How good are your Business Manners?

Quiz

Choose the correct response for each of the following situations.
Your boss enters your office with a new employee. What do you do?
1. Continue with your work, to show the boss how hard-working you are.
2. Stand up when they enter, and let the boss introduce you.
3. Introduce yourself, to show the boss that you like to take the initiative.
You are at a business gathering where you do not know anyone. Which is the best way to introduce yourself to someone there?
1. "Hello, my name is Thistle. And your name is..?"
2. "Hello, I'm John Thistle from Brayton Software."
3. "I'm John Thistle. I was just wondering who you might be."
When given a business card by a Japanese business person, you should...
1. hold it at the edges with both hands and read it thoroughly.
2. Put it in your wallet, to show that you think it is valuable, like money.
3. Fold it, because the Japanese like Origami.
You would like you boss, Susan Withers, to meet your American client, Bob Richards. How do you make th eintroduction?
1. "Susan, this is Robert Richards, Avco's buyer. You can just call him Bob."
2. "Susan, I'd like to introduce Bob Richards, Avco's buyer. Bob, Susan is our marketing manager."
3. "Bob Richards, I'd like you to meet Susan Withers, our marketing manager. Susan, Mr. Richards is Avco's buyer."
Your Chinese visitor is introduced as Yang Haiying. What do you say in response?
1. "How do you do, Mr. Yang?"
2. It's a blessing, Yang Haiying."
3. Nice to meet you, Mr. Haiying."
Handshakes
In which of these countries do people traditionally not greet each other with a firm handshake? More than one answer is possible.
1. India
2. Egypt
3. Thailand
4. Japan
5. Indonesia
Eye Contact
True or false? Mark the correct answer for each statement.
1. If you do not make eye contact, your Mexican business partner may think you are impolite
2. You should look your American business partner in the eye often.
3. In South Africa, eye contact is used to establish rank. Who looks longest, wins.
4. The higher-ranking a businessperson is in Saudi Arabia, the less eye contact you should hold.
5. Koreans use intense eye contact to signal that they are telling the truth.
Conversation Killers
Decide which word or phrase is correct in each sentence.
1. Your conversation partners will probably think you are helpful / impolite if you finish sentences for them.
2. In most business situations, it is not considered polite to ask about a person's income / job description.
3. Silence is an important / ineffective element of communication.
4. Try to keep your hands out of / inside your pockets while speaking to others.
5. In mayn countries, chewing gum is considered vulgar / amusing.
Dealing with Visitors
Complete each sentence by choosing the right word or phrase.
1. The best place to greet important visitors is in your office / in your company's reception.
2. When showing visitors around your company, you should enter rooms in front of / behind them if possible.
3. In a car, your Japanese visitors see the seat behind the driver / behind the front passenger seat as the seat of honour.
4. In a taxi, your Australian visitor probably feels most comfortable in the front passenger seat / behind the front pasenger seat.
5. When your visitor suggests going out for lunch, consider yourself the host / guest.
Meetings
Choose the correct anser for each of the following.If you arrive late for a meeting, it is best to
1. say you are sorry and move to your seat quickly.
2. explain in detail why you are late, or no one will believe you.
3. enter quietly and hope no one will notice.
On which day will you rarely be able to hold a meeting in Saudi Arabia?
1. Sunday
2. Friday
3. Wednesday
If your mobile phone rings during a meeting, you should...
1. ignore the ringing until it stops.
2. inform the others that you are expecting an important call and answer it
3. say you are sorry and quickly turn off the phone.
4. other
A person at the meeting interrupts you, saying, "You don't know what you are talking about!" How do you respond?
1. "And you think that you do? So what makes you an expert?"
2. Everyone's contribution is welcome, as we are working together here to find a solution. Now, the numbers I have put together show..."
3. "No. That's where you are wrong! I have all the facts here to back me up."
In China, if your listeners applaud your presentation, what do you do?
1. Knock on the table.
2. Shake your head.
3. Applaud back.
Visiting Customers
True or false? Mark the correct answers.
1. In someone else's office you should remain standing until offered a seat.
2. Ask "Do you mind if I smoke?" before lighting your cigarette in someone's office.
3. In Egypt, if you are interrupted by others while in your host's office, it means you are not being taken seriously.
4. Bringing a personal gift when visiting your business partner in India is a good idea.
5. If your business partner is in a wheelchair, you should bend down to talk to him/her.
Match the style of clothing with its description.
Very formal. Men: dinner jacket nd bow tie. Women: evening dress, usually long
1. business attire
2. casual dress
3. black tie
4. business casual
5. evening wear
Match the style of clothing with its description.
Relaxed. Men: jacket, trousers; tie not required. Women: jacket and trousers, skirt or dress
Very formal. Men: dinner jacket nd bow tie. Women: evening dress, usually long
1. business attire
2. casual dress
3. black tie
4. business casual
5. evening wear
Match the style of clothing with its description.
Comfortable. Relatively free choice, but no jeans, shorts, T-shirts or sport shoes. No open-toed shoes
1. business attire
2. casual dress
3. black tie
4. business casual
5. evening wear
Match the style of clothing with its description.
Formal. Men: dark suit and tie. Women: cocktail dress
1. business attire
2. casual dress
3. black tie
4. business casual
5. evening wear
Match the style of clothing with its description.
Professional. Men: suit and tie. Women: Suit with skirt or trousers.
1. business attire
2. casual dress
3. black tie
4. business casual
5. evening wear
Meals and Entertaining
True or false? Mark the correct answer.
When arriving early at a formal business dinner, choose the table that is farthest from the entrance.
1. True
2. False
Meals and Entertaining
True or false? Mark the correct answer.If your Egyptian host is eating with his fingers, it is okay for you to ask for a fork and knife.
1. True
2. False
Meals and Entertaining
True or false? Mark the correct answer.
If you are the guest of honour, you do not touch the glass while the host is proposing a toast.
1. True
2. False
Meals and Entertaining
True or false? Mark the correct answer.
If you have trouble using chopsticks at a meal in China, it is all right to use your fingers.
1. True
2. False
Meals and Entertaining
True or false? Mark the correct answer.
As the guest of honour you may decide when to start talking business during the meal.
1. True
2. False
Business Relationships
Fill in each blank with the correct word from the box.
Being rude to people can lead to ___________.
1. criticize
2. hierarchy
3. conflict
4. compliment
5. harmony
Business Relationships
Fill in each blank with the correct word from the box.
Being rude to people can lead to
Australians generally do not care for a show of ____________ in business
1. criticize
2. hierarchy
3. conflict
4. compliment
5. harmony
Business Relationships
Fill in each blank with the correct word from the box.
A good rule for managers: praise in public, ____________ in private.
1. criticize
2. hierarchy
3. conflict
4. compliment
5. harmony
Business Relationships
Fill in each blank with the correct word from the box.
In most Asian business cultures, _______________ is valued above everything else.
1. criticize
2. hierarchy
3. conflict
4. compliment
5. harmony
Business Relationships
Fill in each blank with the correct word from the box.
The best response to a ______________ is a simple "Thank you".
1. criticize
2. hierarchy
3. conflict
4. compliment
5. harmony
Communication
Complete each sentence by choosing the right word or phrase.
Make a professional impression with a positive / dominant attitude.
1. positive
2. dominant
Communication
Complete each sentence by choosing the right word or phrase.
Phone calls from international customers should / should not be considered as important as letters.
1. should
2. should not
Communication
Complete each sentence by choosing the right word or phrase.
Your e-mail message looks important / informal when you don't use any capital letters
1. important
2. informal
Communication
Complete each sentence by choosing the right word or phrase.
It's good practice to start e-mails with a greeting / quotation
1. greeting
2. quotation
Communication
Complete each sentence by choosing the right word or phrase.
Good grammar and punctuation in business e-mails is essential / old-fashioned
1. essential
2. old-fashioned
Body Language
True or false? Mark the correct answer.
Women may remain seated to shake hands in business situations.
1. True
2. False
Body Language
True or false? Mark the correct answer.
If you feel that your Saudi Arabian business partner is standing too close to you, don't step back.
1. True
2. False
Body Language
True or false? Mark the correct answer.
In business contexts, holding doors open for women is not necessary.
1. True
2. False
Body Language
True or false? Mark the correct answer.
Your Brazilian business partner will be insulted if you touch his back or shoulders.
1. True
2. False
Body Language
True or false? Mark the correct answer.
The "thumbs up" gesture is internationally recognized to mean "good job" or "well done"
1. True
2. False