Social Etiquette Training

Dining etiquette is one topic of social etiquette training

Good manners and social skills are not something you only need if you're attending a fancy tea party. Such social etiquette can be beneficial in daily life. Proper social etiquette not only enhances your own self-esteem but can also boost your image in the eyes of others. Consulting companies, personal coaches and etiquette schools offer social etiquette training with elaborate or basic lessons to fit individual needs.

Class Types

You don't need to sit in a stuffy classroom to learn social etiquette, although classroom training is an option. Others include online classes where you learn at your own pace from your own home, and seminars where you hire the trainer to come to you or your business or home for group or personal lessons. Another option is to purchase class materials from companies that offer the training and teach yourself or your employees. Fees vary widely, depending on the type of service you pick, the number of people participating and where the training takes place.

Topics

Social etiquette training goes far beyond what fork to use with your salad, although dining is a major topic often covered. Classes on corporate image cover everything from the handshake to introductions. Communication training covers body language, tips on remembering names, lessons on making small talk and guidance for written communication. Entertainment training covers dining etiquette as well as hosting parties, making toasts and strategic seating arrangements. International etiquette is another major topic, especially important for businesses with clients overseas.

Students

Social etiquette training can be useful for everyone, but especially beneficial for businesses who want to make a positive first, and lasting, impression. New employees are ideal candidates, but even people with seniority may benefit from some fine tuning. Managers, sales associates, marketing executives and people like financial advisers with well-to-do clients need a solid set of social skills. People who work closely with the public and need an air of authority, like teachers, doctors and lawyers, can also benefit.

Methods

Trainers use a variety of methods to instill the training. Role-playing skits, in-class activities and hypothetical situations work to drive a point home. Other social etiquette training methods include workbooks, lectures and text books or other literature that outlines proper etiquette in a number of situations. Many go beyond basic reading or lecturing and incorporate interactive lessons that give students a chance to test what they've learned.

Finishing School

Social etiquette training is not just for adults. Kids, too, can benefit from lessons of their own. Etiquette lessons for kids, also known as finishing school, are suited for kids at least nine years old. While children won't be learning about international corporate relations, they can take classes that include general social skills and dining etiquette. Social skill topics cover how to introduce themselves, telephone manners and how to greet others. Dining skills cover how to use a napkin and how to ask to be excused from the table.

References

• Business Training Works
• Etiquette School
• The Etiquette Institute