CHAPTER I

CORPORATE ETIQUETTE

Corporate Etiquette refers to set of rules an individual must follow while he is at work.
One must respect his organization and maintain the decorum of the place.
Corporate Etiquette refers to behaving sensibly and appropriately at the workplace to
create an everlasting impression. No one would take you seriously if you do not behave well at
the workplace. Remember we can’t behave the same way at work place as we behave at our
homes. One needs to be professional and organized.
WORK PLACE ETIQUETTE

Work etiquette is a code that governs the expectations of social behavior in a workplace.
This code is put in place to "respect and protect time, people, and processes." There is no
universal agreement about a standard work etiquette, which may vary from one environment to
another. Work etiquette includes a wide range of aspects such as body language, good behavior,
appropriate use of technology, etc. Part of office etiquette is working well with others and
communicating effectively.

BUSINESS ETIQUETTE

Business etiquette is a set of rules that govern the way people interact with one another in
business, with customers, suppliers, with inside or outside bodies. It is all about conveying the
right image and behaving in an appropriate way.

EMAIL ETIQUETTE
 Email etiquette refers to the principles of behavior that one should use when writing or
answering email messages. It is also known as the code of conduct for email communication.
Email etiquette depends upon to whom we are writing- Friends & Relatives, Partners,
Customers, Superior or Subordinates.

 Identify the purpose of the message and determining what the recipient reading the
message has to do.
 Focus your objective. Achieve the five I's: Inform, Inquire, Influence, Instruct and
Incite.

 Focus your content. Don't let unnecessary ideas impose on your principal message.

To line:

Each individual on the To line is responsible for response or taking the action (or part of
an action) outlined on the Subject line and the message relates directly to them.

Cc line:

 No action or response is expected of individuals on the Cc The recipient needs only to

read or file the message.
 The individuals whose work is indirectly affected by the communication should be
included on the Cc

Bcc line:

 A feature similar to CC except that in BCC or blind courtesy copy, recipients are invisible
to the other recipients.
 Use Bcc field cautiously.

Subject: line

Subject line should effectively summarize the message. If the subject-line is clearly written,
each recipient on the To line will have a clear understanding of the objective that the message
relates to.
  Subject line should effectively summarize the message
 Not use more than 6 or 7words in subject line

 Never use CAPITAL letter

 When replying, change the subject line when the topic changes.

Salutations:

We should be very careful in writing the salutation because it can be mistranslated the
reader about the sender. So the sender must ensure that his/her reader is comfortable and happy
with my salutation, otherwise rest of the communication may not bring any positive result.
Below table shows some salutations for various circumstances.

TELEPHONE AND MEETING ETIQUETTE

Presenting a professional image, both in person and on the telephone, is very important in
the Office Skills profession. Taking care of your customers over the telephone and making them
feel well informed and appreciated is essential. Whether you are the front office receptionist or
an executive secretary, the following phone tips should always be followed.
 Speak clearly. A picture paints a thousand words but the caller on the other end of the
phone can only hear you. They cannot see your face or body language. Therefore, taking
the time to speak clearly, slowly and in a cheerful, professional voice is very important.
 Use your normal tone of voice when answering a call. If you have a tendency to speak
loud or shout, avoid doing so on the telephone.
 Do not eat or drink while you are on telephone duty. Only eat or drink during your coffee
break or lunch break.
 Do not use slang words or Poor Language. Respond clearly with “yes” or “no” when
speaking. Never use swear words.
 Address the Caller Properly by his or her title. (i.e. Good morning Mr. Brown, Good
afternoon Ms. Sanders). Never address an unfamiliar caller by his or her first name.
 Listen to the Caller and what they have to say. The ability to listen is a problem in general
but it is very important to listen to what the caller has to say. It is always a good habit to
 repeat the information back to the client when you are taking a message. Verify that you
have heard and transcribed the message accurately.
 Be patient and helpful. If a caller is irate or upset, listen to what they have to say and then
refer them to the appropriate resource. Never snap back or act rude to the caller.
 Always ask if you can put the caller on hold. If you are responsible for answering
multiple calls at once, always ask the caller politely if you may put them on hold.
Remember that the caller could have already waited several minutes before getting
connected to you and may not take lightly to being put on hold. Never leave the person
on hold for more than a few seconds or they may become upset and hang up.
 Always focus on the call. Try not to get distracted by people around you. If someone tries
to interrupt you while you are on a call, politely remind them that you are on a customer
call and that you will be with them as soon as you are finished.

MEETING ETIQUETTE

Meetings are an important part of corporate where employees sit together on a common
platform, exchange their views and opinions and reach to a solution benefitting the organization
and mutually acceptable to all.

Meeting Etiquette refers to codes of behavior an individual ought to follow while

attending meetings and discussions at the workplace.

Let us go through some meeting etiquette in detail:

 Try to find out what the meeting is all about. Understand the importance of the
meeting. Never go blank. Employees should do all the ground work before attending
meetings to ensure maximum participation from their end. Prepare notes in advance.
 Never attend meetings without a notepad and pen. It is practically not possible for an
individual to remember each and every thing discussed at the time of meeting. A notepad
helps in jotting down the important points for future reference.
 Always keep your cell phone on the silent or vibrator mode. Cell phones ringing in the
middle of meetings and seminars are considered rude and unprofessional. This might
insult others sitting in the same room as well as break the pace of the meeting.

 Do not attend phone calls during meetings unless it is an emergency. It is bad

manners to do the same.

 Superiors must create an agenda before every meeting. The agenda must be circulated
among all employees for them to prepare in advance. Meetings should not be conducted
just for the sake of it. It is important to have well defined plans. Make a list of issues to
be discussed at the time of meeting. Make sure you do not deviate from the key points.
Keep the meetings short.

 Never be late for meetings. Going late for a meeting is something which is not expected
out of a professional.

 Chewing gum during meetings is childish and must be avoided.

 Be a good listener. Listen to what others have to say. Wait for your turn to speak.

 Sit wherever you find a place. Do not run here and there.

 Do not enter the meeting room once the meeting has already begun It disturbs others.

 Avoid taking your cups of coffee or tea to meeting rooms unless and until advised by
superiors.

 Fiddling with pen or notepad is one of the major distractions in meetings. One must
concentrate and stay alert. Be an attentive listener. Do not yawn even if you find the
meeting boring.

 The one chairing the meeting must speak loud and clear. It is essential to take care of
the pitch and tone.

 Meetings ought to be interactive and allow employees to come up with their suggestions
and valuable feedback. A question answer round must be kept at the end for employees to
clear their doubts.
  Once the meeting is over, minutes of the meeting must be prepared and circulated across
all departments for them to take necessary action

 Use Whiteboards, projectors, graphs, pointers, slides for better clarity.

 Do not convert the meeting room into a battle ground. Speak politely and do respect your
colleagues.

 Never attend meetings in casuals. Follow a professional dress code.

CHAPTER II

ATTIIRE ASPECTS

FORMAL AND INFORMAL DRESS

Formal events are what you would expect in a ceremonial environment–people dressed in
formal wear following a specific official event protocol. Only invited individuals are expected to
attend such events. Informal events, on the other hand, are the events which do not adhere to the
standard mode of formal dressing and event protocols. They are flexible and can incorporate
many elements without paying attention to whether they are formally acceptable or not.

Because of their strictness, many people would only associate professional event
planning with formal events. Event planning, however, is also critical to informal events since
they also require adequate preparation to make them successful. Here are some of the most
critical considerations you need to make in planning formal and informal events:

Timing
Formal and informal events are held on different days at different times. Most formal
events, like executive dinner parties, conferences and exhibitions, are held on weekdays while
informal ones are scheduled on weekends. This rule, however, does not apply to all types of
events. Some formal weddings for example, are held on weekends when everyone is away from
work.
Dress Code
The main perceptible difference between formal and informal events is the dress code.
Men in a formal events are expected to dress in tuxes, suits, blazers, bow ties and formal shoes
while ladies in gowns, formal dresses and lady suits. Informal events on the other hand, allow
their guests to dress as they please. To make your event colorful, you should choose a dress code
which corresponds to the theme. Guests at a formal event for example, could be requested to
dress in a smart-casual wear with colors corresponding to the theme.