Compass - Winter 2008 - (Page 10)

feature Good Manners Is Good Business By Gina Viña WHAT DO YOU THINK about when you hear the word “ETIQUETTE”? A lot of us tend to think about someone proper, someone older and someone with good manners. At the end of the day, having good manners is good business. To be successful, you must be conﬁdent and knowledgeable about the protocol of business etiquette. As you continue to build and maintain successful relationships, you need to know what to do and when to do it in the everchanging workplace. The purpose of etiquette is to ensure that people are comfortable with conducting themselves and making other people feel comfortable. Good manners are timeless, classic. Etiquette is a code by which we live. In today’s society, we are dealing with a multigenerational business landscape, where each person and each generation has its own perspective on business etiquette. No matter if you are a baby boomer, a Gen Xer, a Millennial, or Gen Y (also commonly known as the MultiTasking generation), business etiquette still matters. Today’s etiquette is all about having respect for a person’s position rather than their gender. In past decades, a man would typically open doors for a woman, offer to carry her things and allow her to enter doorways before him. Today, things are different. Hence, you may see a woman carrying a man’s briefcase and opening the door for someone. Etiquette comes in all shapes and forms. It’s the impression that we have of a person. We have to dress for success. Appearance matters. If you look good, you feel good. Have you noticed? Everything you wear represents a decision you made and is a reﬂection of you. Clothes always mean something, intentional or not. What image do you project? Do you want to look professional? Smart? Trendy? Stylish? The way people perceive us is their accurate impression of us. Think about your body language. Studies show that 55 percent of communication is body language. The way you smile, the way you look into someone’s eyes, the way you speak…everything matters. After meeting someone, it is time for introductions. Introductions are a lost art. Who are we going to call: Mr. Ms. or Miss, or Mrs.? What about the president? Who is higher ranked or lesser ranked? In business, small talk is smart talk. What to say and what not to say is always the question. A rule of thumb is to always get the person to talk about themselves. Who doesn’t like to talk about themselves? The key is to listen and actually hear what people are saying. Etiquette also involves all forms of communication, from answering the telephone/cell phone/BlackBerry, to sending a handwritten personal note, to typing an e-mail, to writing a letter. In today’s world, everything is becoming so automated, and sometimes business people rely on spell check way too much. Or we are frazzled. How many of us feel frazzled at times? The best advice is to always spend 10 extra minutes on any task to ensure that you are doing it correctly. It is a matter of getting back to basics. When it comes to etiquette, the rules have changed. Every business person in corporate America should take a good look at themselves and their organization and think about how they would like to be perceived as a person and as a company. When it comes to business etiquette, the best advice is to always be considerate to everyone. Always stand. Always open the door for everyone. Always offer to carry something. Always take a second look in the mirror. Always have eye contact. Always smile. Always listen. Always answer the phone with a smile. Always proof read everything you write. Always put yourself in the other person’s shoes. And remember: Good manners is just good business. Gina Viña is director of Business Development for Master Connection Associates, a global training and consulting company. She can be reached at 949-589-6137 or at www. masterconnection.com. 10 compass • Winter 2008 http://www.masterconnection.com http://www.masterconnection.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Compass - Winter 2008

Compass - Winter 2008 Contents Message from our President Networking- After the Event Holiday Party Cruise Control San Diego Firestorm 2007 Good Manners Is Good Business Planner Profile Supplier Profile News Briefs New Members Calendar at a Glance Advertisers’ Index

Compass - Winter 2008

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