What are the basic rules of business etiquette?

Be on time, introduce people by name, answer messages within one business day, keep phones away in meetings, follow up in writing, let the person who invites pay for a meal, and check gift policies before you give anything.

Who pays at a business lunch?

The person who sends the invitation pays. Hand your card to the server early so the bill never reaches the table, and don't let a client split it with you.

Are there limits on what you can give a client?

Often, yes. Check your client's gift policy first, since many companies cap the value of gifts their staff can accept or ban them. Separately, the IRS lets a US business deduct no more than $25 per recipient per year for business gifts; check with your accountant on how that applies to you. Our client gifts page shows real gift boxes with prices.

Is it OK to give your boss a gift?

A personal gift to your boss can look like you are seeking favor. The safer habit is a card, or chipping in to a group gift from the whole team. Our group gift ideas list ones that work for a manager.

How do you introduce two people at work?

Say the more senior person's or the guest's name first, then introduce the other person with their role and one fact they can talk about. For example: "Priya, this is Marco, who runs our design team. He just got back from the Denver launch."

Does business etiquette apply to video calls?

Yes, with a few extra habits for cameras, mics and screen sharing. We cover them in our virtual meeting etiquette guide.

Business etiquette

Business etiquette is the set of everyday habits that make people trust and enjoy working with you: being on time, getting names right, replying promptly and treating clients and coworkers with the same courtesy. Here are the modern rules, from the first handshake to the client gift.

KraftyLab TeamUpdated Oct 20267 min read

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Two professionals shake hands and smile in a bright office lobby while a colleague holding a tablet looks on

Etiquette sounds formal, but at work it mostly comes down to one idea: make the other person’s day a little easier. The rules below are short on purpose. Each one is something you can start doing this week, in the office, over email or across a restaurant table.

Introductions and names

The first two minutes decide whether people feel welcome or awkward. Make them easy.

Say the guest's name first. "Priya, this is Marco, who runs our design team." The client or visitor hears their name first.
Add one hook. Give each person one fact to talk about: "Marco just got back from the Denver launch."
Ask how to say a name you're unsure of. Then note it phonetically in your contacts so you get it right next time.
Use the name they sign with. If her email ends with "Kate", don't open with "Katherine".
Let them choose the greeting. Offer a hand if that is your norm, and follow their lead to a nod or wave if they hold back.
Forgot a name? Admit it early. "Remind me your name?" in minute one beats dodging someone all evening.

Meetings in the room

For video calls, our virtual meeting etiquette guide has the full list. These are for meetings where you share a table.

Put the purpose in the invite. One line on what the meeting decides, plus an agenda if it runs longer than 30 minutes.
Be ten minutes early for client meetings. Five for internal ones. Lobbies, badges and elevators eat time.
Let the host seat you. At a client's office, wait to be shown a chair instead of taking the head of the table.
Phones away, not face down. A phone on the table says you're waiting for something better.
Write down your interruption instead. Note the thought and raise it when the speaker finishes.
Ask before you bring a guest. A surprise extra person at a client meeting changes the conversation they planned.
Send the recap within a day. Decisions, owners and dates in five lines or fewer.

Need a structure for the agenda itself? Use our team meeting agenda builder.

Email and chat

Most business etiquette now happens in writing. Our work email tips go deeper on subject lines and structure.

Answer within one business day. Even "Got it, I'll have this by Thursday" counts as an answer.
Ask the whole question in one message. "Hi" followed by silence makes the other person wait twice.
Match the client's tone for the first few emails. If they write "Dear Ms. Chen", don't reply "Hey!".
Reply all only when all need it. Thank-yous go to the sender alone.
Schedule sends for their working hours. Write at 11 p.m. if you like; let it land at 9 a.m. their time.
Keep emoji reactions internal. A thumbs-up is a fine reply to a teammate and a thin one to a client.
Take bad news off chat. Delays, mistakes and anything personal deserve a call or a face-to-face talk.

Some people want detail and others want the bottom line first. Our guide to communication styles helps you tell which is which.

Four business people talk over lunch at a wooden restaurant table by a window, with no phones on the table

Dining with clients

A client meal is a meeting with food. The goal is that your guest enjoys it and remembers the conversation.

Ask about food needs when you invite. Then pick a place with real options, not one salad.
Whoever invites, pays. Hand your card to the server early so no bill lands on the table.
Let your guest order first. Then choose something in the same price range that's easy to eat while talking.
Follow the guest's lead on drinks. Never push a drink, and keep your own to one if you're the host.
Hold business until after ordering. Small talk first; the agenda can wait for the main course.
Follow up the next morning. A short thank-you plus the thing you promised at the table.

Clients spread across cities can’t all make it to one table. A virtual client appreciation event sends a tasting kit to each guest, and a live host runs about an hour on your video call. Kits need about three weeks for US addresses. Prices below are live.

More formats, in person and online, are in our client appreciation event ideas.

Gifts for clients and coworkers

A good business gift says thanks without making anyone uncomfortable or breaking a rule.

Check your client's gift policy first. Many companies cap gift value or ban gifts outright, and public-sector clients often have strict rules.
Send to the office unless they give you a home address. Never look up where someone lives.
Pick something the team can share. A box of chocolates for the office is easier to accept than a personal gift.
Keep the sales pitch out of the card. A handwritten thank-you is the whole message.
Give down or together, not up. Gifts go to your team; for your boss, join a group gift or send a card.
Treat gifts you receive the same way. Check your own company's policy before you accept anything valuable.

In the US, the IRS lets a business deduct no more than $25 per recipient per year for business gifts (IRS Publication 463 (opens in a new tab)). That’s general information, not tax advice: check with your accountant.

Holiday gifts are the busiest season. For gifts to arrive by Friday, December 18, 2026, order branded or large orders by November 20, 2026; small unbranded orders need about two to three weeks. Our client gifts page shows real chocolate gift boxes from $22 with live prices, and the holiday gifts page has the full order timeline. For the card that goes with it, borrow a line from our business holiday card messages.

Remote and hybrid work norms

When half the team is somewhere else, good manners are mostly about not leaving people out.

Write down hallway decisions. If two people decide something at the coffee machine, post it in the team channel the same day.
Ask before you call. "Got five minutes for a call?" in chat beats a surprise ring.
Keep your status honest. Set away or out of office when you are, so nobody waits on a green dot.
Respect focus blocks. Ask before booking over time someone has blocked for deep work.
Rotate the awkward time slot. If a recurring meeting is early for one city, move it so another city takes a turn.
Take calls in a room on office days. Your desk neighbors didn't sign up for your client call.
Treat a shared desk like a hotel room. Leave it clean and empty for the next person.