Two best-selling authors and etiquette experts show why manners count in the business world and how to use social skills to get ahead.

Which fork should you use to eat the salad at a business lunch? What does business casual really mean? What's the one thing it's important not to do when meeting a Japanese businessperson for the first time? Good social skills are critical to success in today's competitive business world. Excellent manners not only grease the wheels of commerce, but an employee's positive professional image rubs off on the company and improves its reputation. The Essential Guide to Business Etiquette, a practical guide for interacting effectively with colleagues, customers, and business associates, details the social skills necessary to ensure personal and professional success. Good manners are like gold in today's fractious business environment—and thus provide an edge in getting and keeping new business. The Essential Guide to Business Etiquette features 14 chapters covering the most critical areas that can help people succeed in the climb up the corporate ladder. From the basics of getting off on the right foot during the job interview to handling office politics to dining etiquette, this book covers everything today's businessperson needs to know to navigate the tricky world of etiquette whether at home or abroad. Learning to operate with grace in the business world could not be more important. Every day, poor manners ruin deals, derail promotions, and harm customer relations.

"Claiming that business behavior communicates something about one's self and organization, the authors detail how to create positive impressions in more than a dozen common work-related situations. Chaney and Martin are business/management academics, experts in cross-cultural business communication, and authors of Intercultural Business Communication (2007) and Global Business Etiquette (CH, Oct'06, 44-1030). This new, complementary book focuses on social behaviors within the US workplace, but includes two chapters and cautionary statements about differences in perceived propriety when interacting with people from other parts of the world. Everything about this book conveys a no-nonsense approach (no images, little white space, and lots of text per page). The writing is factual, with footnotes pointing to a rich assortment of supporting sources. Frequent sidebars/boxes relate stories to punctuate essential concepts. Following an introduction, 14 chapters focus on the business etiquette of particular situations, including job interviews, business dress, office politics, electronic and written communication, dining and entertainment, special events, meetings and presentations, sports , and travel. Readers can therefore refer to relevant sections as needed. The comprehensive, up-to-date content even includes current airport security guidelines and pager, beeper, and BlackBerry etiquette. Footnotes (references) by chapter. Highly recommended. All collections." - Choice

"A useful resource not only for the new professonal but for managers." - Booklist