When It Comes to Business, Mind Your Manners

When It Comes to Business, Mind Your Manners When It Comes to Business, Mind Your Manners Its an interesting hiring strategy, to be sure. Wouldnt your mother be thrilled? Who would have thought that our firms  unique value proposition in the deal would be manners? Although business protocol wasnt actually taught in any business school I considered, maybe MBA programs  should start doing just that. So, what can you do to incorporate a little Emily Post into your daily routine? Its not as hard as you might think. 1. Focus on the Present Weve all turned into multitasking machines: we talk on the phone, check email, travel to the next meeting, and eat lunch all at the same time. But juggling tasks is overrated and, frankly, unfulfilling for all involved. The person on the other end of the line can tell your mind is wandering as your voice trails off; the clicking of the keys in the background is annoying and distracting; youre about to sideswipe the guy on your left; and food is meant to be shared and enjoyed, not shoved down your throat as quickly as possible. Slow down, focus, and put your full attention into everything you do. People will notice when you do, and theyll appreciate your interest. 2. When Youre on the Phone, Smile as You Talk Smiling almost forces you to articulate more: its harder to mumble and slur your words when you smile. And a smile comes through in your voice and tone. I find it also helps to stand up or sit up in your chair when you speak on the phone, because your voice projects better and sounds clearer when you do. Our firm  once worked with a company that put millions of dollars into a fancy customer relationship management (CRM) system meant to  touch its customers in meaningful ways. The funny thing is, when you call the companys main number, you get shoved into a phone tree that never seems to end. Its frustrating, and the  company  no longer lets you push 0 to reach an actual human being. In fact, the company overrode that feature in the system since so many people were using it (which should have been a clue). My first recommendation for the company was to have a real human being preferably one who smiles pick up the phone at least during normal business hours. The  company  can hire a lot of people for all the money it  spent on the CRM system upgrades and training. Call me old-fashioned, but it really is nice when you can reach a smiling human being on the other end of the line. 3. Listen to Your Phones Outgoing Message I know a professional whose cell phone message barks, Im not here. Dont leave me a message on this phone! And hes in sales. Would you buy from him? Not likely. Make it easy for people to find you and follow up with you, especially if youre in a people-oriented business. Its perfectly acceptable to say that youre traveling and unable to check messages regularly, or that you prefer people to leave messages at another number. Heck, you can  even to encourage people to send an email  instead! But announcing that you dont welcome voice messages makes you seem unapproachable and cold, neither of which are desirable qualities in business. 4.  Apologize When You Make a Mistake Its the cover-up or denial, not the screw-up, that ultimately gets you in trouble. I  had two people not show up for scheduled meetings in the past year. One made excuses and said he would get back to me with dates for a lunch to make up for it (Im still waiting for his call), and the other sent the most beautiful flowers Ive ever seen and called the following day asking when and where we could meet again. Everyone has emergencies or technology snafus to deal with. Its how you handle these situations that show your character. People can become more loyal than they ever would have otherwise if you rectify a bad situation by addressing the problem and making amends. The dog ate my homework didnt work in high school, and it wont work in business. Come clean and make good on your promises. 5. Let the Call Go to Voicemail Turn off your cell phone when youre in a meeting and forward your phone to  voicemail when people are in your office. If you start responding to every incoming missive, you send a message that the person youre with just isnt important. People dont care how much you know until they know how much you care, so give them your full attention and be engaged in the conversation thats right in front of you. In a movie theater, before the movie starts, they show the inconsiderate cell phone man ad to remind people to turn off their phones. Do we really need to stoop that low in business now, too? Before I give speeches or workshops, I always ask everyone in the room to silence their phones, and I let them know that Ill collect $20 for every phone that rings and donate the money to a local charity. That usually does the trick. 6. Practice Positive Email Etiquette I call it  The New York Times  test: if you wouldnt want to see it on the front page of the newspaper, then dont send the message. Its amazing what gets passed around the office and left on the printer and you can be sure that information will fall into the wrong hands. So, before you hit send after a heated exchange, take a walk, get a cup of coffee, and then read your message one last time to make sure you really want it  to go out. 7. Acknowledge Gifts A simple Thank you is sufficient. Its embarrassing for both parties to have to follow up to make sure a gift was received. The person who sent the gift isnt fishing for a compliment they just want to be sure their package was delivered. And the recipient knows they should have responded sooner. Save everyone the hassle, and just drop a quick email saying the gift  arrived. A corollary to this is, if someone is responsible for helping you find a job, secure a new customer, or schedule  a meeting with an influential person, you should let them know you appreciate their help. A job, customer, or a meeting is a gift in many ways. 8.  Dont Take It Out on the Receptionist or Cashier When things arent going your way, dont let the first person you come in contact with take the brunt of your anger. It reflects badly on you, and its likely that whatever went wrong wasnt their fault. So take the high road youll attract more bees with honey anyway. Maybe all good manners just go back to the Golden Rule: Do onto others as you would have them do unto you. You may in fact find that good manners will turn into good money I did. So listen to your mother and mind your manners. Its the little things that add up to making a great impression with every encounter. Focus, smile, listen. It doesnt take much these days.