Part III Let’s Talk Business
Welcome Topics of Conversations
General Guidelines
Be aware that most Americans speak only English.
Americans often ask, "What do you do?" (that is, "Tell me about your job and employer") to start a conversation. This kind of question is not considered banal or presumptuous.
Compliments are exchanged frequently and are popular "conversation starters." If you wish to make conversation with someone, you can compliment an item such as his or her clothing or a work or sports related achievement.
Generally, Americans like to laugh and enjoy being with people who have a sense of humor. Jokes are usually welcome, but be careful. For example, in many situations, ethnic and religious humors are best avoided. Self-deprecating humor, however, usually goes over well.
Sports are very popular in the U.S., especially baseball, football (not to be confused with soccer), and basketball. Soccer (known as football in most other countries) has caught on in only a few parts of the country.
Golf is another popular sport, especially among businesspeople. Moreover, the golf course is often a venue for business discussions and deals.

Topics to Avoid
Until you know a person well, avoid discussing religion, politics or other controversial subjects (i.e., abortion, racism, sexism).
Refrain from asking women if they are married. If a woman volunteers this information, however, you may ask a few polite questions about her husband and/or children.
ethnic or religious jokes

Welcome Topics of Conversation
a person＇s job/work-related matters
sports
travel
food
music
movies
books

Part IIII Exercises and Discussion

Using guidelines from Part three, prepare 5 questions that you think will be most pleasant to ask on the following occasions:
- New students’ picnic
- Annual ball of the industry
- Your best friend’s wedding
- A cocktail party held for the signing of a million-dollar contract

Give examples where Chinese business etiquettes conflict with those of the Western business world. Discuss with other students that under such circumstances, should Chinese businesspeople always make compromises to following the western protocols? Give examples and you solutions to such conflicts.

“Small talks” could, on many occasions, be a great lubricant or ice-breaker in formal business occasions. The art of carrying such talks naturally lies on the following principles:
Imagination
Ellipsis (Imply more)
Spontaneity
Appropriate frame of mind (Get into context)
Accuracy is not that important
Part five was talking about a different form of business etiquette. Observe the following business operations and show your fellow students where the “rule of business etiquette” apply or should have been applied. Do you have any suggestions to the later ones?
- Your Local McDonald’s restaurant
- New Oriental school’s registration center
- Carrefour, the chain supermarket

Part V Supplementary Materials
BUSINESS ETIQUETTE - THE RULE FOR BUSINESS SURVIVAL
Etiquette is not a term most business people, or anyone for that matter, are comfortable with. As children our two rules of etiquette were, "be quite" and "quit it" both of which sound almost like someone was saying "etiquette." So, don＇t let the term scare you. It is an important word in today＇s business world.
Before you think that this is an article about snob appeal, let＇s define what "Etiquette" is. Etiquette, business or social etiquette, is the art of taking the unfamiliar and making it familiar to many. That＇s what the "rules" (they are really guidelines rather than rules) of etiquette are. Nothing more, nothing less.
Another way of saying it is, "Etiquette is the art of not being a snob." A snob in business? Well, yes, unfortunately, every business or industry has it "snobs" who think that their work or business is above what everyone else does.
So, let＇s look at the first rule of etiquette:
Business Etiquette Rule #1 is: At first glance or at first hearing whatever is being presented it must be understandable and logical to the customer*.
There is no Rule #2. All other rules you hear or read about are guidelines. If whatever guideline someone uses does not fit Rule #1, most likely the guideline will not work. There are, literally, thousands of guidelines that will work at some time or another . . . there is only one rule.
Now, how does this relate to business? Well, there are many aspects to this. For example: Business owners, managers and staff are usually so involved with their business, that they fail to see that what is common to them may be very unusual, and even confusing, to their customers. Confusion does not generate sales. Moreover, confusion discourages sales because if customers are confused because it will be harder for them to make the decision to buy.
When one reads the books and papers on why businesses fail, the reason most often given is due to the lack of money or sales. What they don＇t say is that this lack of money can often be traced back to the disregard for following the Rule #1 of Business Etiquette.
Money, if it can＇t be found on trees, can only come from three sources:
1. owners/investors,
2. banks and other lenders,
3. customers.
Once a business is open, it is not easy to go back to the investors or lenders for additional funds. It, therefore, means that for a business to survive, it must have additional funds from their third source of money - customers.
Looking at what a business has to offer through the eyes of the unknowledgeable customer is the most difficult part of merchandising any idea, service or product inside the business as well as outside to customers.
For example, job descriptions are a form of Business Etiquette. A logically arranged catalogue and price list is another. Signs within the firm, such as the signs grocery stores have in each aisle, are business etiquette. Highway exit signs and street signs are forms of business etiquette. Easy to find price stickers are a form of business etiquette.
Whenever a business of offering something be it an idea, service or product that is new or relatively unknown, to a potential customer, the "Rule of Business Etiquette" comes into play. And it is not just for a business to apply these guidelines. Anybody, when they are asking someone else to accept something new should also be using Rule #1 of Business Etiquette.