First appearances mean a lot in both personal and professional settings. The etiquette that you display puts a positive foot forward and is how potential clients, colleagues, managers, and other professional peers perceive you.
Unfortunately, etiquette is sometimes a difficult thing to understand. As a research project at Southern Adventist University, 89% of people reported in a survey that incivility is a problem in the modern world. Yet, 99% of people in the survey reported that their own behavior was polite.
These statistics show that there is a discrepancy between the manners that people expect and those that they display. As such, it’s worth taking the time to consider what is considered proper etiquette in a business e nvironment which would allow you to make the best impression on the people you work and will work with as possible.
Etiquette to Remember In a Professional or Formal Setting
When to RSVP
Before any significant formal or professional event, it’s likely that you’ll receive an invitation asking you to RSVP. This gives the host an idea of who’s coming and what to expect.
Generally, you want to respond to these invitations as quickly as possible. Never let an invitation sit unanswered for more than a week if you can avoid it.
If you do have to cancel an event that you’ve RSVPed to, notify the host as soon as you can. It’s also a good idea to send your decision alongside an apology email or letter if you can’t share your regrets in-person.
Think About How You’ll Work the Room
Most people have heard the phrase “work the room” but you might not be intimately familiar with what that saying means. When you enter a room, you should have a plan. Who are you going to talk to? What are you going to talk about?
Create a map if you need it. This will help make sure that you get through talking to everyone you intend to talk to without repeating conversations or coming off as lost. This will also make you look more organized and thus more professional.
The most important thing to remember, you don’t want to stick around the entrance of the event. People here are likely nervous or busy as they try to prepare for the event ahead. You’ll want to step out of this area and deeper into the event as you start to work your way around.
It’s also a good idea to avoid any food tables. It’s hard to connect with people when they’re doing something else whether that is eating or checking in. You may also come off as rude if you interrupt people as they try to accomplish other tasks.
Dress Appropriately
It’s likely that the type of event something is will come under discussion beforehand. Many RSVPs and invitations will even outline the dress code.
Punctuality Is Key
At casual events such as parties, there is a concept that someone can show up “fashionably late” for a gathering. In the professional and formal worlds, this isn’t the case.
If you show up late for a function such as this, you will miss important parts or even slow down the process. It also comes across as rude, since it seems as though you couldn’t bother to arrive in a timely manner for something that all of the guests are taking seriously. It’s important to always appear as though you recognize the importance of a professional or formal event and appreciate the invitation that got you there.
Introducing Yourself to New People
When it comes to first impressions, you need to start with a strong introduction. This means that you have to put a confident foot forward and know the proper way to introduce yourself.
First, when you introduce yourself you should clearly state who you are. This, of course, includes your name but you should also state who you are as a professional. For instance, what is your job title or position in your company?
There are also certain behaviors that you should demonstrate to make your presence clear and confident. If you’re sitting when you meet someone, stand up to introduce yourself and make sure to shake their hand.
When you shake hands with someone, your grip should be firm. However, you shouldn’t get too overzealous and grip them too hard or for too long. This can come off as aggressive or cocky. The point is to show self-assurance in your professional or personal standing.
If you’re in a higher position such as hosting the event, you should initiate the handshake between you and the person you’re introducing yourself to. The courtesy behind a handshake is especially important in the culture of the United States.
Don’t Use a Cellphone
With the rise of smartphones, it’s easy to work from wherever you are. This can make it tempting to check your email, texts, or even make work calls wherever you are. As a rule of thumb, you shouldn’t have your phone out at formal or professional events.
If you aren’t talking to anyone but are simply standing off to the side on your phone, you risk coming off as antisocial.
When you’re talking to someone and you stop to check or answer your phone, it can seem as though you consider what’s happening on your phone as more important than the current conversation. If you want to make a good impression, make sure to put your full attention on your present interactions and save anything digital for after the event.
Watch Your Body Language
When talking to new people, the way you act can telegraph how you’re feeling and how receptive people are to you like the tone of voice you speak in. Make sure to carefully avoid negatively connotated body language.
As an example, if you’re tapping your foot or drumming your fingers, it’s likely that people will think you’re bored. Alternatively, if you’re in a meeting and you’re sitting like you might on your couch rather than with your back straight, it can seem as though you aren’t taking the conversation seriously.
Most importantly, make eye contact with the person you’re speaking to. This indicates that you’ve given the speaker your full attention rather than appearing as though you’re waiting for the conversation to end. Consider this: if you were talking to someone and they were looking around the room, would you feel listened to?
Keep the Conversation Professional
When you’re in a meeting or at a formal gathering, you need to make sure to keep your conversations on appropriate topics. Work gatherings are a place to talk about work and professional gatherings mean professional conversations.
This means that there are certain things to avoid at all costs. While it’s sometimes appropriate to ask a semi-personal question (i.e. greeting an acquaintance by asking how their weekend was), these settings are not the place for gossip. Talking about colleagues or managers negatively, as an example, will reflect back on you in an unprofessional manner.
It’s also a good idea to consider what’s appropriate for the setting. If you disagree with a colleague about a project you’ve been working on, it’s probably better to schedule a meeting with them for a later date or discuss things with them at a moment alone rather than to call them out in front of professional peers that aren’t a part of the project. This is a sign of respect.
Follow Up with the People You Meet
After an event, it’s crucial to follow up with the people that you meet. This solidifies the connections you’ve made and it shows that you remembered them after the event.
It’s customary to send notes thanking the hosts or letting the people you met know that you were glad to meet them. As technology advances, handwritten notes are less common in the professional world than email.
There is one thing to take notice of when you’re emailing people you met: these require individualization. While you can have a basic template to share, make sure to take steps such as addressing them by name so that they know that the meeting actually made an impact on you.
Most important of all, do not send these notes out as mass emails. If you send the same thank you note to 30 people in a group message, this is likely to come off as lazy or inconsiderate.
Conclusion
Formal and professional events are often intimidating. Yet, once you know what to do, they’re much easier to handle. Make sure to follow these tips so that your next formal or work event is a success!
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