Business Etiquette – Old Versus New Rules in Virtual World

Business etiquette – Old versus New Rules in our Virtual World. Hmmm…what still applies?

Good business etiquette was vital in our pre-pandemic world to give a good impression and reflect well on a company’s brand and image.

The basic business etiquette rules were easy to remember. Give a firm handshake. Have good eye contact. Dress for success. Arrive on time. Know how to engage others in conversation.

And in our virtual world, business etiquette rules still apply…with a bit of modification.

I was honored to share these five “old” business etiquette rules and their “new” pandemic counterparts with the Tulsa World newspaper recently.

1. Old: Give a firm handshake. New: This universal greeting has been temporarily abandoned. Instead, acknowledge the other person by a slight nodding of the head up and down. It may be tempting to use the elbow bump, but you don’t know if the other person recently sneezed or coughed into their elbow. In a virtual meeting, the “handshake” can be a warm verbal greeting such as, “Hello (insert name), it’s great to see you.”
2. Old: Have good eye contact when speaking with others in person. New: Have good eye contact when speaking to others at virtual meetings. That means at virtual meetings, be sure to turn your video “on.” The tricky part is to then remember to look directly at your webcam—for good eye contact—versus looking at the other person’s video when you speak.

To read three more “old” and “new” business etiquette rules, click here for the article in the Tulsa World. 

Business etiquette old and new rules for our virtual world help give a good impression and reflect well on your company’s brand and image.

You may also like to read Rachel’s popular article, How to Move Forward – Wear the Cute Shoes.

Rachel Wagner is a licensed business etiquette consultant, trainer, and speaker. She is the owner of the Oklahoma-based business etiquette firm Rachel Wagner Etiquette and Protocol. www.EtiquetteTrainer.com. Rachel provides onsite and LIVE virtual training presentations on a variety of business and dining etiquette topics for corporate clients around the country. As an etiquette expert, she is interviewed and quoted in a variety of local and national media outlets. These include The Washington Post, MONEY, Forbes, and many more. She is also newly credentialed as a VEP, a Virtual Event Professional, and Zoom Producer.