Cynthia Lett is The Official SelfGrowth.com Guide to "Business Etiquette". You can find complete information on Cynthia Lett and her products by visiting www.lettgroup.com.
In the hard-hit finance industry, building trust with clients unnerved by the shaky economy is critical. Creating a trustworthy image begins with the most visible element of your personal brand - your wardrobe.
Expectations for the finance industry are more conservative than other business ... Views: 1877
New party protocols?
I’d venture to say that PDAs are more commonly carried than pens, or even combs, in the pockets and purses of most urbanites. Every week, I receive questions for BlackBerry etiquette or iPhone protocols and our May newsletter provided tweetiquette tips. Social ... Views: 1713
It is highly appropriate that this posting is principally written by my friend, colleague, and collaborator Elad Levinson. If it weren't for Elad, I doubt I would have written Working for Good: Making a Difference, While Making a Living last year. Elad's insights, support, guidance, and ... Views: 889
Managing your office environment
Apple Stores across North America take pride in being paperless environments. They use technology to circumvent reams of paper, with only an occasional departure from their paperless guidelines. Apple may be the exception, rather than the rule.
If memory ... Views: 3864
Are you a Tweet addict?
I am so passionate about social media that everyday I enjoy the infinite ways people post tweets and how they bring out their personalities and brand messages. If you are a business owner it is very important for you to feel deeper connection to the customers and ... Views: 1770
If you’re like me and I know many of you are out there, when it comes to customer service there are certain traits that stand out and can make or break a business. The three simple traits that I have noticed in businesses that deliver first-class service are the following:
1.They Listened to ... Views: 9227
If you’re like me and I know many of you are out there, when it comes to customer service there are certain traits that stand out and can make or break a business. The three simple traits that I have noticed in businesses that deliver first-class service are the following:
1.They Listened to ... Views: 9227
Earlier this month, Global News asked me to appear on the 6 o’clock news to comment on the social taboo of foul language or cursing and swearing. I was being asked to comment on the etiquette of cursing–an oxymoron if ever I heard one! (Swearing – meaning solemn promise – is another subject ... Views: 2446
You've probably all had the "used car salesman" experience at networking groups. You meet a new person, and doing the normal protocol, you politely ask them what they do. They immediately launch into a passionate pitch about how wonderful their product is and assure you that you'll be dead next ... Views: 1164
Translation: please respond
A client writes: There seems to be a lot of confusion about RSVP. I noticed this with two invitations I recently sent out. The first was to an intimate bridal shower at my home, and the second, to a costly destination wedding. I understand my experience was ... Views: 1840
With consumer confidence levels low, even the most enthusiastic shoppers are acting with caution. Some are even cutting back as the recession progresses. According to The NPD Group's Economy Tracker (March 2009), confidence levels have dropped to 36.7, down from 38 in October. The number gives ... Views: 1563
The attitude one has when paying for services rendered is a subject that few people acknowledge or even consider, yet the impact on the recipient goes far beyond simply writing a check or depositing money into someone's account.
I had the good fortune of working with a client who ... Views: 2149
While people may decide 10 things about you within 10 seconds of seeing you, it takes only 1-3 seconds to speak volumes through your handshake. Having a firm handshake is essential in the business world. It’s a key ingredient in creating a good first impression.
President and Michelle Obama ... Views: 3546
Fashion comes and goes with the whims and moods of the moment—often with little or no concern for the results in the mirror. Thus, being in style is not the same as having style. Having style implies that one is a creature of natural refinement and elegance. Being in style suggests that a person ... Views: 2165
I live in a small rural community in Western Canada, sandwiched between a “small city” of about 80,000 and a major metropolitan center. There’s a lot of pressure to buy from local businesses in order to support our entrepreneurial base.
I’m in favor of keeping it local whenever it’s possible. ... Views: 1752
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***Gentlemanly Ways - by Shannon Smith, The Official Guide to Business Etiquette
In this hyped and frenzied world of impersonal communication, most people have forgotten the value of common courtesy, decent manners and correct social etiquette.
“The world was my oyster until I used the wrong fork.”
-Oscar Wilde
Today the rigid rules of “society” of years gone by have faded ... Views: 2162
Many sales reps who spend time with upper-level people in their organization (for example--they go on a few sales calls with you, they sit down with you to talk, etc.) feel intimidated and as if they are wasting that person's time. Don't feel that way. They don't. If you are a rising star in ... Views: 7286
Determining what should be your business practices and how you set policies is something that we need be very careful of. We should approach our research and advice we follow with a little extra caution and with an objective eye.
As we look at what is happening in the global economy, we can ... Views: 1611
If you’re entertaining thoughts of leaving your current office, you’d better learn how to write a resignation letter the right way. Even if you have one foot already out the door, it is no excuse to submit a shabby letter.
Learning how to write a resignation letter properly gives your boss the ... Views: 5246
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***Meeting Mastery - by Shannon Smith, The Official Guide to Business Etiquette
If you conduct a number of meetings a week and they seem to get longer and longer, and accomplish less and less, here are some guidelines on how you can hold a meeting that is more productive and positive.
We have all attended meetings that seem to go on and on and on… but it is only if you let ... Views: 1942
Have you ever received an email message from someone you don't know? Have you ever received a message or chain letter that someone forwarded to you and deleted it without opening it?
Have you ever received a message without a subject in the subject line? Have you ever received a message with ... Views: 1817
Body language and tone of voice convey 93% of our messages - not words - according to Dr. Albert Mehrabian, international expert on non-verbal communication. Surprisingly, spoken words account for only seven percent of what listeners perceive.
With this in mind, let's visit some ... Views: 2710
If you do business with people from cultural groups different than your own, you would be wise to invest some time understanding their cultures as well as their needs in terms of your products and services. You may not necessarily be doing business with people in another country, but with those ... Views: 5257
The dictionary defines a faux pas, as a false step (which is the literal translation from French) or a breach of etiquette. A blunder is a stupid mistake, to move awkwardly or stumble or to utter stupidly or confusedly. Bloopers are defined as a clumsy mistake, especially one made in public. ... Views: 4103
Corporate culture, can be described as a way of business life within an industry and is created, maintained and projected by an underlining set of beliefs. The culture within an organisation is often shared subconsciously, by management and staff members and can also be referred to as the ... Views: 3048
If your manager keeps complaining and becomes a victim then everyone loses. Since you are in this situation you should decide immediately that it is not an ideal and make a commitment to putting your best foot forward.
Here is an easy guide to follow:
1. Choose your attitude. Positive ... Views: 1715
Customer Support is a large part of what I currently do as well as what I have done over the last 20 years. Of all of the things we have to do to make a business run, attending to the customer is one of the most important. Without the customer, there would be no business.
Over the years of ... Views: 2676
Not since the women's movement caused an uproar over the "Battle of the Sexes" has there been so much press about a change in the workplace. The "Battle of the Generations" has been getting a lot of attention in the past several months and it's mostly centering on the youngest generation in the ... Views: 2332
How do you tell someone what not to wear? When it comes to looking professional, many factors come into play. We all recognize the need to be clean and pressed (right?), but what about our hair or our nails or the scuffs on our shoes? I remember years ago interviewing candidates for a CEO ... Views: 1841
Many of us have received e-mail from friends, family members, or coworkers that seemed too shocking, funny, or weird to be true. Will private cell phone numbers soon be provided to telemarketers, causing you to pay for everything from aggressive insurance sales calls to credit card companies ... Views: 1226
Do you ever come home steaming about an interaction you had that day in your place of work? Are there people at your job you avoid or wish you could avoid? Do these relationships sour your job satisfaction? If so, you are not alone.
A study in the mid 90’s reported that 84% of companies ... Views: 1583
What’s the rate of return for investing in your personal business image?
Is there evidence that corporate bottom lines correlate with polished business manners? Does the manner in which an individual presents oneself, both in dress and behaviour, contribute to increased profitability? I’ve ... Views: 1589
Change your ads regularly. Your prospects could
get bored seeing the same ad all the time. Statistics
show people usually see the same ad 7 times before
they actually buy. Just change them enough to keep
them from being over-exposed. For example, if your
ad said. "FREE Killer Marketing E-book!", ... Views: 786
In today’s highly competitive modern world we hear more and more about unethical behaviour, either in business, politics or even in broader social activities.
Values are the rules by which we make decisions about good and bad, right and wrong, or simply about our likes or dislikes
Morals are ... Views: 2695
Have you ever walked into a store and instantly felt a pleasing warmth and friendliness that made your shopping experience wonderful? Did you notice that something special was going on, but you couldn’t quite put your finger on it? I call this “something special feeling” the invisible ecology of ... Views: 973
Katie Yeakle, the executive director of American Writers & Artists, Inc. (AWAI), http://www.awaionline.com/bio/katie-yeakle/, announced today AWAI's top five resume-writing tips to help secure job interviews and obtain new clients quickly.
"As the competition for jobs rises in today's economy, ... Views: 1211
When we first receive an invitation, it is always exciting but as the date approaches, the excitement of attending the function is now turning into a chore, it is on the evening of your favorite show, your son’s hockey game or you just plain want to go home and be quiet. You may hear this ... Views: 1393
Have you ever stood by watching someone get angry? These days, it’s pretty easy to lose your cool. Sure, most of us are happy when times are good. But times aren’t good. The economy we find ourselves in is almost as bad as it gets, and it affects nearly everyone.
At last count, more ... Views: 1393
So, there you are, sitting through yet another boring presentation. As you are actively not listening and you sit back in your chair, you suddenly feel the sharp poke of an elbow from your neighbor. That's when you realize that you've been asleep. What's worse is that as your eyes open, the ... Views: 5468
It is estimated that more than 50% of business is the result of relationships that have been built with clients. If you think that you are going to get business because you have the lowest fees, the best service or most innovative product---dream on. The truth of the matter is, if you are not ... Views: 1278
The holiday season is upon us once again, it seems to come quicker and quicker each year. In the spirit of the holiday season, having a company holiday party always seems the festive thing to do.
Office parties can be an excellent opportunity to lift employee morale and celebrate organizational ... Views: 1646
The First and Last Impressions are What Count the Most in Business
In Hawaii, the word Aloha means both hello and goodbye. They believe you should end a meeting with the same warmth and openness that you started with, if it be a short parting between friends or an indefinite farewell between ... Views: 1309
The world of business and employment can be a cutthroat one, which is why it helps to be ahead of the game and gain an advantage over competitors whether individuals or entire companies.
Business Internet Domain Names
As with all aspects of selling yourself, choosing a name for your website is ... Views: 967
No matter what the industry or business sector, “Positive Workplaces” are built on successful people-to-people relationships, beginning with the most critical component, the partnership between managers and employees. This relationship sets the tone and impacts the workplace. The workplace ... Views: 3942
In the business world the words "good" and "profit" are used almost as synonymous but challenges of our modern world require a redefinition of profit and the development of a more sustainable growth model including and benefiting all of society and protecting natural resources.
In the business ... Views: 1122
Arbitrage refers to buying an instrument or a commodity in one market and simultaneously selling it in another, making clear and risk less profit. Arbitrage opportunities are available when markets are not efficient. A person who makes risk less profit by using market inefficiencies is called an ... Views: 8120
There’s a little device that has the potential to get you fired, make your spouse leave you, and humiliate yourself in front of your friends and family.
And chances are you used it already today – and will use it again.
Know what it is?
It’s EMAIL.
And using email is exactly the same as ... Views: 5268
A good laugh will do wonders for you as smiling and laughing lowers your stress levels, wins you a friendly reputation, and helps your usually tense co-workers and bosses to relax.
Humour on the job will do a lot for your career, but there are a number of things you need to know about laughter ... Views: 1548
For me, getting Mondays started on the right foot was one of the hardest things to do. I would ease myself into the work week like I ease myself into a swimming pool that is uncomfortably too cold…anxiously, rigidly and not looking forward to it.
Once in the office, I’d start off slow. I ... Views: 1016
With the holidays right around the corner, many are preparing to send their annual business holiday greeting cards to their customers and vendors. To make the most of this marketing activity it is important to follow a few simple etiquette rules. If you are putting forth the effort to send the ... Views: 2030
Since the focus of my business is to help professional women be successful, I'm used to focus on helping working women create a support, or “Dream Team” in the business arena. But I’ve realized that women who are stay at home moms need the support of a “Dream Team” ... Views: 1206