Link Out by Leslie Grossman

Author:Leslie Grossman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2012-12-20T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5

Entourage Etiquette

Really big people are, above everything else, courteous, considerate, and generous—not just to some people in some circumstances—but to everyone all the time.

—Thomas J. Watson, Founder of IBM

When I was a little girl, my mother and my grandmother taught me manners. They said, “Leslie, manners are the niceties of life. If you don’t have good manners, people won’t like you.” That worried me a lot because I wanted to be liked. So I tried really hard to learn proper manners.

My favorite poem about manners was “The Goops.” I recited this poem to my brother and sister and later to my children hundreds of times.

Here’s what I remember:

The Goops they lick their fingers.

The Goops they lick their knives.

They spill their broth on the tablecloth.

Oooooh, they lead disgusting lives.

The Goops they talk while eating

And loud and fast they chew.

And that is why that I am glad that I am not a Goop

Are you?

—Gillette Burgess

Despite the impact this poem had on me as a child, and perhaps on millions of other children, it seems to me there are a lot of Goops out in the world, and the number keeps growing. I’m not only talking about people with poor table manners. I am talking about people who disrespect each other and don’t practice basic common courtesy. We used to call it being polite. Today it’s called civility.

In the world of business and professional services, it’s what I call entourage etiquette. If you want people to do business with you, hire you, recommend you, say glowing things about you, and be in your entourage, become aware of today’s rules of civility to avoid being a twenty-first century Goop.

We live in a fast-paced world. E-mail, texting, and voicemail have influenced us to use shortcuts to communicate. However, when speed causes us to disregard the general rules of etiquette from our communications, we may make a poor impression. Be aware of the impact of your words or lack of words in your connections with others.

In this chapter I will be sharing nine tips that may seem basic to you. If you have already been Goopified and are gracious and polite in all your dealings with people, then give this chapter a skim. If you think there’s a chance your etiquette could use a bit of polishing, then consider that some of the rules shared in this chapter could be helpful in getting you in the door or in the conversation. Many financial services firms include an etiquette workshop in their training of new recruits. This suggests that almost everyone could benefit from a refresher course in etiquette in the world of business, particularly for those who are looking to build longstanding relationships.

1. You had me at hello. When you meet someone, shake their hand firmly, look into their eyes, smile, and tell them “it’s great to meet you.” It’s the first impression—the gift that keeps on giving. Every time you meet someone and leave someone, you have a chance to make a first impression. Between the meeting and leaving, show them how happy you are to be there talking to them.

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