US Business Culture
Doing business in the US could be quite different from the way it is done in your home country. The greetings, dress codes, and schedules may vary from what you are habituated to. Here are some proper approaches to conduct business in a proper way in the US
Business Dressing
Every individual company sets certain standards for business outfits. Usually, as a general rule, most of the large companies and organizations require a more formal dress.
Most companies have a formal dress code for their particular business. Some companies may supply uniforms for some, or all of their employees. You could check with your employer whether they have any policy on dress code and what they feel is the most appropriate outfit for your position.
If you choose to wear jewelry, it should be minimum and compliment your outfit. Large, flashy jewelry is usually not appropriate for a business environment.
Business hours
The normal business hours are Monday through Friday, 8.30 or 9.00 a.m. to 5 or 6 pm, with a 30 to 60 minute lunch break.
Punctuality
Being on time is a very important rule of business etiquette. Every effort should be made to arrive on time to any scheduled meetings or appointments. If you would be late for an appointment, then a call should be made announcing the expected delay. On the other hand regularly arriving late or missing appointments would have a negative impact on your business.
Greetings & Introductions
It is customary for business meeting with people from outside your company to begin and end with a firm handshake. Eye contact should be maintained during the handshake and whenever someone is speaking to you.
During introductions, listen carefully to the pronunciation of the persons name so that you could address properly. While introducing yourself, give your full name not just the first name.
You could take help of others in your company to find out when it would be appropriate to address someone by their first name only, or whether they should be addressed in a more formal manner (i.e. Mr. Robin). Avoid using nicknames until the person permits you to do so.
The appropriate way of addressing someone may depend partly on his or her position in the company. For instance, it could be acceptable if you address your coworkers by their first name but not the senior officers of the company.
This is a bird's eye view of the US business culture to help you assist you for your first visit. Your employers and coworkers could be of great help for you to adjust and make your work experience enjoyable and successful.
---From DiscoverAbroad.com
Emily Plastic
Tianjin First Electronics Co., Ltd.
Tianjin First Electronics Co., Ltd., with capital asserts of RMB30,000,000, is professional in plastic injection molding, plastic spraying and stamped product assembly. Our company total staff is 500 employe...
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