Business Etiquette For The Professional

By Jeanette M. Coon, A.I.C.I. 

In today’s highly competitive markets, it’s not enough to be a whiz kid with the computer. Companies are looking for people who are not only technically astute, but who can handle themselves in all situations.  According to research conducted by Harvard University, The Carnegie Foundation, and The Stanford Research Institute, only 15% of financial success is due to technical knowledge and 85% is due to skill in communication and building relationships. In other words, your technical ability and knowledge account for only a small percent of the reason you get a job, keep a job, and advance in a job, but your people skills are paramount to your success. And your people skills boil down to your basic etiquette. “Etiquette Savvy” is the ultimate business tool in today’s world.

What makes a customer choose one company over another? Think about two companies that you are familiar with that both have the same or similar product or service. Why would you choose one over another? Chances are that the one you would choose makes you feel important. The people in that company are polite and they are professional. They make it a pleasure to do business with them. How many companies are you familiar with that you feel this way about?

Civility is fading away from us, and it shows up more clearly in the workplace than anywhere else. Yet success in business depends as much on the human element and people skills as it does on a person’s dexterity with a mouse and spreadsheet. The consequences of a faux pas can be far-reaching. You can have a lost sale. You can lose a client. You can lose your job. All of this translates into dollars in your pocket. Knowing the rules of etiquette is just good business sense.

Look around at some of the successful executives in your company – in this country. You’ll notice that they have a polished air, that they are approachable and polite. The have mastered the art of corporate etiquette.

The world around us is dynamic. Yes, it’s important to be a whiz kid on a computer but ultimately it is more important to be a whiz kid in people skills. If we can remember that everyone wears an invisible sign saying, “Make Me feel Important”, we will go far in this world.