business etiquette Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Professional Courtesy, LLC

Non-Profit Etiquette

July 17, 2013 by procourtesy

Non-Profit Etiquette
There is a lot of competition out there for the money you give personally, to charity. Ask anyone and they will tell you that they are inundated for money requests from non profit organizations, political campaigns and academic institutions. And if you are in business the requests may be even greater.

The charity that people choose to support is often based on their own personal experience with, or their loyalty to, an organization. Political views, alma maters, family and personal health issues and many other things play into the decision as to what group one supports.

All of those requests can make one dizzy and yes, sometimes annoyed, with the constant barrage for money or items. So, in order for your organization to be perceived as worthy and grateful for the donations that you receive consider a little “non profit” etiquette as you ask for support.

Don’t expect everyone to offer services and gift items for nothing or monetary support just because you are a “non-profit” organization…non-profit doesn’t mean you get everything for free. Non-profit employees don’t expect to work for nothing and you shouldn’t expect others to either. Get over any sense of entitlement.

When asking for a favor or requesting services from someone consider getting their fees under written by some of your donors. Most people will offer a discount to non profit organizations, but for small businesses to do everything for free is a dangerous precedent for them to set and they can’t afford it.
Retailers lose money after a certain point when discounting merchandise. So to expect everything at cost is unrealistic too.

Support the businesses that support you. If you and your staff are constantly asking and never giving back you will quickly become someone to avoid. This also includes the people who sit on your board and constantly ask for money, favors or merchandise and never support the local businesses who generously give.

Make sure that every donation, regardless of whether it is of monetary value or just someone’s time is acknowledged. To have people donate money, items and/or time and not express thanks is a huge faux pas.

Train your staff in professional courtesy skills. Especially, if they are doing any kind of entertaining while fund raising. Staff members should be able to meet and greet the public with aplomb, network effectively and manage a formal dining situation with poise and confidence.

Know your community. If you are the new person who has been hired from out of town, you should be doing your homework on the who’s who in the community. And you should know what else is going on in the new city you now call home.

Get your requests in early. Most companies plan their budgets for charity at certain times of the year. It may be important for you to time your requests from the large corporations, especially if the request is for a large sum.

Value your volunteers. The people who volunteer their time for your organization should be treated with the same respect as your paid employees. Actually, maybe more. Most non-profits couldn’t function without their volunteers.

So, ask graciously, give back and be grateful to those who make your organization a success. It will come back to you in kind.

The View from the Front of the Room

June 4, 2013 by procourtesy

The View From the Front of the Room

Anyone who has done any training, teaching or speaking in front of a group of people will tell you that you can size up a group pretty quickly.

As a trainer in professional skills and business etiquette I am in front of all sizes of groups quite regularly. And I am often surprised by what I learn from the view at the front of the room.

Some people come in very eager and willing to learn something new or brush up on skills that they already possess. They introduce themselves in a pleasant manner and take their seats. However, there are those who come with a chip on their shoulder and are pretty indignant about having to attend. I think they consider being asked to attend business etiquette training as somewhat of an insult to their capabilities. And that response is ironic to me, because these are often the people who need the training the most.

As a child I was told by my parents and teachers that the people who had the floor deserved your undivided attention. Even if you didn’t like what was being said you needed to keep still and quiet. Advice I still subscribe to today, when I am in an audience.

Like actors on a stage, speakers can feel the energy in a room. Sometimes, that’s good energy and sometimes it can be bad energy. Facial expressions, body language and today, the number of times people check their personal electronic devises can let you know whether you are capturing their attention and if they are buying into what you are saying.

There are those people who will come into the room and take the last seat in the last row of the room. That says to me that they really don’t want to be there and they don’t want to engage with you or the rest of the group. And they are usually the people who are the first ones out the door when I finish.

There are certain courtesies that should be observed anytime you are in a situation where someone else is speaking, presenting, or performing. Here is my list of things to do.

Do arrive in plenty of time to get situated and comfortable before the speaker begins.
Do fill in from the front of the room and sit next to someone you don’t know. Some situations can be great networking opportunities.

Do let the speaker know (if possible) if you have to leave before they are finished so they don’t think you are walking out on them. And if you do leave early, consider leaving during one of the breaks so as not to cause a distraction for others.
Do give them your undivided attention. Silence your mobile devices and try to check messages and e-mail at the scheduled break times. Speakers can see you checking messages and it can be distracting and perceived as disinterest. And it is rude.
Do try to take care of any necessities during the scheduled breaks and before sitting down for any meal that may be included in the day. Of course, emergencies are excluded.
Do ask questions if you are invited to do so. The interaction is encouraging. Speakers learn from your questions, too.
Do be respectful and don’t try to show up the speaker. Nothing worse than having a show off or an argumentative person in the audience. And don’t chit-chat with the person next to you.
Do be careful not to monopolize the speaker with your questions during a session. Consider speaking with the trainer after the session if they make themselves available to you.
Do thank the speaker after they are finished if they make themselves available. They like to know that you appreciate their time and expertise.
Do keep an open mind. Most of us can learn some new tidbit that will be of benefit, even if we feel we know the subject matter well.
Do let your boss know you appreciated them paying the fee for your attendance. Not all companies are very willing to pay for ongoing training.

So, the next time you are in an audience be attentive to the messages you may be sending the speaker. You might be surprised.

Meeting Etiquette

November 15, 2010 by procourtesy

Meetings are a fact of life for most people, whether at work, while sitting on boards, or doing community service. Observing some courtesies during meetings can make the difference between an effective meeting or one that runs amuck.

Following these etiquette tips will help facilitators and attendees get the most out of their next meeting:

Post the time and date.
Start and arrive on time.
Offer an agenda, if possible, ahead of time.
State and post the rules of expected behavior.
Be prepared with your contribution to the meeting.
Silence cell phones and avoid texting during meeting.
Turn off computers unless it will be used for the meeting.
Stay on task and don’t monopolize the conversation.
Be open to the ideas of others.
Keep tempers in check.
Don’t speak out of turn or interrupt.
Give the person speaking your undivided attention, no side conversations.
Thank the facilitator or guest speaker.
Follow Parliamentary Procedure when necessary.

A Conversation with Blogcaster Karin Schroeck-Singh

June 15, 2010 by procourtesy

Please tell us about your work and background.

I’m the blogcaster (blogger/podcaster) of the “Manners And Career Blogcast” at: http://blog.mannersandcareer.com. A website that provides high-quality content to smart professionals and graduates who want to watch, listen to and read about manners and career-related topics for free. I started this blogcast during my maternity leave since I wanted to do something meaningful in that period of time. What I love in this job is the research, creating interesting and unique content in the etiquette industry, giving advice, networking and at the same time learning a lot from others too. I got excellent feedback so far and was able to increase my website traffic from month to month.

I completed my MBA at the University of Leicester (UK) in 2004. My 15 years of work experience in various sectors such as office management, recruitment, market research, operations management, teaching and training business-related subjects and business etiquette allowed me to enrich my skills portfolio and network considerably.

Where do you live?

I was born in Austria, have grown up in a German-speaking area in North Italy called Bozen/Bolzano where I spent 32 years. I worked and lived for 6,5 years in the UK and moved recently to India (New Delhi) with my husband and little daughter.

What are your greatest challenges as an Etiquette Professional in India?

I’m still in the process of finding out what the challenges in India will be. Hindi, the language spoken by most, is obviously a hurdle, even though English is considered as the Business language. However, knowing the native language is always beneficial. I started learning some basic words but realized that it will take me a long time until I will be able to be fluent in it. I also noticed that people listen to what I’m saying very carefully due to my German accent which they are not used to. Furthermore, there is a lot that needs to be researched and experienced. I noticed that researching about your competitors in the Indian etiquette industry on the internet is much more difficult. I found more relevant information in newspapers by reading articles and finding ads. Therefore I would say that researching the American etiquette industry is much easier since you can find so much information online. I do also strongly believe that teaching etiquette in the future will be delivered mostly online. Currently very few companies are doing it in a professional, interactive way. The education sector will undergo a revolution in that regard that has already started but is still not widespread. People and companies will simply want to learn this subject at their own pace, from their home or/and office, in their own time, yet in an interactive way.

Having said that, I’m not sure whether I would take up the role as an Etiquette Consultant in India. I never wanted to be just the best in a particular sector but the first and only in doing something completely new. I hope to fulfill my dream before I’ll turn 40 next year by creating something unique in the etiquette sector.

Do you think American and British Etiquette Consultants face the same etiquette challenges?

I think the problems are the same, mainly the fact that people think they don’t need to be taught on etiquette. They still haven’t realized that it has a direct (considerable) impact on a company’s bottom line.

What are the best ways you attract clients?

Since I was teaching etiquette as an employee of a world-leading Language School in England I did not have to attract any clients. But if I were an Etiquette Consultant I would obviously first focus on networking strategies before anything else. My goal in order to attract and keep clients would always be to EXCEED PEOPLES’ EXPECTATIONS, the secret of word-of-mouth. Something I learnt during my MBA while writing my dissertation on “Recommendation marketing: The creation of a word-of-mouth marketing strategy.”

What do you do to keep your skills current?

I consider myself a lifelong learner, therefore I consider learning as my biggest hobby which includes everything I do: reading, watching, listening, learning from my own and other peoples’ mistakes, observing, networking, discussing, whether it is online or offline.

Whom do you use as an advisor?

My closest family members.

Do you have a role model in the etiquette business?

No, but I’m very grateful of having had the opportunity to learn a lot from other American Etiquette Consultants. However, I must say that Patricia Rossi, Diane Gottsman and Walethia Aquil impressed me in a very thoughtful way.

Why did you go into the etiquette business?

I was always fascinated by different countries and cultures and was initially interested in International Etiquette. General Business Etiquette was something that I learnt later on. Teaching is my passion since I was six years old. I thought it was the perfect combination to teach the subject I’m most passionate about.

What do you say when people ask about “your job”?

I enjoy helping people to feel comfortable in any professional situation.

What’s the best thing about being an Etiquette Professional?

Teaching other people a skill that they will need on a daily basis and they will remember for the rest of their life. It is rewarding in the sense of knowing that you make a difference in other peoples’ lives and their successes.

What’s the worst thing about being an Etiquette Professional?

I can’t think of anything particularly bad.

What has been your guiding philosophy?

Learn from anyone, anywhere, anytime.

Do you have any advice for other Etiquette Professionals?

My five tips:

1.) Make sure you love what you are doing. Passion is very important to keep yourself motivated.

2.) Work hard but smart. Focus on the relevant things.

3.) Try to find out about other Etiquette Professionals experiences particularly if you just got started in this sector. (My blog offers some great interviews in that regard, look at the category “Etiquette Professionals”.)

4.) Try to be different from your competitors. Look out for a niche.

5.) Marketing is key in running your business, online as well as offline.

Thank you Karin for your thoughtful response to my questions. I do appreciate you taking the time.

Professional Sabotage

June 12, 2010 by procourtesy

Being perceived as a professional is about more than a GPA or one’s academic ability. In fact, research states that we are judged much more on our social skills than our technical and academic ability.Here is a list of faux pas that can sabotage your professional image.

1. A poor handshake or refusing to shake hands.
2. Lack of eye contact.
3. Poor table manners.
4. Poor grammar.
5. Inappropriate dress.
6. Gum chewing.
7. Swearing and off color remarks.
8. Taking phone calls and texting in meetings and in front of others.
9. Not returning phone calls and e-mails in a timely fashion.
10.Not sending a handwritten thank you note.

Perception is reality. The small things that we do and don’t do impact how we are perceived by others.

Do you have any other faux pas to add to this list?

Non-Profit Etiquette

The View from the Front of the Room

Meeting Etiquette

A Conversation with Blogcaster Karin Schroeck-Singh

Professional Sabotage

Company Profile

From the Blog

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