Business Etiquette Accessible on Your Mobile Phone

BizQ.mobi is divided into five sections for the on-the-go business professional or job interviewee hoping to avoid a dubious moment that could lead to a dealbreaker.

I briefly list the sections here and then describe each in more detail below.

Business Essentials
Get the lowdown on handshakes and introductions

Let's Do Lunch
The particulars of the power lunch

Tabletop Techniques
Hosting how tos and guidance for guests

Avoid Flatware Follies
The ups and downs of fork tines

Place Setting Pointers
Navigating the tabletop terrain

Are you giving a bone crusher handshake? Or maybe a fingertip or glove handshake? The handshake is the accepted greeting in business and it's amazing what you can learn about a person by how they give a handshake.

For an impressive handshake connect hands web-to-web, give two pumps and shake from the elbow not the wrist. And, of course, no crushing fingers.

Introductions are a story of their own. They can be riddled with protocol or be a simple, "Hello, this is Jayden." Suffice to say, I streamline the protocol. The biggest tip I can give you for introductions is to say the name of the person who has the highest position first, then the other person's name.

If you are a stickler for details during the business lunch this BizQ etiquette guide will provide a lot of answers. Let me share a few with you.

Use the salad fork to cut the lettuce into bite-size pieces. Use the salad knife only as needed. Even if the salad knife was not used, still place it on the plate to signal you are done with the salad course.

No blowing on soup. No crushing crackers in soup. And no slurping!

Butter the bite-size piece of bread you are planning to eat over the bread-and-butter plate. And please, don't butter the bread using the master butter knife from the butter serving dish. Use your butter spreader.

I'm rather fond of tabletop techniques. They really give me a chance to focus my total attention on my guests needs and unexpressed thoughts. I'm in constant observation mode watching for their silent signals before I make my next move.

For instance, as a host I wait for the guest to signal when he or she is done eating by the placement of flatware on their plate. I then use that cue to signal the waiter - through the placement of my flatware - to clear the table.

It's almost like a dance partnership where one leads and the other follows. There is a ritual of steps and when performed correctly, the outcome is a rewarding performance.

Oh have I seen some tango dances with the knife and fork. The key to not letting food fly across the room is to correctly hold the knife and fork so the food can't slip and slide away. The technique is rather easy.

Place the knife diagonally on the palm of your right hand, the fork diagonally on your left hand. Secure the knife and fork with your thumbs, and then turn your hands over so your palms face down. Move your index finger to the top edge of the knife blade, the left index finger below the fork tines, and tadah you are ready to eat.

I also share the cutlery clues to signal the waiter when you are finished eating and when you are resting between bites. The illustration with the red and black background signals I am resting between bites (eating Continental style).

Oh the proverbial questions: Which napkin is mine? Is that your bread-and-butter plate or mine?

I demystify those questions by offering two roadmaps for navigating the place setting terrain. One covers a four course place setting, probably the most common meal, and if you are ever eating at the White House, a six course place setting. Now if you come upon a finger bowl, give me a ring.

By-the-way, the answer to the napkin and bread-and-butter plate dilemma is the left side of the main course plate. Now if the napkin is placed in the coffee cup (which is a no-no) located on the right side of the main course plate, that is your napkin. Why? Because your personal place setting space includes the coffee cup. To take the napkin from the left is invading your guest's personal space.