BUSINESS ETIQUETTE

COURSE MATERIAL v2.0

BUSN 733 & BUSN 333

1. Intro to Etiquette – what is it and why is it important?

2. Dealing With Mistakes – Useful Canadian Phrases
3. Dressing to make a good impression
4. Introductions
5. Shaking Hands
6. Video Calls and Virtual Meetings
7. Telephone Etiquette

1. Intro to Etiquette – what is it and why is it important?

Business etiquette covers many facets of human interaction, including:
• Digital etiquette (synchronous and asynchronous)
• Introductions
• Dress code
• … and much more.
Interesting observation: In many cases, new employees are hired for their technical skills and
later fired for their lack of interpersonal or “soft” skills.
Although COVID-19 has changed the nature of how business is done in 2020, there will be a
return to face-to-face contact in the future. This document is intended to provide guidance in
both restricted business settings and traditional business settings.
Business is conducted in offices, outdoors on job sites, online from home, in retail environments,
as well as at breakfast meetings, luncheons, dinners and parties. Many professionals are not sure
of the etiquette and protocol surrounding these occasions.
Generally speaking, good etiquette is based on treating people as you would wish to be treated –
respectfully. This includes:
• Respecting people’s time by arriving to meetings on time (whether face-to-face or
virtual)
• Respecting people’s time and attention by turning off your phone
• Showing a commitment to focus on work by wearing proper business attire
• Showing respect for others by addressing them appropriately
• … and many more behaviours that will send the right non-verbal message about you as a
professional.

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 2. Dealing With Mistakes – Useful Canadian Phrases
Fortunately, most people are willing to forgive unfortunate incidents and mistakes if you
recognize them and apologize. Not apologizing may result in resentment and distrust; negative
working relationships may result. By apologizing and correcting mistakes, trust can be restored
and positive working relationships can be maintained.
In addition to knowing how to apologize gracefully, Canadian business culture will require you to
use the following common words and phrases much more than you may expect.
• Please
• Thank you
• Excuse me
• May I help you?
• I’m sorry – I was wrong about that.
They are all short and simple, but when said with meaning, they convey respect.

3. Dressing to make a good impression

Whether we like it or not, we are judged by the way we look. The most important thing to
remember about how to dress is to always dress to make your customers, clients, coworkers, or
guests feel respected and comfortable. Your choices also reflect how seriously you wish to be
taken in a professional environment. A good guideline is to let your wardrobe reflect the position
to which you aspire, not the position you currently hold. Whatever you choose to wear, keep it
clean and neat.
The following choices will help you look good either in person or on camera during meetings.
Even during virtual meetings, how you look will be interpreted with regard to how seriously you
take your commitment to the tasks at hand. A sloppy presentation suggests a less-than-adequate
attitude towards productivity.
Term Typical Wardrobe Choices Comments
Formal Wear • Dinner jacket (tuxedo) Not frequently required.
• Evening gown
• Cocktail dress
Business Attire • Suit with collared shirt and tie Choose a dark coloured suit and a
• Tailored pantsuit light coloured shirt or blouse. Use
• Single or two-tone dress/skirt bright colours as accents and not as
combo a main colour. Avoid heavily
patterned clothing.
Business Casual • Slacks with sports coat and In a new environment, observe how
button-up shirt others are dressed and match what
• Sweater/sweater vest with the most successful colleagues wear.
slacks or skirt/blouse
• Dress pants with
shirt/blouse/sweater
Dress Down Day • Slacks or skirt with a
shirt/blouses
• Golf shirt

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Clothing to avoid in the workplace, even on dress down day:
• Shorts • Running shoes, hiking boots, heavy winter
• Mini-skirts boots (in an office setting – change to
indoor shoes)
• Denim jeans that are ripped, worn thin,
bleached • Oversized belt buckles
• T-shirts, tank tops, anything that shows • Branded accessories or clothing with
belly button and/or biceps, or excessive predominant logos
cleavage

4. Introductions
Introducing two other people
Introductions of people to whom you would like to show respect (such as your company
president or your manager) have a special twist. The rule is to introduce the “less respected”
person (lesser authority, rank, or age) to the “more respected” person (higher authority, rank, or
age). In other words, say “the most respected” person’s name first. As a matter of courtesy,
clients should always be granted the status of holding the “most respected” position.
1. Show respect for the most important person in the setting by mentioning that person’s
name first.
2. Include a brief comment about each person being introduced so that they have some
basic knowledge of each other. These brief introductory statements provide
opportunities to begin conversations as well as help associate names with faces, which
improves name retention.
Examples:
“Ms. Senior Executive, let me present Mr. Junior Executive. Mr. Junior Executive, this is Ms.
Senior Executive.”
“Ms. Gonzales, I would like to introduce Larry Crosby, our Loans Officer, who will help you
complete the paperwork for your loan. Larry, this is Ms Gonzales who has been a client at this
branch for six years now.”
Introducing Yourself
In some business situations, you will need to introduce yourself. Simply approach the person you
don’t know, extend your hand, smile and say, “Hello, I am Tien Chen Wang,” adding something
appropriate given the circumstances, such as “I’m the host’s assistant,” or “I’m here representing
the City of Ottawa.”
1. Say hello and state your name slowly and clearly.
2. Provide some context and additional detail.
3. Stop talking – allow the other person to reciprocate and introduce themselves.
Take notice of your setting before introducing yourself. Don’t intrude on someone who is in
conversation with another person.
When you see someone you have met before, help them remember you. Say something such as
“Hi, Gail, I’m Mohammed Khan with Centennial College. We met at the conference in Florida last
year.” This simple gesture takes the pressure off the other person, who may be trying to
remember your name and place your face. It also provides a conversation starter.

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Everyone - men and women - stands when they are being introduced. In a business situation, it is
especially respectful to stand when a client enters your workspace. Well-mannered business
professionals will come around their desk and shake hands with clients before getting down to
business.
However, if you work together or see each other often, there is no need to stand every time a
colleague enters your work space.

5. Shaking hands
At the time of this writing, the world is attempting to manage the coronavirus pandemic. Until a
few months ago, handshakes were the norm in the western business world, for both men and
women. It is unclear whether this will remain true going forward.
If restrictions on casual personal contact are lifted, be prepared to shake hands in the following
situations:
• As part of an introduction
• When greeting someone you have not seen in a while
• When greeting a host or hostess of an event
• When hosting an event and greeting guests
• When ending a meeting respectfully and with gratitude

Always shake hands with anyone who extends his or her hand to you, no matter what the
situation. It is extremely rude to ignore or refuse to shake hands when someone offers a hand to
you. If you are unable to shake hands with someone due to a religious, cultural, or medical
barrier, be prepared to offer a very short explanation, with a smile. Prepare this in advance so
you are ready.
Technique
• Extend your hand, make eye contact, smile, and say “How do you do?” or “Hello.”
• Withdraw your hand if the other person does not respond. Continue talking.
• Do not extend your hand when the other person’s hands are full, simply nod your head
and say something like “Hello,” or “It’s nice to see you again.”
• If someone says he or she is sick or would prefer not to shake hands, smile graciously and
continue your conversation.
• Grasp the other person’s hand firmly and fully. Do not just grasp fingertips – this is called
a wet fish handshake and is to be avoided. The “web” between your thumb and
forefinger should touch the other person’s “web”.
• Give one or two “shakes” and then release.

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 6. Video Calls and Virtual Meetings
Video calls “are essentially in-person interactions that allow businesses to communicate more
effectively” (Lovgren, 2020). Many of the same etiquette rules apply, with some modifications
and additions.
Preparation
• Choose an appropriate, authentic background. A bookcase, a wall with appropriate
artwork – choose something professional and not distracting. Don’t show dirty dishes,
unfolded laundry or posters from your favourite events.
• Avoid virtual backgrounds, if possible. Some virtual backgrounds are fine but other are
distracting to the content of the meeting. Some virtual backgrounds will appear on your
clothing or on your face – avoid this.
• Test your lighting. Your face should be clearly visible.
• Avoid being back lit. Don’t sit with your back to a window. The natural light from the
window will make it impossible to see your face.
• Control your environment. Remind your family or others living with you that you will be
on a call. Ask them not to disturb you. Remind them not to walk behind you while you are
on camera.
• Sit up straight, don’t slouch. You need to look attentive, alert and focused. Sit on a chair –
not on the floor or on your bed. Couches are also not conducive to good meeting
posture.
• Dress appropriately. Whatever part of you is being viewed on camera should reflect the
professionalism expected in an in-person workplace.
• Test your camera and microphone. If possible, do a test run of the meeting platform with
your camera and microphone. Don’t use up valuable call time or meeting time trying to
get everything to work.
• Frame yourself appropriately in the camera lens. Other attendees should see your full
face – not the top of your head – and your shoulders.
• Set up meetings and calls in advance. If you are hosting, send an invitation link via email.
Do not just randomly video call people without advance set-up.

During the Meeting or Call – General Etiquette

• Be on time. Just as you would be in person, arrive on time. Don’t keep people waiting.
• Use your mute button – use it well and use it often. In most meetings, you will be muted
more than you will be speaking. This helps other attendees by keeping the ambient noise
in your location – pets, children, traffic, dishwasher, whatever – from distracting
everyone.
• Remember you are on camera. If you need to attend to something not related to the
meeting, turn the camera off for a moment. Keep focused on the meeting, not on other
things around you.

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 • Keep movement to a minimum. Stay still – don’t wave your hands around or
sway/bounce in your chair. Most especially, don’t relocate to another place in the middle
of a call unless you absolutely must. If you must move, turn off your camera, re-locate,
then turn it back on again.
• Do not speak to people off camera at your location. Stay focused on the meeting or call.
• Remind yourself to make “eye contact” with the camera. To “look” at attendees, look at
the camera, not the screen where you see their faces. Try to achieve this for about 25-
30% of your time in the meeting or call.
• Yield to other speakers. It is common for people in virtual meetings to speak at the same
time. The technology creates pauses and delays. Be patient. Unless your point is critical
to be heard at that moment, yield to other speakers – indicate they should proceed and
you will speak after them.
• Introduce yourself before speaking. This is useful in a meeting with many attendees. If
you are speaking, people may not know ahead of time who is speaking. It can be very
helpful to begin with “This is Joyce and I wanted to add …”

Moderating or Hosting a Meeting or Call

• Know your app. The options for the host are different than the options for an attendee.
You may be able to “mute all”, or remove people, or give permission for screen sharing.
Learn these features before hosting so you can implement your choices smoothly.
• Have an agenda for your meeting. Distribute your list ahead of time. This will make any
meeting flow more smoothly.
• Delegate tasks. Depending on the type or style of meeting, and the number of attendees,
there may be many functions to attend to. You can do only one. For large or complex
meetings, you should delegate these tasks to team members. These tasks include:
o Facilitating the meeting: helping the agenda to flow smoothly, keeping discussion
on track
o Taking notes: Keeping a record of what is said or decided.
o Coordinating technical issues: If your meeting includes showing slides or
examples, or a demo of some kind, give that responsibility to someone else.
o Maintaining a speaker’s list: If your meeting includes a question and answer
section, let someone else monitor the incoming questions and determine the
order in which they will be asked.
o Monitoring the chat area: Someone needs to keep an eye on the parallel
conversations that may be happening in the chat area in case there are questions
or key points discussed that need to be brought into the larger meeting.

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 o Get permission to record. Many meetings do not need to be recorded. If you
need to record a meeting, check into your organization’s privacy policy. Most
organizations and jurisdictions have strict privacy controls on what can or cannot
be recorded. Without making this too complex, as a general rule, no one should
be recorded without their express acknowledgement or permission. There is an
easy way to achieve this in an online meeting.
 Wait for everyone to arrive to the meeting.
 Begin by stating that you would like to record the meeting. If this
generates discussion, attend to any concerns that people may have.
 Once you have everyone’s agreement to record, let people know that
you will be turning on the record feature and that you will be asking for
their permission to record.
 Turn on the record feature and then acknowledge that the group has
agreed to be recorded and ask each participant to acknowledge that
their permission has been granted.
You now have a record of each participants’ permission to record the meeting.

7. TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE
Receiving an Incoming Business Call
• Answer before the third ring.
• Discontinue any other conversation or activity such as eating, chewing gum, typing, or
other noisy activity that can be heard by the calling party.
• Use a professional greeting that states your organization’s name, your name, and a
salutation. Example:
o "Good morning, you’ve reached Centennial College, this is Karla Swanson.”
• Speak slowly, clearly and distinctly in a pleasant tone of voice.
• Learn to listen actively and listen to others without interrupting.
Making a Business Call
• When you call someone and they answer, identify yourself: "This is Jane Howard from
Centennial College.”
• Always know and state the purpose of the communication.
• When you reach a wrong number, say: "I'm sorry, I must have the wrong number. Please
excuse the interruption."
• If you have an appointment to make a call, do so on time. Don’t be late.

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 VOICEMAIL ETIQUETTE
Voicemail has many benefits and advantages when used properly. However, you should not hide
behind voicemail. If callers constantly reach your voicemail instead of you, they will suspect that
you are avoiding calls.
Voicemail Greeting
• Record your own personal greeting. Don't use the standard default greeting. People tend
to feel that they have already lost the personal communication touch because of
voicemail. It helps to maintain a personal touch if you record your greeting in your own
style.
• Follow company policy on voicemail updates. Many companies like you to change your
voicemail each morning to include the current date and your current availability or
schedule.
• Write down what you want to say in your greeting. Practice saying it a few times before
recording. Even if the greeting sounds like you are reading it, it will ensure that you don't
spend as much time trying to record it "just right."
• Include in your greeting your name and department. This helps people know they have
reached the correct person.
Checking Messages and Returning Calls
• Check your messages daily and return messages within 24 hours. If it will take longer
than 24 hours, call the person and advise him/her. Callers should feel comfortable that
you are checking your voicemail daily.
Leaving a Voicemail Message for another Person
• Speak clearly and slowly. If the recipient can’t follow your information, they can’t
respond to your inquiry.
• Be sure to leave your name and contact number. The following approach is a very good
habit to develop:
o Begin with your name, organization, phone number – slowly!
o Give a short message
o End by repeating your name (slowly) and phone number (slowly).
• Keep messages short and to the point.
• Remember that you want to leave the person you are calling with a good impression of
you.
• Leave the date and time you called in the message. Let the person know the best time to
call you back.

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 References
Cook, Roy A., Cook, O. Gwen & Yale, Laura J. (2005). Guide to Business Etiquette. Prentice Hall:
New Jersey

Davidson, J. (2020). The How-Tos of Video Conferencing Etiquette. VastConference. Retrieved

from https://www.conferencecalling.com/blog/online-meeting-etiquette

Lovgren, B. (2020) Working Remote? These Are the Biggest Dos and Don'ts of Video
Conferencing. Entrepreneur. Retrieved from
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/238902

Mendoza, N.F. (2020) 13 etiquette tips for video conference calls. TechRepublic. Retrieved from
https://www.techrepublic.com/article/13-etiquette-tips-for-video-conference-calls/

Richardson, N.M. (2011) 11 Dos & Don’ts of Video Conferencing Etiquette. Inc. Retrieved from
https://www.inc.com/ss/video-conferencing-best-practices

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