Don't Take the Last Donut: New Rules of Business Etiquette

These days, in our busy professional lives, we are so overwhelmed with e-mail, voice mail, presentations, business trips, and power lunches that it seems a rather quaint and dated notion to think about our manners on the job. Not so, explains Judith Bowman, an expert on business etiquette. There are no small details in business. How you dress, speak, write, eat, behave, and relate to others has a direct and immediate impact on your success, and each omission and misstep can set you back.

Don’t Take the Last Donut addresses every aspect of modern business etiquette, including:

• How to conduct a business lunch properly—and it’s not by incessantly talking business and trying to sell yourself.
• What to check before pressing “send” on an e-mail. (Avoid SHOUTING in caps or including mega-sized attachments, for example.)
• How to behave at a networking event. (Hint: You’re not there to spend the entire time wolfing down shrimp cocktail at the hors d’oeuvres table.)
• What to wear from head to toe so that you always project confidence and professionalism.
• How to recover quickly if you forget someone’s name.

Applying this book’s invaluable advice will make you confident that you are doing the right thing in any business situation, and it will free you to focus on your real goals without worrying about which fork to use or whether your international colleague should be greeted with one kiss or two. At a time when everyone is seeking to put his or her best foot forward, simple mastery of a bit of nuanced etiquette will distinguish you in all of your business relationships.