July 30th, 2009 | Posted in Kudos & Blunders | No Comments
No doubt. It’s a new day. Technology is here to stay. I can appreciate someone using a handheld device to quickly look up something pertinent to a meeting. It’s not uncommon to take notes on phones. I think it’s great when someone is considerate enough to say they’re expecting to be interrupted at some point during a meeting with time-sensitive information, and they will have to respond by texting.
With that said, more often than not, people texting during meetings are generally just rude. Whether they’re doing it under the table or not, it’s disruptive to speakers and colleagues. Most of the time, texting has nothing to do with business at hand. Business etiquette is all about preventing barriers to building relationships. It’s also about being considerate of other people’s feelings. How would you feel if someone was steadily texting while you’re speaking?
I just heard a story about an entertainer who was flown in on a private plane to talk about a potential business deal. He texted continuously until the executive called him on it. When the entertainer told him, “I’m not going to stop. Go ahead. I hear you,” the meeting was abruptly called to an end. As nice as possible, the executive told the entertainer there was no way they could work together.
It’s not always about what people say. If you’re not engaged you’re going to miss underlying messages. Subtleties, small gestures and body language can tell as much of the story as what’s said – sometimes more. In the case of the entertainer, his message was clear: He wasn’t interested in closing that deal.
July 22nd, 2009 | Posted in Kudos & Blunders | No Comments
Tags: business card, business etiquette
Absolutely not. It’s bad form. You can’t control anyone’s actions but your own. But you can set the tone. If it made you feel uncomfortable, you should have politely said something like, “Thank you, but one is sufficient.” First impressions are huge. Handing out multiple business cards to someone who didn’t ask for them, makes you look too hungry for business. An alternative, would be giving one business card and then following up with an e-mail or preferably a handwritten note to begin a relationship. Hopefully it will lead to future referrals. Earning a referral is a slow-build and there’s no getting around it.
There’s only a couple of reasons to exchange cards: When someone asks for one or when you provide someone with assistance with something and you want them to follow-up with you. If you haven’t developed a repoire of any kind, but would like someone to have your contact information, simply say, “May I give you my card?”
Phil Stella, president of Effective Training & Communication, Inc., said you only get one chance to make a good first impression on a stranger when you’re networking. In the same amount of time, what you do – or don’t do – with your business card can shape an opinion. He suggests practicing permission marketing; meaning wait for someone to ask for it or ask permission to give it to them. “Don’t just go up to people and pass out your cards or you can come off as pushy, rude and obnoxious,” he said. “That kind of amateurish networking practice really gets my Sicilian temper up. And I’m likely to ask why they’re doing that since I didn’t ask for their card in the first place.”
July 15th, 2009 | Posted in Kudos & Blunders | 2 Comments
The best time to discuss business on the golf course is at the 19th hole – meaning after the game.
A fun golf outing should be about getting to know your guest better in a relaxed setting. Trust me, you can find out a lot about a person’s character by the way they play this sport. What other situation guarantees a minimum of four hours with a prospect or client? The bottom line is people do business with people they like. It’s more important to set the tone before the outing. Find out if your guest is a serious golfer up for some serious competiton or if they just want to get to know you. Then, make sure you get to the course early to take care of registration, balls, tees, water and towels. Make your intentions clear, so they won’t worry about being held captive. They probably just want to enjoy the day. But by all means, let your guest lead. If they want to talk business while they’re playing, go for it.
Then again, some guests may need a little coaching. Andy Birol, a small business consultant based in Cleveland, recently shared a story about taking out a 29-year-old business-owner who showed up in cargo pants and a t-shirt. The guy parred eight holes in a row. Each time he returned to the golf cart he texted throughout the round. After the 18th hole his guest thanked him for the round. But the other two guests, a CFO of a local bank, and his guest, a 50-something tycoon, were appalled. “I just chuckled, sensing how much the world is changing and with it our need to adapt to generations ahead of us,” Birol said. Leave it to Andy to see the positive side of any situation. Now he’s put together a list of what not to do when you’re trying to sell to a twenty-something.
