Etiquette Books

Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands (The Bestselling Guide to Doing Business in More than 60 Countries)

Terri Morrison, Wayne A. Conaway

Amazon Price: $16.47 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Adams Media Amazon Marketplace: 64 new & used starting at $10.39

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Skills -> Communications
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> General
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> International -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 38 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In a global economy, it is crucial for business people to be sensitive to cultural differences. And although the best reason for doing so may be ethical, it's great for business as well! This is an invaluable book for "doing well while doing good" in your intercultural relations, covering the protocols of appointments, business entertaining, greetings, forms of address, gestures, dress, and gifts in 60 of the nations you're most likely to be doing business. Some interesting excerpts:

• Australia: The "thumbs-up" sign, which in the U.S. indicates "O.K." is considered rude.
  
• Brazil: The colors of the Brazilian flag are green and yellow, so avoid wearing this combination in any fashion.
  
• China: Avoid making exaggerated gestures or using dramatic facial expressions. The Chinese do not generally use their hands when speaking, and become distracted by a speaker who does.
  
• Indonesia: Since it is impolite to disagree with someone, Indonesians rarely say "no"...a clear way to indicate "no" is to suck in air through the teeth.

The authors are very aware that no generalizations apply to all residents of a nation, and are careful not to stereotype or judge. Highly recommended to any business traveler--or any student of the diversity of human cultures.

(Note: a great companion volume for this book is Gestures, which is devoted entirely to explaining the varieties of hand gestures in 82 countries!)

5 Steps To Professional Presence: How to Project Confidence, Competence, and Credibility at Work

Susan Bixler, Lisa Scherrer Dugan

Amazon Price: $10.17 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Adams Media Amazon Marketplace: 40 new & used starting at $6.00

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Skills -> Communications
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Skills -> Running Meetings & Presentations
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Business Life -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Professional Presence 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Susan Bixler is president of the Bixler Consulting Group (formerly The Professional Image, Inc), an image-consulting, executive coaching, team building and leadership workshop firm that specializes in areas including nonverbal communication, wardrobe, social skills, networking and e-etiquette. The Atlanta-based company's clients include Ritz-Carlton Hotels, Deloitte & Touche, Merck, and MetLife. Bixler founded the firm in 1980, after the idea came to her while she was working as a regional sales director for Bonnie Bell Cosmetics. Lisa Scherrer Dugan is the vice president of Bixler Consulting Group.

This book explains how to project confidence, competence, and credibility at work; how to make a great impression; polish your communication skills; demonstrate your mastery of business etiquette; build instant rapport with clients; put your social skills work for you.

Great Book for Group Discussion 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I am a partner in an accounting firm. We bought a copy of this book for every member of the firm and use it as a discussion aid. One morning each week our staff meets to discuss one chapter. The author has some unique insights and some just common sense concepts. Our staff appears to embrace the book as well. I recommend this for every serious business professional.

Event Planning : The Ultimate Guide to Successful Meetings, Corporate Events, Fundraising Galas, Conferences, Conventions, Incentives and Other Special Events

Judy Allen

Amazon Price: $23.07 List Price: $34.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Wiley Amazon Marketplace: 71 new & used starting at $16.70

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Skills -> Communications
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Skills -> Running Meetings & Presentations
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

For event planners, there's no such thing as a dress rehearsal!

Any event you plan and stage is a reflection of your company's image — from the initial invitation to onsite operations. Whether you're planning a product launch, conference, sales meeting, an incentive event, or a gala fund-raiser, remember that the magic of a truly memorable event is in the details, but so is the devil. Special events are fraught with thousands of details, and have to come off without a hitch. Whether your event is for 50 or 2,000 people, whether it has a budget of a few thousand dollars, or hundreds of thousands, planning and executing the project is like a high-wire act without the safety nets. Event Planning gives you a blueprint for planning and executing special events with flair and without any unexpected surprises and expenses. This unique book is loaded with practical advice on every aspect of organizing and managing special events:

• Choosing the best venue
• Preparing and managing the budget
• Scheduling and staffing
• Coordinating food and beverage, décor, entertainment, and themes
• Working with professionals, such as public relations firms and creative directors.

What you don't know or know to ask can have a major effect on the success of your event and on your budget. Event Planning takes you through every aspect of organizing and executing a successful event: the planning stages, timing and logistics, budget preparation, operations, and on-site management. Event Planning:

• Includes sample costing forms to help you generate a detailed project plan and budget.
• Explains what you need to ask before you contract with suppliers.
• Is loaded with practical tips and examples that will help you avoid expensive mistakes.
• Features a companion website with forms from the book, additional forms, author Q&A, and more.

Event Planning takes you behind the scenes, and provides practical tools for anyone who has to plan and execute a truly special event:

• Corporate in-house event planners
• Public relations and communications companies, and their clients
• Marketing and corporate communications professionals
• Fundraisers and not-for-profit organizations
• Professionals in the hospitality and entertainment industries

Chinese Business Etiquette: A Guide to Protocol, Manners, and Culture in the People's Republic of China (A Revised and Updated Edition of "Dealing with the Chinese")

Scott D. Seligman

Amazon Price: $10.19 List Price: $14.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Grand Central Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 62 new & used starting at $4.99

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Economics -> Exports & Imports
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> General
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> International -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 25 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Rich in cultural anecdotes but lacking in the big picture 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

To be sure, with its rich Chinese cultural anecdotes and the author's vivid writing style, this book is not only useful in helping the reader understand unique Chinese concepts like Guanxi, Mianzi and Lijie but also an entertaining read - suitable for business travelers.

However, after reading Wei Wang's The China Executive, I realize that Seligman has not been right on "the single most important and fundamental difference between Chinese and Westerners". On pages 44-47 of Chinese Business Etiquette, Seligman says that this is the difference between the "individualism" of Westerners and the "group-centeredness" of the Chinese. (Of course, Seligman is not alone in getting this wrong; since the publication of Geert Hofstede's Culture's Consequences in 1980, this Western individualism-Chinese collectivism dichotomy has become the most widely-talked assumption in almost every book on China business including the authoritative Harvard Business Review on Doing Business in China).

To elaborate on Seligman (page 45), "[In China,] matters are often debated at great length until agreement is reached on a course of action. Once a decision has been made, however, individual group members are expected to fall in line, embrace it, and act on it, and nobody presumes to question it, at least overtly."

Now, the reality is that, with nearly a hundred million dollars invested in China, one of the biggest complaints our expats have against local staff is the latter's inability to follow a pre-agreed course of action or plan. In addition, the Chinese do not like group discussions, not to mention "debates at great length"; most of them like to remain quiet rather than actively voice their opinions. Also, if the Chinese were group-centered, their state-owned enterprises would have been so successful that multinationals have stood little chance to compete with them - but the very opposite is true (most state-owned enterprises cannot be closed down fast enough because they are "a pile of sand")!

According to Wei Wang in his book The China Executive, "group and individual are the two sides of the same coin; one cannot exist without the other", and therefore Westerners actually exhibit dual individualism-collectivism. And the heart of human relationships in China is human feelings. In other words, Chinese and Westerners do not represent two poles of the same individualism-collectivism continuum.

In addition, "there is a limit to learning the Chinese way," says Wang. "There are things that you need to go about the Chinese way but there are also things that you need to go about the Western way - otherwise, you lose the purpose of going there in the first place."

To understand why and, more important, its profound implications for China business or indeed business in the China era (including management, leadership, strategy and worldview), you have to read The China Executive.

Editorial Review:

In the tradition of Warners Japanese Business Etiquette, here is the newly-updated guide to social and business protocol in the Peoples Republic of China. East-West business is booming, as thousands of Americans flock to China to seek explosive opportunities. Now, Scott D. Seligman, an expert with 25 years of experience dealing with the Chinese, provides complete and up-to-date advice on how to succeed in China. With clarity and humor, Seligman shows how to avoid costly misunderstandings, interpret behavior, avoid the unintentional gaffe, and make positive impressions, all while closing million-dollar deals and forming priceless friendships.

Gestures: The Do's and Taboos of Body Language Around the World

Roger E. Axtell

Amazon Price: $11.53 List Price: $16.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Wiley Amazon Marketplace: 70 new & used starting at $5.54

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> General
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> International -> General
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Business Life -> Etiquette

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

As featured in the New York Times and Reader's Digest "An eye-opener into the pitfalls awaiting the unaware traveler." -Washington Post "Can save the innocent abroad from great gobs of serious trouble." -Chicago Tribune Before you raise your hand to signal the waiter, extend your thumb to hitchhike, or flash the "O.K." sign with thumb and forefinger, Stop! Think of where you are and exactly what you are trying to say-otherwise you could create an international incident. Remember when President Bush thought he was flashing the "V" for Victory sign to cheering Australians? (See inside.) Exploring the ins and outs of body language from head to toe, this newly revised and expanded edition of Roger Axtell's indispensable guide takes you all around the world of gestures-what they mean, how to use them, and when to avoid them. This latest edition includes:
* Updates about the 200 most popular gestures and signals-and dozens of new examples
* New sections covering special gestures-from American Sign Language and tai chi to flirting and kissing
* Information to guide you through gestures country by country-from Switzerland to Japan, Nigeria to the Netherlands
* Amusing anecdotes and helpful hypothetical scenarios

Business Class: Etiquette Essentials for Success at Work

Jacqueline Whitmore

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: St. Martin's Press Amazon Marketplace: 45 new & used starting at $4.59

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> General
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Business Life -> Etiquette
Subjects -> Reference -> Etiquette -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 30 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Have you forgotten a person’s name two minutes after being introduced? Have you wondered which fork to use or how to discreetly pay the check while attending an important business dinner? Have you insulted an international client by mistake and didn’t realize it until it was too late? Making these types of errors can get in the way of getting ahead. However, these faux pas can be avoided by exercising a little bit of business etiquette.
Business etiquette is a powerful, practical, and profitable skill you can use when it most counts to get a job, keep a job, or succeed on the job. It is a set of rules and guidelines that makes your professional relationships more harmonious, productive, manageable, and meaningful.
International etiquette expert Jacqueline Whitmore provides tips, tactics, and cautionary tales—gleaned from the experience of a multitude of successful CEOs and top managers—as well as information on how to:
· Be more polished and professional in the boardroom or at the dining table
· Master the art of mingling, networking, and remembering names
· Communicate effectively via technology
· Keep in touch, nurture professional relationships, and turn contacts into contracts
· Write effective thank-you notes and send the perfect business gift every time
· Be more “global-minded” and enhance international relationships
Business Class will teach you the nuances of treating colleagues, clients, and customers with courtesy and respect, which in turn will increase your visibility, credibility, and profitability.

Emily Post's The Etiquette Advantage in Business: Personal Skills for Professional Success, Second Edition

Peggy Post, Peter Post, Emily Post

Amazon Price: $17.79 List Price: $26.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Collins Living Amazon Marketplace: 57 new & used starting at $8.00

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Job Hunting & Careers -> Job Hunting
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> General
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Business Life -> Etiquette

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

As today's workplace becomes increasingly more competitive, knowing how to behave can make the difference between getting ahead and getting left behind. In The Etiquette Advantage in Business, 2nd Edition, etiquette authorities Peggy Post and Peter Post provide you with the all-important tools for building solid, productive relationships with your business associates -- relationships that will help propel you and your company straight to the top.

In this completely revised and updated edition, which includes three new chapters on ethics, table manners, and electronic communication, the Posts show you how to handle both everyday and unusual situations that are essential to professional and personal success -- from resolving business conflicts with ease and grace to getting along with your boss and coworkers; from making long-lasting contacts to winning clients and closing deals. They also offer up-to-date guidance on pressing issues such as harassment in the workplace, worker privacy, e-mail dos and don'ts, and knowing how and when to shoulder blame.

Written for business workers of all types and backgrounds, The Etiquette Advantage in Business remains the definitive resource for timeless advice on business entertaining, written communication, dressing appropriately for any business occasion, conventions and trade shows, job searches and interviews, gift-giving, and overseas travel.

No matter the situation in which you find yourself, the Posts will give you the confidence to meet the challenges of the work world with confidence and poise -- because today, more than ever, good manners mean good business.

The Power of Positive Confrontation: The Skills You Need to Know to Handle Conflicts at Work, at Home and in Life

Barbara Pachter, Susan Magee

Amazon Price: $10.17 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Da Capo Press Amazon Marketplace: 34 new & used starting at $5.29

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Business Life -> General
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Business Life -> Etiquette
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Skills -> Running Meetings & Presentations

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Perhaps three chapter's worth of usable content 3 out of 5 stars.
58 of 60 people found this review helpful.

It's only natural for a popular self-help speaker with a truly great message to want to put it into book form. The Power of Positive Confrontation teaches a truly great technique for confronting others that will help everyone who has trouble standing up for him or herself. Too bad there's only about three chapter's worth of actual content in its sixteen chapters. Instead the author gets into telling us how to dress for success, how to convey the information that a friend or loved one is in the hospital, do's and don'ts of International Travel along with several chapters of warm-up before finally getting to her actual WAC technique. Don't get me wrong, I still recommend this book highly but an abridged cassette version would be a lot less painful.

Editorial Review:

The Power of Positive Confrontation is for everyone who was never taught, or never realized, that between "bully" and "wimp" is a range of behavior that is positive, dignified, and effective for dealing with life's bothersome situations. The skills it teaches will not only improve your ability to confront others, but will also help you to live a more conflict-free life. Filled with hundreds of often entertaining real-life examples drawn from Barbara Pachter's many years of teaching assertiveness and business etiquette, The Power of Positive Confrontation is as perceptive about people and their behavior as it is clear-headed about the strategies you need to handle yourself confidently and effectively in all confrontational situations.

Do's and Taboos Around The World (Do's and Taboos Around the World)

Amazon Price: $11.53 List Price: $16.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Wiley Amazon Marketplace: 65 new & used starting at $4.85

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Economics -> Exports & Imports
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> General
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> International -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The ultimate guide to international behavior.now completely updated and expanded! Do's and Taboos Around the World 3rd Edition "Roger Axtell is an international Emily Post." --The New Yorker "Can help you make friends [and] avoid travel trouble." --BusinessWeek "Helpful.fun to read." --Steve Birnbaum The first two editions of Do's and Taboos Around the World helped thousands of high-powered executives and tourists avoid the missteps and misunderstandings that plague the world traveler. This updated and expanded Third Edition provides even more facts, tips, and cautionary tales--gleaned from the experiences of more than five hundred international business travelers--as well as:
* Information on protocol, customs, and etiquette; hand gestures and body language; tipping; American jargon; and the international communications crisis
* Up-to-date advice on dealing with the monumental changes in Russia, Germany, Eastern Europe, the People's Republic of China, and other locales
* A new chapter on business gift-giving and gift-receiving customs, with country-by-country gift suggestions and precautions
* A special quick reference guide to customs and mores in 96 countries, including revisions and updates from foreign embassies and consulates

Power Etiquette: What You Don't Know Can Kill Your Career

Dana May Casperson

Amazon Price: $10.85 List Price: $15.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: AMACOM Amazon Marketplace: 51 new & used starting at $6.33

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Job Hunting & Careers -> Guides
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> General
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Industries & Professions -> Human Resources & Personnel Management

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

POWER ETIQUETTE What You Don't Know Can Kill Your Career Can table manners make or break a mega-merger? Can a faxing faux-pas derail a promising business relation-ship? Can an improper introduction cost you a client? Can manners (or lack of them) really kill a career? Absolutely. In an era when companies are competing on the basis of service, manners are much more than a social nicety -- they're a crucial business skill. In fact, good manners are good business. This no-nonsense "manners reference" refreshes readers on everyday etiquette and makes sure they're on their best behavior. It provides quick guidance on such pertinent and timely topics as: * telephone, e-mail, and Internet etiquette * table manners *grooming and business dress * written communications * gift giving * resumes and interviews * making introductions * public speaking * networking, and more. DANA MAY CASPERSON (Santa Rosa, CA) is president of Professional Resource Institute, an image and etiquette consulting firm with clients including Pacific Bell and Ritz-Carlton hotels. She frequently addresses associations, corporations, and museums on etiquette and protocol.