Basic Chinese Business Etiquette

admin — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:49:50 +0000

If you want to establish good business relations with Chinese people, the first thing you need to do is be careful not to offend them. Things that can give offence are: – looking your Chinese colleague in the eye, gesturing with your hands while you talk, placing his business card in your pocket without reading it first, referring to “The Republic of China” instead of “Taiwan”, being late to the meeting, wearing skirts above the knee, saying “no”. You should say instead, “I’ll look into that.”

Suits should be dark and conservative. Bright colours are totally inappropriate for business. Jewellery can be worn so long as it is good quality and not ostentatious. Gift giving is not expected, but if you bring gifts, make sure they are not expensive and that there is one for each member of the meeting. Make sure it is obvious that the gifts are not personal, but from the company. Give the most important person his gift first.

Never wrap gifts in white or black as these are the colours of death. Red is considered an appropriate colour, but it is better to have them wrapped by the hotel staff after you arrive, since customs will probably open them.

Always use the most polite form of address, e.g. using the correct title and surname, have your own business card edged in gold and give a short, light handshake. Small talk before the meeting begins is considered good manners, as are pauses in the dialogue.

By: Melanie C

Table Manners – Business Etiquette Tips

admin — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:17:45 +0000

In this day and age, business is being conducted outside the four walls of your company office. Business deals and transactions are occurring at golf courses, entertainment events, social venues and restaurants. There are many dynamics to building business relations, partnerships and associations. In order to maneuver through situations with grace and diplomacy, we suggest learning the right etiquette for successful and pleasant business meetings.

Listed below are five helpful tips for business dinning etiquette:

Clock Works

If you are scheduled to have a business breakfast, lunch or dinner it is important to arrive early to the location. Arriving early is a subtle form of etiquette and courtesy. You are basically respecting everyone’s time by not arriving late. By arriving early, you have the opportunity to use the restroom, check your messages, turn off your electronics and reduce any distractions during the business meal.

Deja-Vu

If the date, location and time for your business event have already been determined, we suggest you visit the restaurant website to view the menu and get directions. Previewing the menu early, gives you adequate time to select what you would like to eat. You can even select one or two dishes in case they are out of a particular order. This is very helpful for the day of the business event, because you are able to make a quicker decision on your meal without wasting time or prolonging the order status for the entire table.

99 Bottles of Beer

You should determine before the business meal if you will be ordering alcohol. You can ask the host of the event, fellow colleagues or your boss, if it is ok to order wine, a cocktail, beer or other alcoholic beverages. Also, keep the client or nature of the business meal in mind if you decide to order alcohol. If this is the first meeting, we strongly suggest that you refrain from consuming alcohol. If you are comfortable with your business counterparts and have good business relations, then ordering alcohol might not be a bad decision. Make sure that you are familiar with your tolerance level and drink responsibly.

Talk the Talk

Before the business event, take some time to think about topics to discuss during the meal. This would be a great time to brush up on current events, sports, business trends, entertainment, travel, technology etc. You can also visit the company sites of your business counterparts to learn about their business culture, objectives, missions or current projects that may be national or international. Try to refrain from controversial topics that may not be appropriate during the business meeting.

Green Backs

Make sure to bring extra cash with you whenever you attend business events such as these. Although you may not be paying for the meal, you may have to pay cash for transportation, parking, valet or any other activities after the business event. ATM machines may be difficult or inconvenient to find, depending on the location of the business event. And not all restaurants/venue expect every credit card or personal/business checks.

By: Chi Chi Okezie

Business Continuity Audit » Business Relations

Basic Chinese Business Etiquette

Table Manners – Business Etiquette Tips