This document provides etiquette guidelines for business communications including meetings, telephone use, business cards, and making clients wait. For meetings, it recommends arriving on time, dressing appropriately, exchanging business cards, sending an agenda in advance, and following up after. For phone etiquette, it advises answering promptly, limiting hold times, keeping voicemails short and informative, and using cell phones briefly and discreetly. Business cards should contain clear contact information and be of good quality. If making a client wait, apologize in person and offer refreshments for no more than 15-20 minutes, then call to apologize for their wasted time.

1. BUSINESS
COMMUNICATION
ETIQUETTES

2. CONTENTS
Business
meetings
etiquettes
Telephone
etiquettes
Business cards
etiquettes
Making client
wait

3. MEETINGS
ETIQUETTES
BUSINESS

4. DO’S
• Reach the venue
before the stipulated
time.
• Time for a meeting
is late morning or
early afternoon

5. • Dress
appropriately
• Converse with
your business
partners
• send a detailed
agenda in
advance
• Follow up a
meeting

6. DON'TS
over legalistic during
negotiations
Do not overtly
disagree.
Don’t loose your
temper

7. BUSINESS PHONE
ETIQUETTES

8. • OFFICE PHONES
Answer the phone
in 3 rings or less
Never answer with
just “Hello.”
Ask permission to
place someone on
hold.
Limit hold time to
30-40 seconds. If
longer, call back.

9. • VOICE MAIL
Your voicemail
greeting should be
short and informative
Check voice mail at
least two times per
day
Leave full message
Do not use voice mail
for bad news,
confidential
information, or
complicated directions
Do not leave “angry”
messages

10. • CELLULAR PHONE
Be polite and soft
spoken
Turn OFF cell phones
during ALL meetings.
Cell phone calls
should be brief.
Company cell phones
should only be used
for company business.
Remove yourself from
the presence of others
when making a cell
phone call

11. BUSINESS CARD ETIQUETTE

12. • present your
business card with
the writing facing
the person
• introduce yourself
first and shake the
other person's
hand
• place your
business card in
front of every
chair.

13. • minimum, your name,
companies name and/or
the services that you
provide, and all of your
contact information
should be there in the
card.
• Keep your cards simple,
attractive and easy to
read.
• It must be of good quality
paper and print
• Always read the business
card you received-what
you give is what you get.

14. MAKING CLIENTS WAIT
 Apologies in person
 Offer refreshments
and reading material.
 Don't keep him
waiting longer than 15
or 20 minutes
 Call to express regret
for wasting his time

15. THANK YOU
REFERENCES:
Article by David Gass
Article By International Society For
Etiquettes
www.businessetiquttes.com