Etiquettes! The least you must know

Businesses have gone increasingly global in the past decade. In the corporate world, as a business person you often need to have meetings and dinners with your clients who may be from any part of the world. Learning international business etiquettes is as important as your sales pitch and presentation. It leaves a subtle positive impression of your personality on your client.

Today, I will be discussing some of these etiquettes that you do need to know for your corporate life.

Why do you need table manners and etiquettes at all?

The truth is that you need them for your own good. It will help you be comfortable even in an unknown surrounding and make others comfortable as well.

Where should you seat yourself?

If you are a guest, wait for the host to gesture you to sit. If you are the host yourself, you point to the seat for the guest where he is intended to sit and then be seated yourself.

Rule of Thumb- The guest always gets the best seat and the best view of the area.

Table Etiquettes 

You must never slouch while sitting. Also try ensuring that you do not press your back to the back of your chair. Leave some space between your back and the back of your chair. 

Try not to put your elbows on the table whenever you are eating. However, you can do that whenever you are talking or having a conversation.

According to American Dining Etiquette, you are supposed to leave your hand on your lap whenever you are not holding cutlery.

But according to French Dining Etiquette, you are supposed to rest your wrist at the table so that your hands are always visible to everyone else. This comes from an outdated notion that you are not carrying any weapon with you in your hand and hiding it under the table.

Ensure your phone is on silent during your dining and put it in your pocket/bag.

If you are carrying a big bag with you, do not place it on the floor (In some cultures, it seems to bring bad luck and is considered that you don’t respect your money in that bag). So better always keep it above the ground level. You may place it on a special little stool designed for that bag or on another empty chair next to you or you can ask for a bag holder.

If your bag is small, like a clutch, you can place it on your lap and cover it with a napkin.

The language of Cutleries 

The picture given below is the proper cutlery setting at a dining table.

Starting from the Bottom left:

Salad Fork, Main Course Fork, Plate, Napkin, Main Course Knife, Salad Knife, Soup Spoon

Starting from the Top left:

Bread Plate, Butter knife, Dessert Fork, Dessert Spoon, Champagne Glass (medium height one), White Wine Glass (tallest one), Water Glass (Smallest One)

 

b for Bread and d for Drink

In order to not confuse your set of cutleries with the other dining partners on the dining table, there is a notation that is followed everywhere as shown in the picture below.

Make the letters ‘b’ and ‘d’ with your fingers. ‘b’ represents that on your left hand side you will have your bread plate and butter knife and ‘d’ represents that you will have your drinks glasses on your right hand side.

 

Napkins 

You can place your napkin on your lap in either of the two ways as shown in the pictures.

  

When you are leaving for the washroom and you will be back, just place the napkin on your chair to indicate that the seat isn’t empty and you will be coming back. If you have completed your meal and you are not coming back, then gently fold the napkin (not to exact neat folds) and place it on the left side of your plate on the table.

 

Glasses

There are certainly different types of glasses available for drinking different drinks. The picture below highlights most of the kind. 

Try holding the glasses (White Wine glass, Champagne Glass, etc.) with their stem. This is to ensure that you do not warm the drink with the warmth in your hands.

 

 

Ways of Dining

American way of Dining:

They cut the food using the knife and eat the food bite with the fork one at a time using their right hand.

  

 

 European/Continental way of Dining:

 They cut their food using the fork and knife and eat with their left hand.

  

  

 

In between the meals and after you have completed dining, you can signal the waiter different signs using your fork and knife. The picture given below gives details about this.

 

 

The most important and easy Etiquette is to smile and be happy while you are dining. This gives a positive vibe to your fellow dining partners/Clients and a comfortable environment for all. 

Happy Dining :)

Do follow the pages below to receive constant updates and notifications:

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/thekeenpanda

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/thekeenpanda/