Lesson five

Polish for the professional

You have, by now, made yourself familiar with the rules and regulations governing corporate life. Maybe you are already a veteran at it. But if you want to make your mark in the corporate arena, you need to go beyond the basics. You need to understand and acquire a certain polish and sophistication to give you the extra impetus    a ‘winning edge’ to propel you forward.

The name of the game

Business etiquette is based on hierarchy and power. Equality and not chivalry is the name of the game. So, the career girl will need to polish up her act. She will need to grow into a polished professional.

Every day, in the space of your busy career you will come across a variety of people you will meet on a professional level – at meetings, at functions or at parties.
When these occasions happen, most of us get flustered with a variety of problems    Introductions, the proper way to shake hands, conversational skills etc.
How do you acquire the much needed ease and comfort with these situations? Relax, it is not rocket science that we are talking about here. Just a few rules of business etiquette that can easily be remembered and learnt.

Establishing identity

First, introductions. Introductions are one of the most important aspects of our daily life, but few people know how to make them properly. Here a few moot points for you to remember:

• In the business arena, the person of lesser importance, regardless of gender, is introduced to the person of greater importance, regardless of gender.

• The name of the person being introduced is mentioned last, the person to whom the introduction is made is mentioned first.

• The client is more important than anyone in your organisation, even if the client holds a lesser title than the executive in your firm. So…

It will be "Mr. Executive, meet Mr.Client" and not vice versa!

Handling handshakes well

Never underestimate the importance of handshakes. It is the first form of non-verbal communication in a business setting and speaks volumes of a person’s character, irrespective of age, position or gender. The accepted physical greeting to accompany introductions is the handshake.
So, let's take a moment to learn to shake hands like a businessperson.

• To shake hands properly, we must keep that thumb up and touch 'webs' before wrapping the fingers around the other person's hand.

• The grip should be firm and light. Not too limp and not too forceful.

• Hand should not be pumped excessively. Once or twice is more than enough.

• Look the other person in the eye and smile while shaking hands.

• Always remember to stand up and shake hands. Sitting in your seat and shaking hands is a breach of etiquette. Always rise to the occasion.

• When you are at a party and you are served drinks, make sure that you hold your drink in your left hand. This will leave your right hand free for shaking hands. Moreover, nothing offends a person more than encountering a damp, wet hand.

Social etiquette decreed that the woman be the one to extend her hand first. You will still find the occasional lady executive who is taken aback if the man extends his hand.

In the business arena, it doesn't matter who extends the hand first, but the one who does takes control of the situation, takes matters in hand if you will!

So, take control of your professional life. Remember, it lies in your hands.