Let’s step into the New Year with a refresher on basic banking etiquette on Wall Street, so you can stay ahead of your peers! 1. Under promise & over deliver. Always be clear about conflicting priorities and use upfront communication to your advantage! 2. Use “we,” not “I.” You should always reflect on the team’s efforts! For example, when sending revised materials around say “we incorporated your feedback” vs. “I worked through your feedback.” Albeit small, this verbiage ensures the entire deal team is bought in. 3. When sending an email to your entire deal team, always include emails in the “To:” line in order of seniority; the most senior MD should be the first email included, followed by Directors, VPs, Associates, and so on. This applies cross-teams, if you’re emailing partners in another group, always include their team in order of seniority as well. 4. Keep emails concise. Say what’s needed, clearly and efficiently — no unnecessary fluff. If ever addressing multiple pieces of information, use bullets. 5. When sending materials, always send PDFs (unless specifically requested otherwise by a senior banker). Avoid sharing editable Excel or PowerPoint files. 6. Always “version up” when working on materials by incorporating the latest version number in the title of the PowerPoint and/or Excel file (i.e. [Materials] v6 → [Materials] v7), and finalize materials with “vF.” Only circulate final versions externally (leave out the version number or any internal naming). 7. Spell check (using F7 key) and always proofread before sending any materials internally or externally to clients. Small mistakes create big impressions. 8. Before responding to a client or senior bankers in another group, always align with your Associate/VP before doing so (or the entire deal team when appropriate). Senior bankers do not want to have to do damage control!