The rules are slightly different from standard social settings, yet business schools rarely discuss professional etiquette topics.
In her new book "The Essentials Of Business Etiquette," Barbara Pachter writes about the specific skills professionals need to understand when presenting themselves in a business setting.
From how to introduce yourself to what to order at restaurants, these are the social rules you need to know when establishing relationships.
Pachter has given us permission to use these excerpts from her book.
If your name is too long or difficult to pronounce, Pachter says you should consider changing or shortening it. Or you should consider writing down the pronunciation of your name on a business card and giving it to others.
"Before you choose between email and handwritten notes, consider that regular mail may take several days to get to its destination while email arrives almost immediately. This time difference can be important after a job interview, if the hiring decision is being made quickly."
"Both men and women can pull out their own chairs."
"The bottom line, however, is health related: crossing your legs is bad for your circulation because it increases the pressure on your veins."
"Point with an open palm, and keep your fingers together. If you point with your index finger, it appears aggressive. Both men and women point, but women have a tendency to do it more than men."
"Break your roll in half and tear off one piece at a time, and butter the piece as you are ready to eat it."
"You are not the waiter. Let the wait staff do their jobs."
This means that if your guest orders an appetizer or dessert, you should follow suit.
"You don’t want to make your guest feel uncomfortable by eating a course alone," Pachter says.
For example, if your boss is a vegetarian but chose to meet you at a steak house, Pachter says "by all means you can order steak."
"Food is placed to the left of the dinner plate. The words food and left each have four letters; if the table is set properly, your bread or salad or any other food dish, will be placed to the left of your dinner plate. Similarly, drinks are placed to the right of the dinner plate, and the words glass and right contain five letters. Any glass or drink will be placed to the right of the dinner plate."
"Left and right also work for your utensils. Your fork (four letters) goes to the left; your knife and spoon (five letters each) go to the right."
Also, think "BMW" when trying to remember where to place plates and glasses. The mnemonic BMW here stands for "bread, meal, and water" so remember that "your bread-and-butter plate is on the left, the meal is in the middle, and your water glass is on the right."
"However, the bottom line is that you don’t want to fight over a bill. If a male guest insists on paying despite a female host’s best efforts, let him pay."
Pachter says you need to be the one talking as you're making the exit. "Remember to leave when you are talking. At that point, you are in control, and it is a much smoother exit."
You should also have "exit lines" prepared in case you need to leave a conversation. You can say "Nice to meet you" or "Nice talking to you" or "See you next week at the meeting."
You can also excuse yourself for a bathroom break, to get food, or say you wanted to catch someone before they leave.