When many people think of business etiquette, they think of which fork to use at a business lunch or knowing when to say please and thank you, but although these are important good manners to know, they are merely the tip of the iceberg. Business etiquette is more about knowing the unwritten rules and applying them to specific circumstances. Business etiquette is about respect and professionalism. Business etiquette is about showing that you’re the best in your industry regardless of your resume. In today’s workplace, business etiquette skills are not optional – a lack of business etiquette limits your potential, harms your professional presence, and jeopardizes relationships that are fundamental to business success.

I began to compile these rules for use in my own practice, but I soon became aware of the lack of information when it comes to business etiquette rules and their availability for the regular person. You would think that with the evolution of the Internet, anything can be easily found by the click of a button and a good spelling on Google Search. To my surprise, the research became a popular guide among students and practitioners in the international relations field who found its utility both as a resource and reference.