Greetings on etiquette. Learning to say hello correctly: the meaning of greeting words in the culture of different nations

Every meeting starts with a greeting. People of different ages, gender and status greet each other. Special etiquette words are chosen to greet the interlocutor formally or informally. When people meet, they wish a good day, health, prosperity. It is important to know how to say hello correctly. Etiquette norms, which explain in detail who and how welcomes in each case, always help to feel confident.

How to say hello

Greeting is an important daily ritual in every person's life. The ability to greet correctly speaks of good upbringing and knowledge of etiquette. prescribe how to greet on the street, at work, at home. For each situation, special words of courtesy are chosen.

How to say hello on the street

A typical situation is a meeting in a public place, such as on the street. You need to say hello according to the rules of etiquette, which explain how the interlocutors should greet each other.

• When meeting in the street, acquaintances greet each other with a nod of their heads, keeping a smile on their faces. At the same time, a polite man will not smoke, he will pull his hands out of his pockets. A woman can leave her hands in the pockets of her coat when she greets.
• conversation on the street can only be a woman. It is indecent for a man to stop a lady for a conversation. An exception can only be an important matter that cannot be postponed.
• A gentleman should not leave his companion on the street for the sake of communicating with a friend he meets. If you need to go up to a friend to say hello, you should first introduce him to the lady.
• It is not customary for a man to attract the attention of a woman he knows who is not alone on the street. And vice versa, a girl does not stop a friend who has a companion for communication.
• It is considered bad form to greet loudly when greeting across the street or in transport. A smile and a slight nod of the head will allow you to show respect. And the conversation is convenient to conduct, coming closer.
• No need to say hello loudly to an acquaintance who is talking to friends. Passing by, you need to smile and nod.
• They talk to strangers on the street if they need any information. First, you need to apologize for your concern, make a request, and after receiving an answer, thank you for your help.

It is important to remember the tone in which the greeting words are spoken. Kindness and politeness will help smooth out the awkwardness made due to ignorance of the rules of etiquette.

How to say hello indoors

You have to say hello indoors more often than on the street. Their norms of etiquette are intended for greeting in the office, restaurant, when meeting guests.

• Entering a room where there are many people, everyone is greeted with a general bow.
• The man stands to greet the woman entering the room and waits for her to sit down.
• Greeting a familiar woman in a restaurant or cafe, a man rises from his chair and bows. It is necessary to stand up completely if the lady approached the table. But if his companion is present at the table, then you can stay put.
• The lady, answering the man's greeting, does not get up. But the hostess of the house, following the laws of hospitality, meets the guests standing.
• If there are children in the family that receives guests, then they meet each adult guest standing.
• It is advisable to greet strangers who meet every day, for example, janitors, sellers, postmen.

When you greet an interlocutor, you should look into the eyes, it is impolite to lower your gaze. Well-learned etiquette helps to earn the respect of others.

Three types of treatment

Depending on the situation, three options for addressing the interlocutor are used for greeting:

• Impersonal treatment occurs when talking on the street, in transport, in a store. When addressing a stranger, they use constructions that do not call him: "Pass on the passage", "Let me ask you."
• For official presentation, it is necessary to use diplomatic, scholarly, church, military ranks. For example, Professor Ivanov or Lieutenant General Alekseev. In modern Russia, there is an official representation of the interlocutor with the inclusion of a rank or position, but it is not accepted to apply by rank in an everyday situation. The artificially inflated title of the person represented puts him in an uncomfortable position.
• A friendly informal greeting includes such messages as "friend", "old man", "dear colleague", "neighbor".

Greetings options

To greet friends or unfamiliar people, you must use different words of courtesy for the greeting.

Any form of friendly greeting can exist between close friends: courtesy words such as “hello”, “great,” gestures of greeting, hugs, pats on the shoulder.

When communicating with unfamiliar people, such a greeting is unacceptable. It is recommended, when greeting before 12 noon, to use the etiquette "good morning", and from 12:00 to 18:00 - "good afternoon".

The familiar phrase "Good day!" Is inappropriate in business correspondence. For a greeting, a more formal version of "Hello" or "Good afternoon" is suitable. Next, add the name and patronymic of the addressee.

Greet, referring to the interlocutor on "You", only with relatives or friends. Senior in age or position are addressed.

Accessories during the welcome

Welcoming a lady on the street, the man lifts his hat. This etiquette rule does not apply to sports knitted hats or fur hats.

The soldier does not remove his cap from his head. To greet a friend, he puts his hand to the visor.

The rules of etiquette explain how to say hello if you are wearing gloves. Men, when greeting each other, do not need to take off their gloves. But if one interlocutor, to greet at a meeting, stretches out his hand without a glove, then the other should do the same. The woman is allowed not to take off her gloves during the handshake. It is unacceptable to stretch out a hand in a glove to a lady who is completely without them.

Handshake

The handshake is the oldest greeting ritual. It is important to know how to properly greet etiquette with a handshake.

An interesting story is why men shake hands. The hand outstretched to the interlocutor is a symbol of peacefulness. In the past, this gesture indicated the absence of weapons.

• When greeting the interlocutor, the woman decides what to do: whether or not to give the man a hand for a handshake.
• The hostess shakes hands with all the guests.
• If a man sees an acquaintance standing with a group of people, he shakes hands with everyone.

A firm handshake, accompanied by a direct look in the eyes and an open smile, inspires the confidence of the interlocutor.

When you can not say hello

In some cases, you can not say hello on etiquette. This is done with respect when they are afraid to disturb a friend:

• If someone arrives late for a performance, concert or lecture, they enter the hall quietly, without attracting attention to themselves. You can greet acquaintances with a nod of your head, and say hello during a break.
• If employees of the same office meet in the corridor several times, then each time you can not say hello, but confine yourself to a smile or a slight nod of the head.

Special rules of speech etiquette were invented for both greeting and farewell.

The farewell etiquette contains special courtesy phrases: “All the best!”, “See you soon!”, “It was nice to see you”. As in the greeting, when saying goodbye, they exchange handshakes.

When saying goodbye to one person, it is important to follow the rules of etiquette, which recommend saying how important this meeting is, what mark it will leave in your memory. Agree on how to meet again.

When leaving a party with a lot of people, you don't have to say goodbye to every guest. It is enough to say goodbye to the owners of the house, and the rest just nod. It is impolite to explain the reason for leaving early in front of everyone. When parting, it is important to say a few compliments to the hostess about the party, the house. Thank you for the welcome.

Within three days after the meeting, you must call or write to once again express gratitude for the meeting.

Good manners and knowledge of etiquette make you feel confident in any situation. The ability to beautifully greet and say goodbye distinguishes a well-mannered interlocutor with whom it is pleasant to communicate.

"Hello", "Good afternoon", "Hey"- how often we hear these simple words, but they can provoke many questions. For example, do you know: who should be the first to greet? How to say hello correctly? What kind of greetings are there? And in what case is it simply indecent to say hello?

According to the rules of etiquette, a man is the first to greet a woman, the youngest is the oldest, and an ordinary employee is the boss and everything is clear with this, but there are situations in which you need to figure it out.

Who should be the first to greet?

Well-mannered people greet each other when they meet - it would seem, what's so difficult? However, etiquette is a delicate matter. Much of it is based on the principle of emphasized respect. In accordance with it, a man is the first to greet a woman, the youngest is the first to greet the older, and the rank-and-file employee is the boss.

This concerns the verbal greeting. As usual, it is followed by a handshake. And here is a different alignment. According to etiquette, the initiator of the handshake is the most respected person: the elder gives his hand to the younger, the boss to the subordinate, the woman to the man. A man should wait until a woman reaches out for a handshake, but if this gesture does not follow, limit himself to a slight bow. (The custom of kissing the hand of women is now practically not used; it has survived only in Poland.)

As you can see, it's not easy to say hello correctly. And if you consider that at work you have to greet each other under different circumstances, then this question becomes even more confusing. Well, for example, who should say hello first: a young secretary or a CEO who is good enough for her as a father? On the one hand, a girl must show respect for her elder and be the first to say hello, but the CEO must also remember that he is a man who must greet women first. How to be? It all depends on how the chef positions himself. If he considers himself a man in the prime of his life, he will hasten to say "Hello". If the boss with every cell of his body feels the sand pouring out of him, he can wait until the girl shows respect for his position and respond with a gracious nod.

There are other subtleties as well. According to etiquette, when a woman enters the room, the seated man must stand up to greet. (A woman in a similar situation only gets up if an elderly person enters.) Now suppose the boss summoned a subordinate to the carpet, whom he had not yet seen that day. So, he has to get up, leave the table, put his hands down at the seams, say hello and only then give her a blast - unless, of course, the fuse disappears (maybe etiquette was invented for this in order to extinguish conflicts in the bud?).

Well, how to say hello if two married couples meet? In this case, women first greet each other, then men greet women and only after that - each other. Moreover, if the meeting takes place on the street, men take off their gloves from their right hands to shake hands. Women should only take off thick fur gloves and mittens; thin gloves can be left on.

In general, a self-respecting man is always the first to greet women ... unless they are English: in this country, this privilege belongs to the ladies.

Let's go back to the handshake. The custom of shaking hands goes back to antiquity, when, when they met, they demonstrated that there was no stone or other weapon in their hand. Thus, the handshake became a symbol of goodwill.

The handshake should be short and energetic, and you should look eye to eye. It is not good to offer your hand in a relaxed way, but it is also not good to squeeze and shake your partner's hand with all your strength. By the way, psychologists believe that by the manner of shaking hands you can learn a lot about a person. For example, a gallant handshake means that a person knows how to adapt to other people. If the hand is firm and stiff, we are faced with a tough person who demands obedience from others. The body of the person stretching out his hand to us is extended forward - it means that he is interested in communication. A wide gesture from the side means that this person is simpler.

Remember that you cannot enter a room where there are several people and shake hands with only one of them - you must definitely reach out to everyone else.

When communicating with foreigners, it must be borne in mind that the handshake is especially widespread in America, as well as in Europe. Americans and Western Europeans appreciate strong handshakes: being out of tone in these countries is bad form. Expressive Americans often go beyond shaking hands with a pat on the shoulder. On the contrary, the inhabitants of Asia may regard such actions as unpleasant familiarity and an attempt on personal freedom. In India, China and Japan, the handshake is not at all accepted. In Japan, three types of bows are used as a greeting (depending on the degree of respect expressed): the lowest, medium at an angle of 30 degrees and a slight bow at an angle of 15 degrees. For some peoples, the greeting has an even more exotic form: for example, the Maori tribes living in New Zealand touch their noses when they meet.

Situations are different

If you notice a friend in the distance (on the other side of the street, on a bus, etc.), and if you notice you too, you need to greet the person with a nod of your head, wave of your hand, bow, smile. You should not shout at the top of your voice - you will put both him and yourself in an awkward situation.

If you see a friend who is approaching you, you do not need to shout "hello" from afar. Wait until the distance between you is reduced to a few steps, and then greet him.

If you are walking with someone, and your companion greeted a stranger, you should also say hello.

If you meet an acquaintance in the company of a stranger, you should greet both of them. You should also greet everyone in the group you are approaching.

If you are walking in a group and meet someone you know, it is not necessary to introduce others to him. You can, apologizing, step aside for a few seconds and talk to a friend. But do not drag out the conversation, because other people are waiting for you.

Be sure to greet those people with whom you often meet, even if you are not familiar with them. For example, with the seller of the nearest store, with the postman, neighbors from the entrance. This is elementary politeness.

If you enter a room where there are many people, you should not greet each one individually, but say a general “hello”.

According to etiquette, there are three main types of treatment:

1. Official - citizen, master;

2. Friendly - dear colleague, old man, dear friend, etc .;

3. Familiar - sweet, granny and. etc., permissible only among the closest people

1. Verbal greeting

2. A tactile greeting

3. Greeting with gestures

When is it not accepted to say hello?

Saying hello is not accepted if the greeting can disturb and distract people who are busy with something more important than your appearance. For example, during a lecture, meeting, performance. In this case, it is recommended to enter the room as quietly as possible, without attracting undue attention to your own person. Seats are taken from the edge, and the greeting is limited by a nod of the head. During the break, you can say hello, apologize for being late and inconvenient, and take your place.

Don't hesitate to say hello to people. Greet people you meet with joy and positiveness. You will not only cheer up those around you, but you yourself will be charged with positive emotions, and will also be known as a pleasant and sweet person!

In school, in a friendly or business setting, greeting becomes a common experience, but it is important to improve this skill. Here are some quick tips to help you greet someone with a sincere and natural way.

Steps

Informal greeting to a stranger

Walk up to the person. It is very important to walk confidently with a smile on your face. If you sneak up from behind, no one will like it.

Make eye contact before dating. Looking into the other person's eyes, say "Hello, how are you?" or say a friendly phrase.

• Adapt. If the person says "Salute" instead of "Hello", also say "Salute". If he said "Great," say "Great."

1. Wait for someone to meet you. When someone greets you, smile back and introduce yourself.

   • You can also add how you know the person and maybe he also knows you. For example, “I'm Johnny. Last semester we went to the same filmmaking circle. " Such a presentation will help you avoid awkward situations or lulls if the person does not remember you.

2. Start a conversation. Most likely, you will want to get to know a new acquaintance better. If you have common interests, talk about it. For example, you might say, "Are you still a fan of Richard Linklater?" or “I'll take a couple of minutes away from you. Why don't we go to a more secluded place! "

3. Watch the reaction of a new acquaintance. If the person looks at you strangely and leaves, do not catch up with him. This behavior is not only suspicious - you risk getting into trouble! If he smiles and starts a conversation, congratulations! You have successfully completed the task and made a new friend!

   Formal greeting according to etiquette

   Formal presentation in a business environment

   • Remember to smile and be clear about your thoughts. It is much more important to look a person in the eye. You will demonstrate to the person that you are paying attention to them.
   • If you don’t know the person’s name, say “Nice to meet you” or “Nice to see you again”.
   • If you are greeting an adult, smile politely and say hello.
   • If you don't remember the person's name, ask politely, “I'm glad to see you again. Unfortunately, I forgot your name. " This behavior may seem impolite, but it is better than giving the person the wrong name.

   Warnings

   • If a new acquaintance is the first to ask about your business, it is best to answer the question and ask the other person the same thing.
   • Stay away from someone who doesn't want to meet anyone (watch your body language).
   • Don't be overconfident - this is repulsive.
   • Keep in mind that greetings can vary from culture to culture. For example, in the West, the handshake has long become a common gesture, and they will not look at you askance. But don't forget the subtle differences. For example, in Asia, eye contact and gaze are clearly distinguished.

08.02.2013 , Tatiana Cherepanova

It has long been no secret that a few seconds are enough to form the first impression of a person. That is why they say that "they meet by their clothes." But, you see, there are situations in which people may not see each other. Or there are certain conventions and requirements for appearance.

Meanwhile, the main role in the communication process is assigned, as a rule, among peoples with a low communicative culture, to visual attractiveness. Alas, according to research by scientists and sociologists, we Russians belong to this group.

Is it because we have in the first place in importance what we wear, how we are combed and what accessories we select. In the language of professionals, this is called "habitual" (from the Latin "habitus" - appearance, appearance). Whereas in economically developed countries, manners, education, professional and personal achievements are important.

When they talk about manners, they mean both etiquette and the ability to communicate. And where does any communication begin? Of course, with a greeting.

45 comments “ How to say hello correctly. Modern greeting etiquette”

Example: I enter a room. A person takes food (eats breakfast, lunch,
having dinner, etc.). I say hello and at the same time give him my hand. He declares that they do not shake hands at the table. He greets with words, invites to the table and continues to eat. Who is right in this situation and who is not?

• Hello Vladimir.
  Your situation is fairly common in life. Is there a clearly formulated rule for how to greet a person eating food? Probably, I will disappoint you - very often etiquette is perceived as such a set of rules that must be followed strictly. But life often does not fit into the Procrustean bed of dogmas. Yes, indeed, shaking hands across the table is not accepted. It is enough to exchange a verbal greeting and a nod of the head. But. You turned to the seated person and held out your hand (although you could not do this in this case)? Your expectation of reciprocal politeness is justified - it was just that the person could get up and, already standing, answer the greeting. Second "but". It is necessary to take into account the format of the situation - it is a business lunch or an informal meeting with a friend, an office or a restaurant. And also - age, gender, status of a person. So for each case, you can assume your own scenario for the beginning of the meeting. To facilitate the task of choosing, I will say that business etiquette today still shows more flexibility than secular etiquette. The main thing is not to strain anyone. And the second principle is not to blame anyone for ignorance of the rules that govern yourself (and not make comments aloud). Good luck!

Good day! Tell me please. If, for one reason or another, your greeting was not heard, what should be done in such a situation? For example, an adult woman, continuing to talk to her interlocutor, enters the room and does not hear the greeting. Do you need to repeat it after she finishes expressing the thought, or is it enough to say hello to her interlocutor and go do your business?
Thank you in advance for your prompt reply!

• Hello.
  It's simple, if you happen to be next to talking people, it is enough to greet them (or one of them) and go about your business. Even when your greeting went unnoticed. If you need to contact
  you can say hello to someone who communicates, apologize for interrupting their conversation, contact the right person and ask him to pay attention to you. At the same time, it is important to briefly formulate the purpose of your appeal (literally in 3 words). But you can do this when your case is urgent. In other situations, it will be right to ask when your counterpart will be able to listen to you. Enjoy your communication!

Hello. I want to ask this question. Here's a part-time job in an office building. The company has 10 offices. Accordingly, he comes to work after lunch, when everyone has already improved their health with each other. The offices are open and when he walks everyone sees him. Including men. Should he go into each office to say hello, or should he greet only those employees whom the guy will see in the corridor or will communicate during the day. And how, in this case, pass the classrooms.

• Hello Igor. Walking along the corridor, you don't need to look into every office to say hello. You can even say that it is not customary to look into the office through open doors. How do you get through the corridor then? Calmly heading to his office. You go to work, not for a walk!
  Come in and say hello in person only if you have a business question. In the rest, no one needs to be distracted from work. You need to greet only people you meet.

Hello. The director of another company often comes to our office (accounting), he may say hello himself, he may not say hello, due to his employment, the question is, who should still say hello first? He, because he came to us, or we, tk. is he a director (BUT another firm)? Thanks.

• Hello Ekaterina. A polite person should be the first to greet. But seriously, if we strictly follow the etiquette of greeting, then the superior, of course, is greeted by the subordinate, but only if they met in the corridor, and verbally, without shaking hands. At the entrance to the office, the first person who comes in greets. Even if he is the boss. When several people are sitting in the office, it is not at all necessary to greet everyone loudly - so as not to distract from work. But if the employee raised his head and paid attention to the person who entered, then, of course, they can greet each other with a nod of the head and a slight smile.

Good evening! Today I faced a situation at a new job: I came in the morning, wished my colleague good morning ... "Good morning" is wished only to those with whom they woke up)))) How is it right to greet colleagues in the service in the morning, during the day and in the evening? Thanks.

• Hello Alexandra. Sorry for the delay in answering.
  Your question, Alexandra, both surprised and amused me. I immediately remembered the episode from The Hobbits. If you have read the book or seen the movie, you will surely understand that I am talking about the meeting between Gandalf and Bilbo and their discussion about the "good morning" greeting. But seriously, lately a lot of pseudoscience propagandists have appeared. In this situation, it is a pseudo-etiquette. Yes, yes, your new colleague is engaged in propaganda of pseudo-etiquette. If you listened to the audio lesson in the section "Correct Russian" about ", then you probably paid attention to the time when forms with the word" kind "appeared in our speech culture. It is difficult to assume that then the innovators of Russian etiquette generally admitted the idea of ​​such a subtext of the phrase "Good morning." Following the logic of yours, Alexander, colleagues, we can continue: "Good night" are we saying to the one with whom we are going to spend the night? Agree, this approach is, to put it mildly, naive. In fact, “Hello” from “Good morning (day, evening, night)” is distinguished only by the level of formality of the situation and the distance that exists between people or that they want to establish between themselves. "Hello" is applicable in formal, neutral, formal conditions of communication, when there are rules of subordination or simply when the relationship is not so warm and friendly. But "Good afternoon" is just appropriate to use if you want to soften the situation, set the communication in a relaxed, friendly tone, immediately make it clear that they want to move with the interlocutor to a closer relationship (not intimate!).
  I can only assume that in your colleague's comment there was some kind of meta-message to you. Perhaps that you should keep your distance for now. It is possible that this person has a certain attitude towards the very fact of your hiring and firing your predecessor. Only to express it directly, he, as a well-mannered person, cannot. True, the form he chose is also questionable. Think, observe. How do they communicate in the office? What kind of subordination exists between colleagues? Who sets the tone for communication? And at first, do not rush to get closer. However, I hope that in two weeks that you are working in a new place, not a trace of that misunderstanding has remained. Good luck in communicating with colleagues!

  • Often in the evening, when leaving work, I meet colleagues whom I have not seen during the day and it turns out that I greet them, and they say goodbye to me. A funny and sometimes awkward situation arises. Explain, please, how is it correct - to say hello or to say goodbye in this case? Thank you in advance!

    • Svetlana, hello!
      In business etiquette, there is generally no strict requirement to greet everyone you meet. And, as a result, it is not at all necessary to say goodbye to everyone. The logic of business etiquette is for everyone to be comfortable.
      Of course, ideally, you can only say goodbye to those with whom you have already come into contact or communicated during the day. That is, it would be correct first to say hello, then to say goodbye.
      But what bothers you personally in the described situation? Mismatch of roles in the performance of the ritual? Why do you need it? The most appropriate option, in my opinion, is to turn an ambiguous situation into a version of an easy communicative game. Think and pick up a few phrases for such parting meetings and use them in your speech practice. Or try to act by analogy: answer the greeting with a greeting, and say goodbye with goodbye. The main thing is not to take on the responsibility of retraining anyone. Especially if you were not asked about it.

  your conclusions, in principle, are logical, but, however, this logic appears with everyday experience, but not for everyone. I really liked your advice - competent, interesting. Probably, it would be very interesting and informative to talk with you. -)

  • Good afternoon, Victor.
    Thanks for the compliment.
    And who said that etiquette is a set of incomprehensible rules invented by someone? Etiquette, in a sense, is the result of the practice of communication of more than one generation of people. And each etiquette has a logical explanation. It's just that at a certain point in our history, someone said that being polite is not cool, behaving culturally - sucks, speaking competently - in general, a complete kapets (I apologize for the slang). But reality convinces us that it is difficult to live by the rules. And, probably, it would be nice to find some little book that has collected all the algorithms of behavior in different situations. Opened - read - applied. But the secret is that there is no such book. As there are no rules for literally all occasions. There are basic ones, knowledge of which and, most importantly, understanding of their essence, will make it possible to be adequate even in the most difficult situations.

Hello, please tell me how it would be more correct from the point of view of etiquette to say hello to the girls, to a familiar person (friend) on the street? To hug or shake hands, or use some other sign of greeting?

• Good afternoon, Igor! In your question, there is a desire to be not only polite, but also respectful to other people. But you can't answer it briefly - the situations you write about involve the use of different greeting formats.
  To begin with, traditionally women and men are welcomed differently in secular situations. A handshake, obligatory when meeting men, even strangers, to greet a woman is possible if she herself gives you her hand. In no case should you initiate a handshake with her! At the same time, it is important to understand: what exactly does the lady hold out her hand for - for a kiss or for you to shake it.
  Hug or not? Hugs are a symbol, a sign of a certain degree of relations between people. Have you noticed that hugs are very common in subcultures? Precisely in order to show their belonging to certain circles. At the same time, hugs at a meeting can speak of a special spiritual closeness, unity, almost kinship - for example, this is how you can understand hugs when meeting fellow soldiers. But with women, even good friends, I would not recommend hugging - any touch she can interpret as an attempt to violate her personal space. In some cultures, such treatment is generally prohibited as degrading female dignity.
  The best way of greeting is a light but noticeable nod of the head and a look that exudes pleasure and goodwill. Older men, for whom gallant manners are not alien and who wear a hat, can at the same time lift it. But this must be done elegantly so as not to look comical.
  I hope now you can show all your respect for people when you meet them. Enjoy your communication!

Hello!

I have a question about who greets first in everyday life ...

We were forced to move in with my mother-in-law, we are a young family with two babies. When she enters any room where I am present, she does not greet, expecting my greeting. And in my subcortex somewhere it is written that ALWAYS greeted the first person who enters the room, regardless of age.

It turns out that I have a feeling that she does not greet me, and my mother-in-law has a feeling that I do not greet her, since she is older ...

• Good day, Natalia!
  Thanks for the question.
  There is no single rule of who greets first in everyday life - again, it all depends on the situation: where people met, what their age, they are of the same sex or not, in what relationship they are ...
  However, etiquette is not just a collection of logically meaningful rules developed by practical life. It's also psychology. And, let me say, there is more of psychology in the situation you described. Relationship psychology. And even the graphic design shows that it's not just everything in your house ...
  Think about what is important for you - to observe etiquette or to create an atmosphere of warmth and spiritual comfort? Believe me, it's not worth a rule, the observance of which leads to tension in the relationship.
  Peace of mind to you, Natalia, and your family ...

Hello,
Can you please tell me about business communication by phone or e-mail? If you call a colleague / client several times a day or there is a correspondence, do you need to greet the interlocutor every time? How to do it correctly?
Thanks!
Sincerely,
Catherine

• Hello dear Catherine. Thanks for the question.
  Greeting etiquette when communicating by phone or by means of e-mails, messages in chats, instant messengers is not much different from the rules of "live" communication. But this does not mean that the forms of politeness can be neglected when you call or write vis-a-vis 10 times a day. On the contrary, in such situations, special delicacy is required.
  To avoid inconvenience, conduct email correspondence with one addressee in the exchange of information in one feed or thread, do not write new letters every time, but reply to the received one.
  When you call the same person, you should definitely apologize, ask if it is convenient for the interlocutor to speak with you now and very briefly state the purpose of the call.
  It is not forbidden to greet a person if enough time has passed between the acts of your communication with them. For example, you contacted him at the beginning of the working day, and then in the afternoon, or closer to the end of the shift. In this case, abandon the formal greeting and replace it with a formula with reference to the period of the day - "Good afternoon" (after 12.00), "Good evening", (after 18.00).
  And also think about whether additional calls and letters are always justified. Maybe they are the result of carelessness or ambiguities that have arisen as a result of inept communication? Perhaps, before each call or letter, you need to better think over the purpose and nuances of the conversation, ask clarifying questions and ask again if you understood correctly what you are being told?
  Ekaterina, I hope I have answered your questions?
  I wish you pleasant and effective communication through any communication channels!

Hello. Tomorrow I am going to my higher-ranking leadership in order to wish you a Happy New Year and I will get to know each other in one thing. Although I have known some of them for a long time. How can I properly greet them, and of course congratulate them?

• Marina, good afternoon.
  Alas, your question ended up in the "Spam" folder, and I discovered it quite by accident. I suspect the answer is too late. But, nevertheless, I will write a small comment.
  Personal congratulations from senior management. A delicate situation. In our domestic practice, when all business relations are built strictly vertically, such a visit can be interpreted in two ways. If your company does not have an absolute authoritarian subordination, then a special trip of a lower manager to a higher one is quite appropriate. However, it is worth making an appointment in advance so as not to be an unexpected guest. In a classic organization structure, where all initiatives (and orders) go from top to bottom, it is still better not to demonstrate your interest in meeting new bosses. It is better to wait until it either comes by itself to introduce itself, or wait for an invitation.
  How to say hello? Basic rules: the hand is given by the superior to the subordinate. Except if the subordinate is a woman. In this case, she has the right to decide whether to shake hands or not.
  A few words about congratulations. It is a good tone to attach a postcard to a bouquet or other gift, but in style it should be formal enough - no comic pictures and texts. The congratulation itself should also be very verified, without vulgarities, any ambiguities. (You can also read about greeting cards here -).
  I hope these tips will help you, Marina, build a productive relationship with the new leadership. Good luck!

Hello! Is the greeting “Hello, whom I have not seen” appropriate? Maybe “Hello” is enough. And it doesn't matter if there are people at this moment with whom you have already greeted before.
Thanks!

• Hello Svetlana.
  Yes, in such situations, the courtesy rules recommend limiting yourself to only the words of a greeting, without any additions indicating who it is addressed to.
  In the wording "Hello, who have you not seen?" there is some familiarity and even some negligence. Try to avoid this.

Hello. Please tell me how to do it right. I often meet a stranger in the park, we just walk there to work. Do I need to say hello in such a situation? There is no point in getting to know each other.

• Olga, hello.
  Modern international etiquette does not oblige you to greet everyone you meet and whom you do not know. This is a form of tolerance - you do not know whether a person is even inclined towards fluent communication or not. And one of the basic principles of etiquette is not to interfere with others.
  But if you feel any discomfort in the described situation (and others like them), then allow yourself the luxury of deviating from this rule of modern etiquette in favor of politeness.
  Nobody obliges you to express joy from the meeting, no one forces you to start long conversations with unfamiliar people every time. A nod of the head and a restrained smile is enough. Do not hesitate to show your affection for people with whom you are connected even for a few minutes of the joint journey to work.

Good afternoon.

I wonder how to behave correctly in such a situation. I shake hands with the owner of the holding. The boss was walking to work (wide sidewalk). And communicates with a very important person. I walked by and did not say hello, so as not to distract them from the conversation. It is likely that they did not even notice me (just as I could not notice them, but I noticed) ...
Was it necessary to say hello in this situation? And if so, how? Thanks.

• Sergey, hello!
  You yourself answered your own question.
  In this particular situation, you did the right thing. The owner of the holding at the moment when you passed was busy talking with an important, as you wrote, person. If they didn't pay attention to you (or pretended not to notice), then people are very busy at this moment.
  Business etiquette, and in this story it is still better to rely on it, advises not to distract people from serious matters even with such a polite manifestation as a greeting.
  But if the owner of the holding would look in your direction, if there was eye contact, then, of course, it would not be without a greeting. But, perhaps, already without a handshake. With such a plot twist, a slight bow of the head is quite appropriate.
  Success!

• Hello dear Kukulya.
  Farewell to a client is a situation that determines whether he will come to your clinic for the second time or his current visit will be the last. In this context, it is better to leave the right to put an end to communication with the patient. Otherwise, a premature farewell can be understood by him as inattention, to say the least.
  I agree that there are a lot of people who are able to delay communication after an appointment with a doctor and thereby simply distract the employees of your department.
  If such situations occur quite often, the clinic's management should include in the so-called corporate culture code a section in which the script / and (algorithm / and, as is often said now, script / s) of communication with the client would be presented. Naturally, taking into account all possible development options. As a rule, the corporate culture code is drawn up by specialists in communications and imageology after a thorough analysis of real situations and modeling of ideal ones, corresponding to the image that the organization seeks to create. Trainings are conducted on the basis of scripts for employees working with clients. Their task is not only to familiarize with the rules, but to bring the dialogues to automatism.
  Perhaps this approach may seem useless, but if it had been done in due time, you, Kukulia, and your colleagues would not even have a question about who should say "Goodbye" first - a client or an administrator. Least.
  Try to challenge your management with the need to think about how to handle difficult customer situations as efficiently as possible. You will see, it will bring noticeable results.
  Good luck!

Hello. I work in the accounting department, in the office of 5 women. The director came with guests of 3 people (men), we did not expect, everyone was doing their job. The director said something incomprehensible, stood in the doorway and quickly left. Nobody really understood anything. Now he is very angry that no one even got up to greet. Please tell me how we were supposed to greet?

• Olga, hello.
  The situation described by you, as I see it, is least of all related to business etiquette. And the director's reaction makes us assume that he is not just not familiar with his rules, but is guided exclusively by personal motives in building intra-company communications.
  However, let's not break the rules of business ethics and discuss your leader. I think it is much more important to understand how to relieve tension in relations in your team.
  If you rely on business etiquette, then it would be more correct not to remain silent and pretend that everything is fine. Of course, you shouldn't hint the boss about his ignorance of etiquette. It is more reasonable to discuss the current situation with him, without blaming him or the employees of your department, to figure out what happened then, but without mutual reproaches and in no case without self-flagellation (by and large, the accounting staff behaved correctly). Perhaps, already in the course of the conversation, you will be able to understand the true reasons for the director's behavior and in the future in such situations you will be able to correctly use the knowledge gained, showing psychological and communicative flexibility.
  All the best to you and your colleagues!

Hello.

My friends say HELLO when they meet. We are 70 years old and more. I don't like this greeting. Wishing health or a good day at our age is more pleasant.

• Maria, good afternoon.
  Your friend's greeting is Western. As far as I understood from the correspondence with foreign partners, this is the norm. If you do not like this method, simply and tactfully explain to your friend that you would prefer the traditional "hello". But you shouldn't be offended by her.

Hello.

We greeted the employee on Skype. I say “Hello” at the entrance to the office, this is not the first time, she doesn’t say hello. Maybe this greeting among young people replaces the greeting at the meeting.

• Hello Valentine.
  Your employee has not violated the rules of business etiquette. One greeting, the first, is enough. Even if it was by phone (or Skype). But repeated "health" can signal that a person has some kind of internal communication difficulties. Why do you need to say hello whenever you meet with this employee? Watch your feelings ...
  And the concept of "youth" does not exist in the business hierarchy. There is a status of "superior", "subordinate". In the morning, employees of the company go to work along one path, you see a person from the back, you overtake him:
  -Is it necessary to say hello to everyone you overtake, if you don't even know everyone?
  -who should be the first to greet?
  -if you are overtaken by a senior in position?

  • Good morning Maria.
    I'll try to suggest:
    - It is not necessary to greet all colleagues, especially those whom you do not know;
    - usually greeted when meeting, not when overtaking. Unless in our reality, in such a situation, silence will be considered impolite, poor upbringing, arrogance;
    - in business practice, the subordinate is the first to greet, the superior gives his hand (by the way, this is in the article);
    - if the senior in position overtakes ... Do you say hello? What is the reaction to this? I think that out of politeness, a higher-ranking employee is answering you. But at the same time, he may think that you distracted him from his thoughts, that you are delaying him, that you are being overly intrusive, and so on. And again: they don't say hello to the back.

Good day! Please tell me where to get video materials for conducting classes with employees of medical organizations in order to teach how to greet patients and employees of the institution correctly.

• Hello. Kate.
  I don't even know where to redirect you ...
  It is unlikely that you will find a ready-made video guide for communicating between medical staff and patients. And in general, lessons on speech business etiquette. I would only advise you to find an agency or freelancers in your city who would film real communication, as it is in healthcare institutions. And then agree with the etiquette teacher about the analysis of the recorded episodes in the lesson. And it is better not just to disassemble them orally, but to play the correct communication scenarios with the training participants. It will be more efficient.

Hello! I work in a kindergarten! In our work there is an obligatory point - to teach children to say hello !!! ... But I noted ... that their parents should also be taught to pronounce the words of greeting! I would like to hold a consultation on this topic! How can I build a harmless, useful dialogue? Sincerely!

• Hello Tatiana.
  Parents of children are not your “target audience” in the literal sense. Therefore, you have no ethical right to teach them. That is, to act in relation to them in the role of a teacher. And you should not make comments to them either - this is not accepted by etiquette.
  But not everything is so sad! You, as a teacher, have a fairly large arsenal of communicative and educational techniques. And you will probably be able to name them yourself if you put yourself in the shoes of your parents and ask how you would show yourself the importance of the rule to say hello.
  Try it! I'm sure a lot of ideas will appear. Only this should not be a one-time job, but a systematic one. Otherwise, knowledge will not develop into a skill, and skill - into a skill.
  In general, you could discuss your problem with the entire staff of the kindergarten and come up with, for example, a large targeted program to create a space of politeness and attention. Games, drawing contests, homework with the involvement of parents, holidays ... Soon you will probably have matinees by February 23, March 8, then graduation. Incorporate playful moments in scripts that indirectly emphasize the culture of greeting ... Make it a habit to greet your parents with the whole group and in person. Up to using a handshake, even with moms.
  The main thing in work is not to act as a mentor and not to point out the impoliteness of others. Be very subtle. And with a smile!
  You, Tatyana, will succeed! Good luck!

Any meeting begins with a greeting. We say to each other the appropriate words for the occasion, shake hands, accompany phrases with a bow, take off our hats, and kiss our hands. Observing the etiquette of greeting, we express our benevolent attitude and disposition, show respect. And, on the contrary, the absence on our part of welcoming phrases and / or appropriate actions when meeting with a familiar person can be regarded by him as an insult.

Greeting etiquette: order

1. According to generally accepted rules, the first to greet

♦ a man with a woman;

♦ younger in age with older;

♦ the one who comes up with the one who stands;

♦ the one who showed up later than the appointed time, with those who came earlier;

♦ subordinate with a leader;

♦ being at a lower level in the social hierarchy with someone who is at a higher level.

2. According to the rules of etiquette, a man greets both women and other men standing up. Saying a greeting phrase while sitting is permissible only if he is sick, has reached old age or is in an office environment.

3. If a man is much older than a woman, she is the first to greet the elderly person.

4. There are generally accepted norms for married couples. Ladies should greet first when they meet, then men say greetings to women, and after that - to each other.

Handshake

In ancient times, this action served as a signal of peacefulness. Stretching out his hand, the person seemed to say: "I came with good intentions, there is no weapon in my hand." In modern society, a handshake is a sign of affection. It is not an obligatory ritual, but it is used often to complete the words of greeting.

5. When people of different sex meet, the woman has the right to decide on the handshake. She should be the first to shake hands. But if a man does this first, his action will not become a gross violation of the norms of greeting etiquette (in a number of European countries, a man's initiative is quite acceptable).

6. The oldest should be the first to shake hands with the younger. In any case, the outstretched hand should not remain in the air. Not responding to a handshake is tantamount to insulting.

7. For a handshake, the right hand is served. If she is busy, dirty, or injured, you can also perform the welcome ritual with the left. But at the same time, one should apologize.

8. Greeting etiquette allows women not to take off their glove either indoors (if it is part of a toilet) or outdoors.

9. In a situation where you walked up to the group and shook hands with one person, do so with the rest of the audience.

10. When shaking hands, observe the “golden mean” rule. You should not demonstrate heroic strength. This is especially inappropriate for a woman. However, a too weak, sluggish handshake can hardly be considered a greeting.

The words

11. It is accepted in a benevolent tone to say “hello” or, depending on the time, “good morning”, “good afternoon”, “good evening”. If in a normal setting it is enough to use just such a form of address, then in the official one you should name the person by name and patronymic (for example: “Hello, Olga Vasilievna!”, “Good afternoon, Pavel Petrovich!”) Or add a surname, title.

12. When greeting someone, look him in the eye, and do not wander around.

Knowing the rules of greeting etiquette is an opportunity to stay relaxed and confident in any society. Ours are a guarantee of a warm welcome, friendliness and sympathy of others.