Business etiquette is a portable business tool that offers valuable advantage in conducting oneself properly in business situations. The toolkit consists of essential things like trust and warmth in human relationships.

Most of us have an impression that business etiquette is putting the napkin properly round the neck and using the right fork to consume every morsel of food, and most importantly, not making noise while eating! Well all these are important, yet they are not entirely the case of business etiquette. Etiquette is essentially presenting oneself in a fashion that conveys a fine civil sense. It is important to understand that social skills are important to create the right impression on the person with whom you are likely to have business dealings. Social skills comprise of the ability to converse intelligently and transact purposefully with an individual or a group of individuals.

Take the example of a corporate executive who is having a business lunch with a senior banker for negotiating substantial credit line for procuring material from a Japanese supplier. If the executive can converse about Japan's economic downturn and how Indian business can take advantage of price arbitrage, the chances are that banker is likely to be impressed by his general awareness. It instills confidence in the banker that he can be taken seriously and he can be trusted in a business deal. Trust is an important factor in any business situation, and business etiquette helps win the confidence of prospective business partners.

People and their perceptions play a vital role in a business success. So, if you lack table manners, smart dress code or social skills, you may lose potentially worthwhile business deals or profitable alliances. Behaviors that are perceived as abrasive or discourteous can be minimized, if not eliminated by being sensitive to what is accepted as a social norm. Knocking the door before entering the cabin of a senior manager, speaking in a moderate yet firm tone, and not interrupting while somebody else is speaking, are all examples of polished business etiquette. Most of the negative experiences that many of us have had are unintentional and can easily be rectified if we have an open mind and are willing to learn from others. Business etiquette is a portable business tool that offers valuable advantage in conducting ourselves properly in business situations.

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