Business visit etiquette in 7 steps!

If you want to visit a leader, friend, or teacher, what preparations will you make before the visit?

Visiting relatives, visiting friends, and receiving guests are common forms of communication in life. We care and comfort relatives, connect with friends, and convey information.

A business visit refers to the activity of visiting someone in person or by sending someone to a friend's home or a business-related unit.

This kind of visit is indispensable between people, between social organizations, and between individuals and enterprises. Especially the details in business etiquette sometimes affect the success or failure of the entire visit. Paying attention to the details of etiquette can leave a deep impression on the visitors and lay a good foundation for future cooperation negotiations.

1. Make an appointment in advance

There is an old saying that goes “Don’t fight an unprepared battle.” You also need to be fully prepared before a business visit. When visiting friends, be sure to choose a good time and make an agreement in advance. This is the first principle for visiting friends!

Generally speaking, when you decide to visit a friend, you should write a letter or call three days in advance to get in touch, briefly explain the reason and purpose of the visit, and agree on a meeting place that both the host and the guest think is more suitable. and time, and inform the other party of the intention of the visit. The language and tone of the appointment should be friendly, requesting, and discussion-based, rather than being forceful and commanding. You can only go there after the other party agrees.

In foreign exchanges, visiting without an agreement is considered disrespectful and is not welcome. If you have to go because of urgent matters or without prior agreement, you should try to avoid disturbing the other person late at night. If you have to meet the other person during the break, you should apologize immediately when you see the host and say "Sorry for disturbing you." , and explain the reason for the interruption.

2. Arrive as scheduled

The host and guest have agreed on a specific time for the meeting, and visitors should abide by the agreement and arrive as scheduled. You can't change the time at will, disrupt the host's arrangements, and you can't be late or arrive early.

It is most appropriate to arrive on time. Generally, you can arrive 10-15 minutes early. If it is too early, it is recommended to sit nearby for a while. Arriving early can give you plenty of time to organize the information needed for the visit and show up at the agreed upon location on time. If you are late for any reason, you should apologize to the host. If you miss an appointment for any reason, you should explain it sincerely and tactfully in advance.

In foreign exchanges, time should be strictly observed. Some countries often arrange visit times in minutes. If you are 10 minutes late for a visit, the other party will refuse to visit. Arriving on time for appointments is a basic requirement for international exchanges.

3. Be polite and courteous

Whether visiting the office or residence, generally adhere to the principle of "the guest does as the host does".

If you are visiting the host's apartment, before entering the host's apartment as a guest, you should gently knock on the door or ring the doorbell, and wait until there is an answer or someone opens the door to let you know before entering. If the host opens the door to greet him in person, he should greet him warmly after meeting him; if the host and his wife stand up to greet him at the same time, he should greet the hostess first. If you do not know the person who opens the door, you should ask: "Excuse me, is this Mr. XX's home?" You can only enter the door after getting an accurate answer.

After meeting, it is essential to say hello. If the two parties meet for the first time, the visitor must take the initiative to greet the other party, briefly introduce himself, and then shake hands with the person being visited warmly and generously. If this is not the first time that the two parties meet, it is also necessary to take the initiative to say hello, which can show your sincerity. When it comes to shaking hands, I have to emphasize that if the other person is an elder, a senior professional, or a woman, you must not extend your hand first. Doing so may seem like you are exalting yourself, and it can also be seen as disrespectful to others.

After the greeting ceremony, under the guidance of the host, enter the designated room. After the host sits down, sit on the designated seat. When the host introduces a visitor to his wife or husband, or introduces his family to the visitor, he should nod or shake hands with the visitor enthusiastically. Elders who see the owner should respectfully say hello and greet other members of the family. When the host asks you to sit down, you should say "thank you" and sit in the seat indicated by the host. When the host serves tea, he should stand up to receive it with both hands and express his warm thanks. You should stand up to greet subsequent guests; if necessary, you should take the initiative to say goodbye. If you bring children as guests, you should teach them to treat others politely and address everyone in the host's family respectfully. If the owner has dogs or cats at home, he should not show fear or dislike, and should not kick or chase them away.

4. Reciprocate with courtesy

Whether it is the first visit or another visit, gifts are indispensable. Gifts can connect both parties emotionally and ease tensions. Therefore, you have to put a lot of effort into choosing gifts. Since you want to give a gift, you need to send it to the heart of the other person, understand the other person's interests, hobbies and tastes, choose the gift in a targeted way, and try to satisfy the other person.

5. Dress neatly

In order to show respect for the host, you should be dignified and neatly dressed when visiting. Dirty, sloppy, and inappropriate appearance is a sign of contempt for the person being visited. The person being visited will think that you don't take him seriously, which will directly affect the effect of the visit.

Under normal circumstances, when visiting a home, women should wear a dark skirt, medium-heeled dark leather shoes with shallow mouth, and flesh-colored stockings; men should choose a dark suit with a simple and elegant tie, plus black leather shoes, dark sock. Before entering the house, wipe the soles of your shoes on the mat to avoid bringing dirt into the owner's home. In summer, you should not take off your shirt and trousers no matter how hot it is. In winter, you should take off your hat and sometimes your coat and scarf when you enter the house no matter how cold it is. Do not say "cold" to avoid misunderstanding.

Pay attention to hygiene in the host's home, and do not make the host's room filled with smoke. Candy wrappers, peels, and cores should be placed on the coffee table or in a peel box. People who are sick, especially those with infectious diseases, should not visit relatives or friends. Unclean guests and sick guests are not welcome.

6. Behave appropriately

The ancients said: "Those who enter a house should avoid its taboos." People often say that guests who are courteous should be polite; Lord welcome. In ordinary friends' homes, don't take off or throw clothes around. No matter how good the relationship is with the master, one should not look through the master's letters and handicrafts. Do not enter the owner's bedroom or study room without permission from the owner, and do not rummage around on the table or lie on the bed. You should also pay attention to elegance when sitting as a guest.

Don’t be wordy in your conversation. Simple greetings are necessary, but they shouldn’t be too long. Because the person being visited may have a lot of important work waiting to be processed and does not have much time to meet the visitor. This requires that the conversation should be straight to the point, and go directly to the topic after a simple greeting. It is impolite to interrupt someone when they are expressing their own opinions. You should listen carefully, write down any unclear questions, and ask for explanations after the other party has finished speaking. If there are differences of opinion between the two parties, they must not be impatient and remain calm at all times to avoid damaging the atmosphere of the visit and affecting the effectiveness of the visit.

The attitude should be sincere and natural. Do not comment self-righteously on the host's furnishings, nor talk about the host's shortcomings and disappointing things. When talking, if there are elders present, listen attentively to what the elders are saying, and do not interrupt or interrupt others' conversations.

7. Say goodbye at the right time

Be prepared to discuss things and the purpose of the visit. You must have a plan in advance to avoid running a "marathon" during the visit. If there is no important matter to discuss, the length of stay Don't be too long or too late, preferably no more than half an hour. It is impolite to spend time needlessly in other people's homes. When the purpose of the visit has been achieved and you see that the host is tired, wants to visit you, or there are other guests, you should leave in time. If the host is sincere and insists on staying for the meal, he should stay for a while after the meal and then leave without wiping his mouth.

Be decisive in your farewells. Don’t say “go” several times but never move. When leaving, say goodbye to other guests and thank the host for their warm hospitality. After going out, the host should be asked to stay there. If you intend to invite the host to return for a visit, you can extend the invitation when saying goodbye to the host. After coming out of the other party's company or home, do not whisper in the elevator or corridor on the way back to avoid being misunderstood. After the host stops, walk a few steps and then turn back and wave "goodbye."

Introduction to Zunli International Elegant Etiquette

Affiliated to Dongying Zunli Culture Communication Co., Ltd., it focuses on the dissemination of modern etiquette and female elegance culture, and is committed to building the platform into an elegance education platform for Chinese women The leading brand and the most standardized etiquette service organization. At present, Zunli International's elegant etiquette teaching team has carried out relevant etiquette courses in more than 30 regions across the country, helping tens of thousands of women to cultivate internally in their hearts and externally in their bodies, and awaken women's inner wisdom. At the same time, we offer etiquette, etiquette teacher classes, corporate service etiquette, business communication etiquette, medical etiquette, corporate internal training and other courses to serve the government, enterprises and individuals, and are committed to becoming an etiquette service organization that satisfies 1.4 billion Party A!