interesting topic is an art. Good speaking and listening skills require practice.
To become a good conversationalist try to remember:
Always be pleasant and kind, putting the other person at ease,
Engage genuinely and listen,
Show that you care and be positive.
How to do it, there are some further tips:
- give and receive compliments gracefully,
- know your subject and be knowledgable in many topics, read, research, know what is happening around,
- steer conversation if it becomes uncomfortable or negative,
- do not gossip,
- never correct another persons vocabulary,
- know when to discuss business and when not,
- involve everyone in the group into the conversation,
- have a good sense of humour,
- watch reactions and see whether the other person is bored.
Make sure you read a newspaper or news magazine on the day of the event. Appropriate current stories include business news, personal-interest stories, stories about nature and even local accomplishments.
If you want to talk about the company, positive news are always a good choice. New campaigns or blog information.
Talking about a latest firm or book is also appropriate.
Plus, always include a positive comment about the meeting or event. Whether its the office or food.
Try to involve everyone in the group into conversation and ask various questions. You may mention why you are attending the event and asking others why they attend its a good conversation starter. Asking these type of questions is a good way of breaking the ice.
The others person duty would be to response. It is best to ask open questions so no "yes" or "no" answer can be expected. This would leave the room in an awkward silence.
Avoid asking very personal questions, such as family or relationships. Do not discuss sex, money, religion and politics. Do not curse or swear.
No-one wants to get into a long winded discussion so try to spend 5-10 minutes with one person maximum.
If the conversation is turning into an awkward or uncomfortable one, turn it into another topic discreetly.
Listen
Yes, listen. There is a saying that wise people listen as twice as much as they speak.
As well-mannered person, you need to follow that attitude. Train yourself to listen better, and if you speak less, others will listen more carefully on what you have to say.
If you listen, you may learn something and remember to ask questions.
If you find yourself talking too much, simply apologise and let others speak. Pass the conversation to someone else, simply by asking a question.
While you are sitting, be aware of your body language. Do not fidget or cross your legs. Keep your arms and hands relaxed.
Do not let your eyes wonder all around the room. Watch the speakers and listeners carefully. Acknowledge that you are listening by nodding your head or saying "yes".
If you being asked to do something by your boss, repeat what you think you hear from them saying to clarify everyone's understanding of the issues at hand.
Be diplomatic
Being diplomatic is a very useful skill. If you are loudly criticising or giving orders, you will come across as ignorant. If someone came out with new idea, be quiet and listen, and say "That's an interesting concept, can you give us more details?".
It would be very untactful to dismiss it at first. This reaction will put a negative spin on the conversation. If you think it should be explored more say :" That is a very interesting idea. Why don't you take it to the team and and review together? Please, give me a call tomorrow and let me know what you have found out."
As people remember what they hear last, you must end your conversation gracefully.
Smile, shake hands, thank the persons for their time.
Always say "It was nice talking to you". You may also add few positive closing summary on the subjects from your perspective. For example " I have learned a lot about this project, perhaps we can meet tomorrow and discuss more".
Remember, never be dishonest when ending a conversation.
Workplace chats
At work, we spent time chatting to coworkers. And, as in every conversation some etiquette rules apply.
Here are some hints when talking to your coworkers:
- Be cautious of the language you use. Too much slang may discourage some,
- Do not monopolise others time, they may be trying making a deadline,
- If secret is shared, never, but never tell others,
- Keep your personal relationship information and your love life to a minimum. People you work with are not entitled to deep personal conversations,
- Do not complain as it will not get you far, keep positive,
- Do not brag about your achievements that your boss said to you privately. This includes your pay!
- Do not repeat gossip,
- If something sad or bad happened to someone, stop and give them time, show concern and offer assistance. If someone feels discouraged, offer motivation and be compassionate.
- Never interrupt or correct someone when they are speaking,
- Never say directly that someone is wrong, in fact do not use the word "you" when expressing your opinion. Use "interesting" instead,
- Use "we" when referring to work done as a team,
Company party
At a company party, you have a great opportunity to get to know people better and improve the relationships. You should be mixing with as many people as possible.
Mingling is a very important business skill. It demonstrates that you are open, kind and friendly. Do not spend all your time talking to one person only. As you circulate, make sure you politely remove yourself from a conversation. Hold your drink in your left hand, so if you are introduced to someone your right one is clean and dry. Ensure that you keep yourself informed on the current business events, as these will be perfect for a small talk situations.
Try to avoid making any negative comments and to stay sober. You do not want to embarrass yourself.
Make good eye contact, give good handshakes, and, if possible try to speak to those people you have not met before. Don't let fear stop you from approaching someone. With a little bit of practice and planning you will feel more confident.
Give people their full attention and listen carefully, be curious, ask open question. Don't be shy and do not stay in the corner. Offer some humour and be out there!
Make low and intimate tones. By speaking loudly you may look arrogant. You also do not need to fill every pause with something to say. You may ask a person opinion on some recent events or even food at the party.
On the phone
Even thought we use phone every day, a lot of us need help with phone etiquette.
The basic rule of communication, is that one person is speaking and another one is listening. Sounds simple but it does not always go this route, right?
We speak too loudly or whispering or even speaking with food in our mouth. Or, we listen without hearing anything or responding to the person with entirely different topic.
Even is someone call you at a wrong time, it is important to pay attention to what and how you say things, as well how you respond.
Speak clearly and so that the other person can hear you,
When you get a phone call, minimise any background noise or distractions. Turn away from your computer or excuse yourself from any conversation you are having.
Every time when you make or receive call at work, you are representing your company.
The impression you make on the phone may be the lasting one. You need to prepare for a phone call before you make it. Have pen and paper ready and know what you will talk about. Make your notes.
Introduce yourself right away and always say the reason for your call. Now ,you pass the talk to the other person to respond.
If the person is not available and you are living a voice-mail, give your name, your company's name, your phone number, the time you can be reached and a brief message. Avoid leaving a monologue to replace the conversation you would have had. Repeat your phone number slowly.
Remember, a business call is not a social call.
- Answer phone as promptly as possible,
- Be patient on the phone and allow people to finish their sentence,
- Listen,
- Speak clearly so you are well understood,
- Don't speak over and interrupt,
- Acknowledge that you are listening, say "yes" now and again.
Your posture while you speak on the phone will affect how you sound, as the energy come across through the phone. Sit up straight. Also smiling while you are speaking will make your voice sound more pleasant.
If you ever dial a wrong number, apologise before you hang up.
Never sneeze, blow your nose or mouth into a phone. It is better to turn your head away from the phone and offer an apology.
Do not shuffle paper, eat, drink or chew a gum while you are on the phone.
And never, but never answer the phone aggressively just by saying "yes".
Never use words inappropriate for business, for example: "sweetheart", "honey", "dear".
When answering a phone, ensure it is answered well. Speak clearly, identify your company and always ask the caller how you can help. Answer, any questions, if you can. If you cannot, direct the call to the appropriate person.
When you pick up your phone, stop everything else you are doing and smile while you are speaking.
Putting someone on hold can be very frustrating for the caller so try to avoid it unless you absolutely have to. If you are putting someone on hold, do not say "Hold on!", but say "Will you please hold for a moment? I will find out for you and get the information." Update the caller every halve minute on the progress you are making.
If you are connecting the caller to someone else, tell them the name of the person you are connecting them to and provide the persons extension number. If for any reason the call gets disconnected, the caller will appreciate having the name and extension when they return their call.
When you speak on your cell phone, you need to do it privately and preferably, when you are alone. You need to respect other people's privacy so they do not hear your call in public.
Cell phones have no place in restaurants, theatre of movies, in churches or classrooms and, of course, in a meeting. In those places, have a courtesy to turn the phone off or put in on silent mode.
Similarly, when you are driving. Always turn your phone off while driving. It can be extremely distracting and there is more risk of causing an accident.
Never answer your cell phone while you are in the bathroom. You may embarrass yourself.
Speaker phones are appropriate to use when you have a group meeting with someone on the phone. But not in any other situation! If you ever put someone on a speakerphone, always tell them that's what you are doing and tell them who else is in the room. The other person can tell if you put them on speakerphone as the echo is easily identifiable.
If you are conferencing, always introduce the caller to everyone on the phone. Speakerphones can be loud, so when you are using it, always close the door.
Voice-mails
When you record a greeting on your voice-mail, remember some manners.
Say your name, department and when you are available to return the message.
Some people record messages daily. Change your message if you are out for vacation for sometime. It is appropriate to inform the caller when you will be out of the office and saying that you will return the call when you are back.
If you are leaving a message on someone else's voice-mail always leave your name, your company and your telephone number. Leave short message that is clear and to the point. On the end of the message, repeat your name and phone number slowly.
If you get a message on your voice-mail system remember to return the call on the same day, or if late during the day, the very next morning.
Videoconferences and conference calls
Conference calls and videoconferences are very popular these days. The camera has ability to focus on one person at the time. Any flaws in your body language will become very apparent.
On a conference call, the central person can either conference everyone to be on the call or the participants dial the number. You must always introduce yourself when you join a call, but do not announce yourself immediately, because you may step to another speaker.
However, if you join late, do not announce yourself immediately. If the host asks who just joined the call, than introduce yourself.
Do not ever sit in complete silence without introducing yourself. People deserve to know who is listening to them. Try to identify yourself each time when you speak on the conference call. This way, you can compensate for others not seeing you. And remember, let other's finish before you begin to speak.
When you are on a conference call, put yourself on mute, unless you are actually speaking. You do not want to add additional background noise. When you have something to say, do not forget to put yourself off mute.
When you are scheduling your videoconference, prepare well in advance. Have agreed agenda for the meeting. During the call, sit properly, listen actively and talk clearly. Be aware that long distance audio, can introduce some delays. Be aware of your body language, your background and facial expressions.
Written communication
Writing is still an essential skill for a professional. A letter or report wrote professionally, is grammatically correct and contains no spelling errors.
Good vocabulary can also be obtained by reading. You need to read different articles in different fields. This way, you learn new words and information. Writing, as conversations, require attention to detail.
Edit, edit, edit. At least three times! Be your first own work critic. Eliminate any grammatical mistakes, spelling errors and bad style. Perhaps you can read the information out loud.
When writing, we must focus on the topic at hand and not on the person, even if the person is rude. The same applies for conversations.
Writing does not accept cursing, calling people names, and never make off-colour remarks in business correspondence. Keep your tone moderate. Making spelling errors and grammatical errors can label you are uneducated and careless.
When composing business letter always use high quality paper. If you are angry, never write or send a business letter. Wait at least 24 hours to review it. You also need to plan the information before you writing. Know what you want to say and in what order. Adopt friendly but clear and concise tone. Always revise the letter to ensure you included all the information. Edit the letter for spelling and grammar, and edit again!
Most of business letters have the following:
Date - the month, day and the year on the left or right top side,
Reference line - top left,
Recipient address - below the dateline,
Always include recipients titles and full name,
Greeting: "Dear Mr...",
The body: information you want to communicate. Be polite,
Close: "Your truly", "Sincerely", "All the best", "All best wishes", "Regards", "Best Regards", "Kindest Regards",
Signature,
Enclosures.
Memos are written communications within companies or within departments. These are generally announcements, report on company activities. They could be informal or public. However, if there is anything confidential to communicate, do not do it on memos.
Memos have the following elements:
An addressee, in capital letters, top left side,
The sender, below the addressee,
Date, below the senders name,
Subject, below the date,
Suitable paper.
Remember, critique and praise is best given in person, so do not use memos to do that.
More formal business events call for written invitations.
When drafting a business invitation, include all the information for the invitee to accept or reject it. Ensure, that everyone who should be invited is invited. Formal invitations should include:
The host's name and contact number,
Nature of the event,
Place of the event,
Time and date of the event,
Information whether food will be provided,
Information whether dancing will be involved,
Information whether sports will be involved,
Expected dress code,
Information on how to respond to the invitation.
Example:
In honour of
Mr John Smith
The officers and Directors of Quality Workplace
request the pleasure of your company
at a company dinner
Friday 23rd July
Three o'clock to ten o'clock
Restaurant Naovi Business dress
123 Green Street
Warwick
RSVP
Agnes Sopel
12763 453 221
Thank you notes are sent to the host within a day or two after the event. These should be to the point and short. These should not be written to discuss business, but express gratitude for invitation.
If you receive a written invitation, you should write a thank you note.
Thank you notes are also appropriate for gifts you have received. When writing a thank-you note for the gift appreciate the effort, thank them for the gift and say how you will use it.
Any business letters or envelopes reflect your taste and character.
When using technology these days its, important to understand the danger of accidentally revealing confidential information. Always check your company policy on this.
I
t is also important, to be aware of what you are communicating outside of the business via e-mails or other media. When you are dealing with customers and suppliers, remember:
Do not reveal more about internal projects than they need to know to complete the job,
Do not share list of employees or contact numbers,
If you leave your computer, turn on your screen saver and set a password to lock it,
When you leave at night, lock your documents and memory sticks,
If you going to another office, never leave your laptop unlocked on a conference table.
Out of working hours communication
In today's working environment, we receive business e-mails and messages all around the clock. But, there are few rules that need to be understood in order to respect other's privacy and home life.
For example, if you send an e-mail to someone at 11pm, do not expect them to read it by a meeting at 9am in the morning. Also, do not e-mail or call someone after working hours, unless it is absolute emergency.
If you writing an e-mail late at night, do not send it at the time. Leave it until the next morning and read again before sending.
We also should't be returning calls ad out of working hours or requesting information late at night. If you send an e-mail that needs immediate response, follow up with a call promptly.
Using Internet at work
In short, business Internet is for business. We should also be aware, that many employers monitor employees internet use. You should find out, whether your company has a specific policy on internet use, before starting browsing for new shoes!
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