OBTAINER - QNET

“The female sales manager of a company receives the male
purchasing manager of a customer company in her office. Who
offers the verbal greeting and who offers to shake hands?”
Often I hear people say that it’s the sales manager who offers
her hand to the purchasing manager because, after all, she’s the
lady. That she’s a lady is without any doubt correct, but that isn’t
the reason for this sequence of verbal greeting and offering to
shake hands.
Because in business life no differentiation is made between ladies
and gentlemen anymore because this would be in contradiction
to sexual equality in the professional sphere. So the fact that the
sales manager is a woman plays no role at all.
Nevertheless, the answer is correct, but for quite a different
reason. In this case what is called the “host rule” is the one that
counts.
The host rule says the the “host” should offer his or her hand to
welcome the guest – i.e. in this case the sales manager since she
is receiving a visit from the purchasing manager at her premises.
By the way, the host rule also applies when saying goodbye.
COLUMN
07/2012 OBTAINER WORLDWIDE 149