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Cultural Business and Social Etiquette for Top Professionals

When doing business with someone from another culture it important to understand the cultural standards or rules in which they communicate. When you are meeting with a person from another country it is wise to know which actions and nonverbal communications may be something you should never do in that country. There are common rules of etiquette that are followed in most cultures that are very similar and some that are very obscure. As a successful professional the biggest impression you can leave on other people is an understanding of their cultural greetings and social manners.

It is very important in other cultures to establish hierarchy to determine how you should act. Let's say you walk into a room where there is a networking group being held. The leader should be positioned so they can see the whole room and usually sits at the head of the table. In most cultures when two people enter a conference room the guest should wait to be seated and never sit at the head of the table it would be an insult to take their seat. It is important to establish who the leader is so you can greet them and they will tell you where to sit based on professional status. After a meeting is done it is also customary in some countries for the leader to stand first.

Food etiquette is pretty much a universal language that is very important in all cultures and the most common nonverbal communication signals you send reflect what type of person you are and how you are respected.

Here are the top 10 biggest mistakes people make when eating:
  • Sitting before the host seats you
  • Putting your elbows on the table
  • Leaving the table before being invited to
  • Starting to eat before the host does
  • Taking a used utensil and reusing it in butter or a serving plate
  • taking the last bit of food on a serving plate
  • eating more than your host
  • eating with your fingers
  • talking with your mouth full of food
  • putting a spoon used to stir a beverage in your mouth
When someone presents you with a business card don't overlook what the purpose of hand you a business card means. When you are accepting a business card from someone you should hold it by the very tip of the card and look at it. This person is giving you a gift and you should delicately hold it and study it because much can be learned from a business card. When you present a card to someone use the same manner; holding it by the corner so you don't obscure any information. Always hand your business card to the other person with the print facing towards them with intention. Never place a business card that has been given to you in your back pocket it is an insult and a sign of disrespect.

It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with social customs of other countries before you have a meeting or a meal with someone from another culture because it will allows you to build a relationship based on respect. You will find that researching other cultures makes you more aware of some of the common mistakes that would send the wrong message to another person.

There are a lot of great reference lists of etiquette tips listed on these websites:



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Business-to-business networking is about building relationships based on trust, and enabling your business to grow.

It's said that on average each person has 250 contacts. Each of those people is an opportunity.

What if you could reach out to those 250 people and gain access to the other 249 people that they know?

If you trust each other, you may be able to do just that.

Just think what it would be like to gain access to over 60,000 possible clients...

 

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