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13 Apr
Chinese Business Etiquette Tips
I was surprised and delighted to learn that I was recently recommended as one of the top five Twitter feeds to follow by Entrepreneur magazine. According to the article, Five To Follow, my twitter feed (@etiquetteexpert) offers invaluable insight for entrepreneurs who want to better understand Chinese business etiquette and want to avoid blunders that could foil a potential deal.
If you’re looking to capitalize on the opportunities available in the growing Asian economy, here are my top five tips for doing business in China.
Eating and Drinking: If you are more senior to the person you are toasting, you should raise your glass slightly higher than the other person’s glass. Don’t stick your chopsticks into your food, and especially not into your rice. This is only done at funerals with rice that is put onto the alter. When not in use, leave your chopsticks side by side, down on the table or on a chopstick stand.
Introductions: Never omit official titles, and never call your Chinese contact by his or her first name unless you are invited to do so. Chinese names are traditionally listed in the opposite order from names in the West. Family names (or surnames) are written first, followed by the first name. To show respect, Chinese are addressed only by their family name and title. For example, Hsin Wu would be addressed as Director Hsin or Chairman Hsin, not as Wu.
Personal Space: Typically, Chinese businesspeople bow slightly when greeting another person. Stand approximately 2 1/2 to 3 feet apart. Give yourself enough space to bow without infringing on your counterpart’s space. When greeting foreigners, the Chinese often follow up their bow with a handshake.
Business Cards: Like most aspects of greetings in China, the exchange of business cards should be treated with respect. The Chinese use two hands to present their card. Receive the card with two hands and acknowledge it before putting it away. Your cards should be printed with Chinese on one side and your language on the other.
Negotiations: Generally the Chinese like to build a trusting relationship first before discussing business. Don’t talk business right away. When a contract or other document is presented to you, never sign your name in red ink. In Buddhist traditions, personal names should never be written in red unless the person is dead.
Royalty Etiquette: How to Meet & Greet William and Kate
John Stillwell/Getty
Prince William of Wales and his bride, Catherine, also known as the newly minted Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, are set to make their debut as a married couple to North America on Thursday, heading first to Canada and then to Southern California. And while the couple views this trip as a working visit, they’ll be promoting Britain through “the prism of their own interests” a palace source says.
Rest assured that protocol standards will likely be more relaxed for Will and Kate than they were when Queen Elizabeth II visited New York City last July. However, if you’re one of the lucky ones to meet the royal couple, you’ll want to put your best foot forward. Keep in mind that William and Kate have immense power and influence and are representatives of one of the oldest and most revered institutions in the world. With that being said, there are still some important protocols to observe if you want to avoid making an egregious gaffe.
To help me compile this list of royalty etiquette tips, I conferred with my friend and fellow etiquette expert across the pond, William Hanson. Read more
Obama Makes Etiquette Blunder As He Toasts the Queen
President Obama’s inexperience with royalty played out on the international stage on Tuesday as he made a breach of royalty protocol during the State Dinner at Buckingham Palace. Notice as he continues to toast Queen Elizabeth II as “God Save the Queen” (England’s National Anthem) plays in the background. To make matters worst, he forgets to drink after making his toast.
Royal Etiquette & Protocol Tips:
1. Do not pick up your glass before the Queen.
2. Do not talk over the orchestra.
3. Do not talk over the orchestra when playing “God Save the Queen,” (National Anthem).
4. The person who proposes the toast should drink. The person being toasted should not drink to himself or herself.
Grace Kelly’s Wedding Revisited
Before Kate Middleton and Lady Diana Spencer, there was Grace Kelly, an American Princess. The marriage of this Hollywood actress to the Prince of Monaco over half a century ago was a sensation on both sides of the Atlantic. Kate may not be a movie star, but like Grace she has been hailed as a style icon and her marriage to Prince William may bring new popularity to the Royal family, just as the princess from Philadelphia did all those years ago.
Caption Contest: What is She Thinking?!
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then what would this photograph say? Come up with a clever caption and enter it in the comments section below for a chance to win an autographed copy of my book, Business Class: Etiquette Essentials for Success at Work.
Hurry! This giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, April 6, 2011.
Royalty Etiquette Expert Offers Tips For Meeting Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II is set to visit New York on July 6 and will address the United Nations General Assembly and tour the partially reconstructed site at ground zero. The queen’s half-day visit will be a whirlwind affair, coming at the end of a nine-day tour in Canada in connection with Canada Day. She is accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.
Just in case you’re one of the fortunate ones to meet the Queen during her visit to Manhattan you’ll need a crash course in royal etiquette. Here are seven quick tips to help you appear prepared, polished and sophisticated. Read more
IHRC Annual Symposium in Switzerland Was Huge Success
I would like to extend a warm “thank you” to the International Human Resources Committee (IHRC), the leadership of Zürcher Gesellschaft für Personal-Management, and Zurich Financial Services for inviting me to speak at the IHRC Annual Symposium in Zurich, Switzerland on June 2, 2010.
My three-hour presentation, “Business Protocol for World-Class Professionals,” was well received and the symposium was a great success. This video shares some of the highlights of this new HR initiative in Switzerland.
What I Learned During My Trip To Switzerland
My husband and me at Jungfrau, the top of Europe (elevation 11,333 feet)
I just returned from Switzerland where I spoke at the International HRCommunity ZGP Annual Symposium in Zurich. What a wonderful experience! It was my first trip to Switzerland and I discovered so much about the culture and the people. Here is what I learned while visiting this fascinating and beautiful country. Read more
Mind Your Global Manners At Home and Abroad
A few of months ago while attending a conference in Chicago, my conference host invited me and a few other conference speakers to dinner at a local steakhouse. It didn’t occur to the host until much later in the evening that one of the couples in our group was from India.
Just before he took our order, our server presented a silver platter of raw steak to the woman from India! Unbeknownst to our host, most people from India are vegetarians and don’t eat meat because the cow is considered sacred! I felt very embarrassed for the couple and for our host. Instead of making a fuss over the awkward situation, the couple simply ordered pasta.
Have you ever made a faux pas while doing business with an international client? In this global economy the chances of doing so are very high. To stay competitive in our ever-changing business climate, cultural competence and a global mind-set are musts. To help you get a head start on your international manners, here are eight helpful tips: Read more
Royalty Etiquette: The President Meets the Queen
President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama looked both nervous and excited as they greeted Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip today at Buckingham Palace. As the couple entered the room, the queen eagerly extended her right hand. Both the President and Mrs. Obama gave the royal couple the “glove” or the two-handed handshake, (a handshake generally reserved for people you know very well). However, this most likely was their way of showing respect to Her Royal Highness. After exchanging a few pleasantries, the royal photographer asked the foursome to strike a pose. It was no surprise that President and Mrs. Obama towered over the diminutive, 5’4” queen. As both couples stood side by side, everyone was careful not to touch each other, even by accident. This greeting have been terribly uncomfortable for President Obama as he is known for giving warm and fuzzy pats on the back when he meets a person. Dressed in a conservative black and white dress, Mrs. Obama played it safe and maintained the girlish “fig leaf” position with her hands crossed in front of her body, a position that it not commonly used by confident women. This could also have been a case of nerves. After all, who wouldn’t be nervous meeting the queen?