Business etiquette 101
Emily Post is charging $200 - $300 for business etiquette lessons. Here is the CO version free of charge.
- Listen - Nothing is more polite or productive than listening to what customers and coworkers say.
- Think - Thinking will allow you politely solve many problems.
- Act - Emerson said "every natural action is graceful".
- Be polite - To the receptionist, to person on the phone, to the person in line. Always be polite and spread the good example.
- Be prepared - Review, research, read, prepare. Is there anything more impolite than showing up unprepared?
- Be early - Five or ten minutes early says "this meeting is important and so are you."
- They tell you to relax? Relax a little.
- Look good.
- Dress nicely - no matter where you are or what you do, look nice.
- Casual day? Be the nicest casual.
- Normal day? Be the nicest normal.
- Client visit? Tell them how important they are by looking nice.
- Crease - Hot iron and ten minutes makes all the difference.
- Razor sharp creases say "you are important".
- Shine - Ten more minutes takes the dull away and says "I am ready"
- Edge - The right edging says "I spent a little more time."
- Groom - Be different. The right kind of different.
- Take notes - Notes say that you want to remember rather than asking someone else to.
- Names - Learn them and use them.
- Words - Use words rather than acronyms.
- Sentences - Words come together to form sentences. Sentences are polite.
- Thoughts - Sentences string together to form thoughts. Thoughts represent thinking, thinking helps.
- Stories - Stories express thoughts and keep the attention of the listener(s). This is good business.
- Communication - Peter Ustinov said: "Communication is the art of being understood".
- If they don't understand you then YOU should make an adjustment. This is good manners.
- Answer.
- When someone calls
- When someone emails.
- When someone asks.
- Answering is polite.
- Silence is rude when you are asked.
- Write - Writing is very polite.
- Write notes - thank you notes, ideas, words, sentences, thoughts. . .in writing.
- "The knowledge of men and manners is the first principle and fountainhead of good writing." - Horace.
- Read - Read to prepare.
- Read - Read to improve.
- Read - Read to speak better.
- Read - Read to write better.
- Read - Read to tell better stories.
- Read for depth.
- Read for breadth.
- Read for perspective.
- "Manners make the man"
- "Manners must adorn knowledge and smooth its way through the world." - Lord Chesterfield
- "Manners are more important than laws." - Burke
- Don't gossip - Gossiping is rude and destructive.
- Speak candidly.
- Not rudely.
- But aim to be the person who, when speaking, deserves to be heard.
- Be helpful - Never stand by when you can pitch in.
- Be helpful - Never stand by and allow misinformation to be spread.
- “…I want employees to ask themselves whether they are willing to have any contemplated act appear the next day on the front page of their local paper – to be read by their spouses, children and friends – with the reporting done by an informed and critical reporter.” - Warren Buffett
- Be brief.
- One page.
- Ten minutes.
- Short waits.
- Straightforward answers.
- "Let your countenance be pleasant, but in serious matters somewhat grave." - George Washington.
- Improve - Get better all the time.
- Pay attention - Stay with us. Hang in there.
- Walk with purpose in your step.
- Open doors.
- Offer a hand.
- Smile.
- Appreciate - Always understand what you have as you work for more.
- Be kind.
- Be predictable in behavior and creative strategy.
- Remain calm.
- Remember your position and the gifts of business leadership:
- The gift of a megaphone which has been strapped to your lips so that everything you say can now be heard by twenty times more people than before.
- The gift of binoculars which will be trained on you so that everything you do will be watched by more people than ever before.
- The gift of fire which is used to light other fires under people (Thanks to Danny Meyer).
- Make eye contact - Look at people. It is polite and will tell you volumes about them.
- Ask questions - Questions tell people that you heard what they said and take it as important.
- Probe - Probing means that you understand the issue is important and you want to
- Understand - The Greek term for understand translates to the concept of "makeapath". Seek to understand so you could walk with the speaker. The ultimate compliment is to understand.
- Remember Buffett's other rules of business etiquette:
- No. 1 - Make money
- No. 2 - Never forget rule number 1.
- Nothing is more rude than to cause co-workers to lose their jobs.
- Know every day why you are here.
- Be here.
- Not there.
- Find good.
- Make good become great.
- Make friends.
- Build Savings.
- Build Favors.
- Build Good Will.
- These things are done by performing good deeds for others.
- They don't materialize out of nowhere.
- They aren't owed to you.
- They are earned.
- Be valuable - It is polite to be of value.
- Never be a commodity - Commodities are of little value.
- Learn discernment - Spotting a fool or trickery is the mark of a well-trained, valuable person.
- Never wallow in busyness.
- Create habits of etiquette.
- Remember that the greatest were also good.
- "The superior man is polite but not cringing; the common man is cringing but not polite." Confucius
- "A man's hat in his hand never did him any harm." Italian Proverb.
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