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First impressions do make a major difference in achieving business objectives.  EDSI’s Professional Presence in a Casual World program has preached the value of knowing proper business etiquette for years.

Address people by their honorific or title: The proper way to address a client is to greet them using their honorific or title followed by their last name.

Clearly Speak your greeting:  We need to slow down and pronounce our names slowly, clearly and distinctly.

Refer to individuals frequently by their names: Take the time and make the effort to pay attention to the name of the person you are being introduced to.

Make contact: Your handshake is a non-verbal clue that indicates to the other person whether or not you are a take charge person.

Smile: This seems very simple, but it’s amazing how people’s moods and words are misjudged because their expressions are often overly-serious.

Introduce people with confidence: Introducing people with confidence is a great way to impress your customers.

Learning the rules of business etiquette is not hard or costly and it is the best way to increase your chances of success.