The Etiquette Advantage in Business: Personal Skills for Professional Success (Hardcover)

by Peggy Post (Author), Peter Post (Author), Inc. Emily Post Institute (Author) "It's a tough world out there-and tougher for some job hunters than others..." (more)
Key Phrases: etiquette advantage, good business writing, corporate letterhead, United States, The Etiquette Advantage, Latin American (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Could a better understanding of etiquette have prevented the Enron scandal? Well, lying to shareholders never constituted good manners in anyone's book, nor good business sense, so perhaps. Drawing such lines is what the Posts attempt in the early chapters of this updated version of their business etiquette book, where they equate good ethics with good business. But really, is the slope between saying that the boss is in a meeting (when he's not) and distorting P&L statements actually that slippery? In trying to suggest that it is, the early chapters of this book provide little helpful guidance on actionable business conduct and come dangerously close to mimicking an employee handbook. Once the authors leave behind the discussion of ethics, cubicle etiquette and general office building conduct-please, no singing to your iPod in the elevator-one finds the content one expects from the Posts, like a mini-course in wine selection, pointers on making small talk with anyone, tips for trouble-free business travel and modern-day rules for handshaking. (FYI, it's no longer gender-specific, and women should always extend a hand, even if wearing glamorous evening gloves.) Ultimately, such social tips are more useful than the Posts' advice to tell your boss that lying about his whereabouts makes you uncomfortable. The authors also include substantial content on conducting a well-mannered job search.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal
Peggy Post, the third generation of Post etiquette experts, and brother-in-law Peter Post have run a marketing-PR firm for 15 years. Here, they offer tips on interviewing and office courtesy; good telephone, e-mail, and correspondence manners; trade-show conduct; running a productive meeting; business entertaining; and doing business in a variety of countries. The authors also discuss a manager's obligations and responsibilities and address business clothing for men and women in separate chapters. The chapters are organized so that users can quickly turn to their areas of interest. Because of its thoroughness, this title would be very useful as a reference source. For the circulating collection, get Susan Morem's How To Gain the Professional Edge (Better Bks., 1997).ASusan C. Awe, Univ. of New Mexico Lib., Albuquerque
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 592 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; First Edition edition (November 9, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062736728
• ISBN-13: 978-0062736727
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.8 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #520,462 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

126 of 131 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BUSINESS ETIQUETTE, March 7, 2000

By	Diana Amsterdam "Writing Coach" (New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Before I sent my young staff out into the professional world, I asked them to read this book. I thought it might help them learn basics like how to handle themselves in a business meeting; how to dress; how to represent the company. It has done all that. What's more, each member of my staff has told me that he or she found the answer to a pressing question (for example, the exact correct form for a memo).

They don't teach this stuff in business school.

This isn't a rulesy book. The etiquette isn't handed down as law or must-dos; rather it is practical, real, down-to-earth, useful advice for everybody who needs to succeed in a professional or corporate environment. There is LOADS of practical information in these 550 pages: everything from how to write a Policies and Procedures Manual (information I might actually need if my business keeps growing) to the proper use of business cards (and how to make them look good). The book is also, dare I say, moral or ethical in its viewpoint: it posits that doing things courteously, considerately, thoughtfully and honestly, is THE SAME AS doing them in a way that helps you be a winner. I like that. I think it's true.

You can use the book either as a read-through or as a spot reference. For example, if you're about to go to your first trade show or convention, read the four pages on the subject, and you'll know EVERYTHING you need -- including such details as precisely where to wear your name tag. (This, like all the information given, is in here not for propriety's sake but for real reasons; the best place to wear your name tag is the place it best communicates your name.)

Even an old hand at grammar found a few useful tips in the excellent sections on business writing. Ah, if only everybody who corresponds with me had read this, I would be needing a lot less aspirin.

Although I didn't personally need the chapter on finding a job, I think it's as good as any I've seen -- thorough yet not extreme, giving advice that you can actually take.

Buy it for your office and keep it where everybody can read. You'll see people picking it up all the time, I'm sure.

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best in Class, January 22, 2002

By	ebd9242 "ebd9242" - See all my reviews

We provide this book to undergraduate students enrolled in a business-engineering program to prepare them for situations they may encounter in their first jobs. These situations frequently fall into the "what you don't know you don't know" category of student knowledge.

Besides preparing them for their first encounters with formal behavior in "informal" business situations (often in job interviews), this book we believe will serve as a useful reference for them as they advance into management. The book is well-organized and well-written. It covers a number of very specific situations that, even if they never occur in one's direct experience, convey the elements of common sense and consideration that underly all etiquette.

The authors thankfully avoid spending time on how to arrange the seating at a state dinner or how to address the Belgian ambassador, a common mistake in books of this genre. What they offer is practical, useable advice on the types of real social interactions that occur in business. A very useful book and well worth the price. Definitely five stars.

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How To Succeed In Business!, June 26, 2000

By	Isadora Fox (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews

A must-read for anyone who aspires to handle challenging business situations with skill and grace. The Posts provide guidance in navigating the choppy waters of the business world with intelligence, candor, and skill. Most importantly, they let you know which practices are relevant, which are obsolete, and what you must know about the changing face of etiquette as technology advances and the world becomes closer. Their message--that highly effective people are also courteous people--is truer than you'll ever know. The next time you have a client dinner or a staff meeting, thumb through this book first. You'll be glad that you did! --Isadora Fox