Do you find yourself doing a lot of business over meals? If so, you are not alone. The business breakfast, lunch or dinner is a common occurrence today. The purpose of the business meal can vary from interviewing for a job to sealing the deal with a client. Often the reason for the occasion is simply to build a relationship with current or potential clients. Business dining is not to be taken lightly.

The way you conduct yourself at the table can determine whether you land that job, get the promotion or close the sale. I know a highly successful consultant who refuses to do business with anyone who lacks proper table manners. In my business etiquette courses I provide training in every aspect of the meal from which fork to use, where to place the napkin and how to butter the bread. If you want to be successful, learn the rules. For now let’s start with what you should NOT eat while dining out for business.

Stay away from any unknown foods. That’s anything you have never eaten before. One example is the whole artichoke. If you haven’t had one previously, don’t try it now. If your host insists on ordering the artichoke for you, do yourself a favor by admitting that you have never been presented with a whole artichoke and ask how to approach it. Don’t try to wing it.

Avoid shellfish. Clams, mussels, lobster and shrimp with the tails on are challenging at best. All are difficult to manage. Not only is lobster messy and has to be eaten while wearing a bib (how professional looking is that?) and using special equipment, but it is also generally the most expensive item on the menu.

Fresh spinach is not a good choice. That means no spinach salad. While salad would seem a safe bet, spinach tends to stick to your teeth like a fine coat of varnish. You don’t want to spend the entire meal running your tongue over your teeth trying to remove the coating. If you want spinach, order it cooked as a side dish. Other salad greens can be equally hazardous.

You love spaghetti, but enjoy it with family or friends. It is always challenging to get it into your mouth without at least one strand hanging out. Just as you are trying to suck it in, everyone at the table will turn to look at you. At the business meal your fork is for cutting those long strands of pasta, not for twirling. To stay on the safe side, order bow-tie. farfalle, rigatoni or the other short forms of pasta. Leave the linguine, angel hair and fettuccine for another time. Most of the noodle dishes are covered in sauces that could end up on your clothing. Best not to wear the marinara out of the restaurant. It could be a constant reminder of the promotion you didn’t get.

Steer clear of foods that you have to eat with your fingers. Don’t order the ribs, wings or fried chicken unless your host insists on taking you to the best barbecue place in town. Those items are all messy and practically require that you wear a raincoat while eating them. The only thing you should be eating with your fingers is the bread, and that by the way, is eaten, one small piece at a time.

No article or training course on the etiquette of dining would be complete without a warning about consumption of alcohol. Stick to one glass of wine., two at the most. No matter how hard your host tries to convince you to have another glass or how many drinks your guest is having, resist temptation. Alcohol is like truth serum and causes people to say things that in many cases should be kept to themselves. When the meal is over, you want to know that you finished on good terms with your boss or the client. Getting drunk at lunch or dinner will ruin any chance of that happening.

This is only the tip of the iceberg (and I am not speaking of the lettuce) when it comes to business dining. There are 85 tips listed in my book on dining for success. That is just for starters. I have additional resources available on my website, including an award-winning DVD on dining and I am always available to present a course on dining for success to you individually or to your organization.

What foods would you recommend avoiding at the business meal?

Bon Appetit!

It’s May—typically graduation month. Are you one of those who will be donning a cap and gown and walking across the stage to receive your hard-earned diploma or do you know someone who is?  Given that the next step after graduating is finding a job, I have some business interview etiquette tips for the new grad facing those challenging job interviews.

Current job seekers have lots of competition. There are literally hundreds of people vying for the same position. While most people think that their education, their skills and expertise will land them the job, studies show that is not necessarily so.  Those factors are important, but another that is often overlooked is proper interview etiquette.

The idea might seem outdated, but adhering to certain standards still plays a significant role in business.  Over and over we hear that what sets most interviewees apart from their competition are their personal skills.  A knowledge of interview etiquette and good manners are the keys to standing out from the crowd.

People do business with people they like and interviewers hire candidates they like, If you or that new graduate you know want to be the candidate of choice, I have some suggestions.

Start by arriving on time. That means showing up 5 to 10 minutes prior to your appointment. If you arrive earlier than that, wait out of sight. Arriving too early can be an intrusion.  To make sure you are on time, find the location ahead of time. Make sure you know where you are going, how to get there and how long it will take.  The interviewer does not want to hear you apologize because you got stuck in traffic or worse yet, got lost.

Leave your cell phone in the car. I realize that for some people the thought of being separated from their cell phone for even a minute is terrifying.  Trust me, you can do it. It is the only way to insure that your phone will not ring during the interview.  I know. You think you will simply turn it off, but how many times has a phone rung when it was supposed to be turned off or on silent ringer?  We all know the horror stories and the interview is no time to be the main character in yet another cell phone tale.

Practice your business handshake.  That would be the good firm one that impresses the interviewer.  If you aren’t sure that yours is impressive, try it out on family and friends. Keep in mind that when you shake hands, you want to make contact web-to-web with the other person’s hand, step in, smile, make eye contact, call the person by name, give two quick pumps, let go and step back.

Dress professionally and appropriately.  A simple rule to follow is to dress up a notch or two from what you normally wear, assuming that your usual attire is not blue jeans and a tee shirt.  Take the time to research the dress code for the organization where you have the interview and again, dress up one notch.  Pay attention to your grooming, and always, always, always make sure your shoes are in mint condition.

Say “thank you” three times.  Thank the interviewer in person at the conclusion of your meeting; follow up by email; and then send a handwritten note. Interviewers get hundreds of email on a daily basis, but they rarely receive a personal note.  You will definitely stand out from the crowd when you take the time to write your thank you.

Following the basic rules of business etiquette can make the difference in whether you get the job or not. Keep in mind that good manners are noticed more by their absence.

My book, Manners That Sell – Adding the Polish That Builds Profits, covers all you need to know about business etiquette.  It’s the perfect gift for anyone setting out on the job search trail. Perhaps you would like to give one to yourself.

I am always available to answer your questions so contact me with any or all that you have.

Best of luck!

Lydia

One of the favorite aspects of my etiquette training business is presenting “Dining for Success” to college and university students. Since founding Manners That Sell nearly 15 years ago, I have worked with numerous colleges and universities teaching dining etiquette. This is a subject that used to be taught at the family dinner table.  However, we all know that families do not dine together as they once did. With both parents working,  single parent homes and schedules that are out of control, there is little oppportunity  for the traditional family meal. It is a real challenge to teach table manners when kids are eating out of a brown paper bag from a fast food restaurant in the back seat of the car.

Most of  the young people I work with are  in their junior or senior year of college. They are finishing up their courses and are ready to join the workplace.  The one class they didn’t get is business etiquette training. Now they are faced with job interviews, many of which are conducted over meals, and they don’t have a clue which fork to use, how to eat the soup or even something as simple as what to do with their napkin.  Here’s where I come in.

The dining courses I offer involve a four-course meal that I guide the students through step by step. I am always heartened by the level of involvement and interaction from the participants.  They never run out of questions to ask.  They are  hungry for the information in my sessions. 

When the last bite of dessert has been eaten and final drop of coffee drunk, they are in no hurry to leave.  The questions keep coming. We even talk about some aspects of  the job interview. We discuss how to dress, how to present themselves, when to arrive and how to follow up.  The Career Services Departments of the colleges and universities I work with do an excellent job of helping students prepare their resumes and field those tough interview questions, but they turn to me to teach the  interpersonal skills which will set their graduates apart from the competition.

One of my long-term clients is Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia. I have worked with them since I first became an etiquette trainer.  At the most recent session I presented to them, I was amazed at how many students came up to thank me for the presentation, to tell me how much they had learned and just how many of them said, “This is not my first time to attend ‘Dining for Success.’  I come every year and learn something new each time.”  Several of them followed me into the parking lot to ask more questions and to thank me again. 

The next day I received the following messaget from the director of the program in GSU’s Career Services Department. She said, “Thank you so much for coming to speak to our group again this year. We had great reviews from students and employers. On their evaluations, the students said they truly loved having you walk them through the meal!”

Now who couldn’t love a job like that?

“Dining for Success” is not just for college students.  It is a training course that I present to corporate clientele as well.  All the details are available on Manners That Sell. Contact me if you want to know more.

When dining out on business, your table manners can make the difference between success and failure. Whether you are working on your next promotion or landing a new contract, knowing the etiquette of dining can affect your future. By paying attention to the details of eating and drinking, you send a message that you are savvy in other respects.

Chewing is an activity that should take place with your mouth closed. Whenever there is food in your mouth, it should not be in the open position. This also means not talking with food in your mouth. Since the main purpose of the business meal is to exchange information verbally, you can expect to do more talking than eating. To avoid getting stuck with a mouthful of food just as your boss asks you about your long-range plans, limit the amount that goes in.

Don’t be wishy-washy about ordering. If you hem and haw or take all day to decide what you want, your client may wonder how decisive you are in other matters. When you are the guest and you aren’t sure what to order, ask your host for recommendations. This can help you with your decision.

Pace yourself during the meal. You don’t want to finish well ahead of or way behind the other people. You won’t get a prize for coming in first, and others will feel uncomfortable. If everyone else finished eating while you were making your pitch, you just may have to decide that you weren’t terribly hungry after all.

Cell phones should not be part of a business meal. If you don’t want to turn off your colleagues and clients, turn off your phone or leave it behind.

If you are a businesswoman, blot your lipstick before you go to the table. Lipstick smears on a glass are unprofessional and unappetizing.

 Remember that good manners are noticed most by their absence so know your business etiquette.

If you are starting a new business, the last thing you want to do is fail. No one begins with the idea that their venture will not work. The success rate for small business is greater than most people think. According to statistics published by the Small Business Administration (SBA), seven out of ten new establishments survive at least two years and 51 percent survive at least five years. This is a far cry from the previous long-held belief that 50 percent of businesses fail in the first year and 95 percent fail within five years.

There are numerous resources available today to help those who want to launch their own business. The Internet alone provides a wealth of information to the lone entrepreneur. Whether it is a short article, an online course or a six-week training program, most offer the same advice. They talk about business plans, marketing strategies, financial resources, management skills and, of course, web presence. The one element that is most overlooked and that can cause a small business to tank is the lack of business etiquette skills–the failure to exercise workplace manners and to offer employees training in customer service.

So are we talking here about business etiquette or customer service? Both, actually. They are one and the same. We are talking about how we treat customers and employees. It starts at the top of the chain and works its way down. If you are courteous and respectful of your employees, they will be courteous and respectful of your customers.

Unfortunately in today’s world, not everyone comes to the workplace with good etiquette skills. They don’t teach business etiquette much anymore. It is impossible to find such a course listed on a high school or college curriculum.

As a small business owner don’t make the fatal mistake of failing to offer business etiquette courses to your employees or taking one yourself. The best business plan and marketing strategy plus all the financial resources you need cannot make up for a lack of interpersonal skills.

As a business etiquette trainer and coach, I would like to see manners, etiquette and interpersonal skills on every entrepreneur’s list of things to consider when starting his or her own small business. Who knows? With an emphasis on etiquette, your small business could one day become one of the Fortune 500.

Many business failures result from problems that are beyond the control of the entrepreneur. For example, wired telecommunications companies were once profitable, but are struggling to survive in a world that has many more ways to communicate. However, there are many reasons that are entirely the fault of the owner and can fortunately be avoided.

• #1 Not Finding a Market

The most common reason why businesses fail is that there is not enough demand for the product that they’re offering at the price they’re offering it at. There are also cases when there is a demand for a product, but too much competition to the extent where a start-up is unlikely to acquire enough customer loyalty to needed to earn a meaningful profit. Sometimes, the entrepreneur is very passionate about an idea that is not ultimately profitable. This can lead to a lot of heartbreak when the business owner was really passionate about a particular idea.

• #2 Choosing the Wrong Location

Sometimes, the business does have a product that most consumers would want. But the company does not find the right location to sell that product. There might not be enough customers in that location, or the competition might be too high for businesses to survive.

• #3 Poor Financial Management

Other businesses fail to pay close attention to the numbers. When an entrepreneur first starts a business, there are various roles that the entrepreneur must fill and these roles can become overwhelming, but entrepreneurs sometimes do not have the financing needed to hire a financial manager. It is almost impossible for a company to make smart financial decisions when there is not enough data to understand the financial state that the company is in. Businesses that fail to engage in effective accounting do not realize that they do not have an effective-enough cash cushion to handle financial ups and downs. Some businesses also lack the necessary insurance to secure financial assets. The best way to find business insurance is to visit BusinessInsurance.org.

• #4 Poor Overall Management

Another problem could simply have to do with how the company operates. Some managers are simply not very good at running a company or may hire the wrong staff members. Some companies do not take every step possible to lower their costs, such as finding lower rental agreements and more cost-effective materials. Other businesses pay labor too much. But there are other cases where the manager simply lacks a vision and never comes up with a sensible plan for expanding growth.

• #5 Not Offering Business Etiquette Training

As a  business owner don’t make the fatal mistake of failing to offer business etiquette courses to your employees or taking one yourself. The best business plan and marketing strategy plus all the financial resources you need cannot make up for a lack of interpersonal skills.0

It is obvious that the holiday season is finally over. The lines at the mall and the super market are shorter. You can even find a parking space at the mall. The decorations are all down, and most everyone has come off that holiday sugar high. As for those New Year’s resolutions you made on January 1st, have they vanished as well?

Some people take the opportunity of a new year to make changes  in their lives.  Others think it is a waste of time because they rarely manage to keep them. Yet another group of people makes resolutions, but by mid-April can’t remember what they were. Nonetheless, it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to come up with the list of the top habits that people vow to make or break.  Here are just five:

1. Lose weight
2. Exercise more
3. Stop smoking
4. Drink less
5. Spend more time with family and friends

While it is not always easy to keep our pledges to ourselves, it is never a bad idea to work on issues that could improve our health, our happiness and our productivity.  In addition to recommending those resolutions that will affect your personal life, I would like to suggest some that will improve your professional life as well.

Do you want to grow your business this year, attract more customers, keep your current ones and increase your bottom line?

If you answered “yes” to any of those, here are my top ten business etiquette recommendations for you in 2012:

1. Be on time for meetings, presentations, workshops and networking events. People who habitually arrive late  send a clear message that their time is more important than everyone else’s.  They develop a poor reputation, and they miss out on information and opportunity. Keep in mind that if you are not five minutes early, you’re late.
2. Pay more attention to your professional attire. Resolve to dress like the polished business person you are.  People do judge you by your appearance. Your 9-5 wardrobe should be different from your after five clothing.
3. Send more handwritten notes.  Take a few extra minutes when someone does something nice for you and write a thank you note.  You can send an email message of appreciation, but follow it with the written one. You’ll stand out from the crowd of your competitors.
4. Be more tolerant of people from other cultures.  Our business world is shrinking, and we find ourselves connecting with people from all over the globe.  Take time to read up on international etiquette so you can understand and appreciate cultural differences.
5. Call people by name. Using names in conversation makes others feel valued and acknowledged. However, make sure you are addressing them correctly. Don’t assume that “William” wants to be called “Bill” or that your new business client wants to be addressed by first name. Wait until Ms. Brown asks you to call her Mary. Until she does, use her title and last name.
6. Resolve to use the phone more often. We live in a world of email. Some people think that it is the only way to communicate. Email is intended to transmit information quickly and efficiently. It does not build relationships.  Make sure you take the time to talk to your customers, particularly about complicated or sensitive issues.
7. Be dependable.  Say what you will do and do what you said.  Your credibility will go right down the tube if you promise but don’t deliver. The same goes for deadlines. If you promise to have the project done by Monday, do it. If you find there are obstacles to meeting that deadline, alert the other person.
8. Use your cell phone with courtesy and respect for others. By now everyone should know to turn that phone off in meetings or at least put it on silent ringer and never take a call during a meeting. Even those people who consider themselves to be polite because they leave the meeting to take the call are clearly sending a message that they have other more important business than the meeting.  Continually coming and going is insulting to the meeting leader, workshop presenter and other attendees.
9. Pay attention to your cubicle etiquette.  Not everyone has an office with a door these days so keep your voice down, turn off the ringer on your phone while you are away and don’t eat noisy or smelly foods at your desk.
10. Take time to be nice.  Everyone is stressed and overworked, but we shouldn’t be so busy that we can’t take time to be kinder to others.  I have heard too many people say lately, “I don’t have time to be nice.” If you don’t have time to practice good manners and follow the rules of business etiquette in the workplace, you soon may find yourself without customers, clients and colleagues. In today’s economy it pays to be nice more than ever.

So finish that yogurt, pick up your copy of Manners that Sell, get on the treadmill, read, walk  and envision the profits that will come from adding polish.

It happened again.  A cell phone rang in the midst of a concert, and this time it made all the national media, including several international publications. It seems that while the New York Philharmonic Orchestra was playing Mahler’s Ninth Symphony, a cell phone began to ring.  The proud new owner of an iPhone had set his ring tone to play “Mirimba,” not exactly a good fit for Mahler’s Symphony. The ringing continued so long that the conductor, Alan Gilbert, stopped the orchestra until the disruption ceased.

When will people  learn about the etiquette of cell phones?  This particular person claimed that his was a brand new iPhone and that although he thought he had turned it off, an alarm he had set earlier went off anyway. There is much debate about this part of the story.  Many iPhone users claiming that this could not have happened if in fact he had truly  turned off the phone. Not being a iPhone user (sorry Apple) or skilled in the complexity of cell phones, I will leave this issue alone.  My expertise is in business etiquette and my focus here is cell phone etiquette.

Here are my thoughts on how this situation could have been avoided:

1. Leave the cell phone at home or in the car, but don’t take it to the concert. If you have to have it with you, and I will concede that are a number of justifiable reasons for doing so these days, make sure you follow rule #2.
2. Put your phone in silent mode, on vibrate or turn it off. You can check for messages or send them during the intermission.  There probably is no one on the planet who has had a cell phone for any length of time who has not experienced that embarrassing moment when the phone that was supposed to be turned off rang.  Mine once rang on an airplane during landing of all times. I never for a moment  considered that it was my phone, and like everyone else was looking around to see who the culprit was.
3. If your phone rings in the midst of a public event, turn it off immediately.  If you can’t or don’t know how, find the nearest exit and head  for it as fast as you can. Don’t try this on an airplane.
4. Never let your phone continue to ring and try to pretend that it is not yours.
5. Absolutely never answer the phone during an event and engage in conversation.  That actually happened  during one of my business etiquette presentations. One of the participants who, for obvious reasons sat in the back of the room, had his phone on. This was no accident. When a call came in, he not only answered it, but he also remained seated and launched into a lengthy conversation. I stopped talking. Fifty participants in a presentation, which included the topic of  cell phone etiquette, turned to stare or glare at  the offender. I walked back to where he was seated and stood in front of him until he got up and left the room.

Some people can’t be helped, but others can.  The people in my etiquette session understood how inappropriate this behavior was.  The crowd attending the concert got it as well. We stop the presentation or the concert and we wait, hoping that these thoughtless people will get the message. And people like me who make a living teaching, preaching and coaching on manners in the workplace do have followers and believers in the importance of being courteous and respectful of other people.

Cell phones are as much a part of our daily lives as eating, sleeping and breathing. Let’s use them appropriately.

It is that time of the year again, and no, I am not talking about the holiday season.  We just did that. Now we need to move on, get back to work and  on track for 2012.  As we think about being more productive and profitable this year, what better way to begin than by cleaning out your inbox. I don’t know about you, but I can’t see to the bottom of mine. No matter how hard I try, I never manage to clean it out completely.  I get just so far and then I am slammed with another couple dozen emails and off I go again.

An important message that I bring to those who attend my presentations or who read my articles on email etiquette in the business world is that you need to respond to email in a timely fashion.  You need to be in control of what comes in and what goes out of your mailbox. You need to understand that your business email is an extension of your professional  image.

There is hope and it is right around the corner. Two weeks from now, January 23-27, we recognize “Clean Out Your Inbox Week.”  How timely is that, especially if one of your New Year’s resolutions is to take control of your email. The person behind this event is my good friend Marsha Egan, the author of Inbox/Detox. Five years ago Marsha realized that almost everyone in the workplace is suffering from email overload and that productivity is affected by our email addiction so she started something akin to the Betty Ford Clinic for Email Addicts.

If you want to take back your work life, recover from your addiction and project the image of a polished professional online, I suggest you check out Marsha’s programs.   You might think about purchasing her best-selling book, Inbox Detox and the Habit of Email Excellence (Acanthus 2009), available on Amazon.

While I still haven’t been 100% successful in my efforts to clean out my inbox, each year when I go back into treatment, I get  better.  Who knows, this may be the year I succeed.

Welcome to Lydia Ramsey’s monthly newsletter. Each month we send you tips that focus on current business etiquette concerns. Our tips are designed to be timely and to help you master the details that open doors and close deals.

December 2011

Feasting Faux Pas to Avoid at the Holiday Table

This is the time of the year when my cup of business etiquette tips runneth over. There are too many timely topics to cover in a single newsletter. That is one reason why I gathered my holiday etiquette tips together in November and published them in an eBook titled Being the Polished Professional Throughout the Holidays –The Complete Guide to Etiquette and Protocol During the Holiday Season. This simple guide to appropriate behavior covers everything from sending out greeting cards to tipping the babysitter. Having published the guide, I was left pondering what topic to tackle in my December newsletter. Real life provided me with material.

The event that led me to write about the holiday meal was a Thanksgiving dinner that I attended with friends. I observed behavior that in some cases was appalling, in others it was simply thoughtless, and in a few it was just plain ignorant. My friends, by the way, had impeccable manners, but a number of their guests did not share their graces.

One of the guests balanced his cell phone on his thigh—in plain view I might add–during the entire meal. It was blatantly obvious that he was not engaged or interested in the people and conversation around him. Another individual arrived not only late, but also with cut flowers in hand for the frantic hostess. A third invitee rushed to be first in line for the buffet and piled his plate so high that it was doubtful if there would be anything left for the patient last. It was difficult, if not impossible, to ignore these mealtime misdemeanors committed by well-educated experienced professionals. It was hard to tell if the real turkey was on the serving platter or seated at the table.

In an effort to keep you and others to whom you might choose to share this newsletter from committing these feasting faux pas, I have compiled a list of “don’ts” so that you will be sure to position yourself with polish and professionalism at the holiday meal, whether it is a business function or a family get-together.

Don’t arrive late. The host or hostess who has prepared or planned this meal has a timeline to follow. A few dishes can be ruined when the meal is delayed. Your tardy arrival tells your host and others that this occasion was not high on your list of priorities.

Don’t arrive with a bouquet of cut flowers. It seems like a nice thought, but it requires that the hostess, who is trying to greet guests, check on the food and tend to all the last minute details of serving a delicious meal, has to stop whatever she is doing, find a vase, arrange the flowers and then position them appropriately. Chances are she already has a centerpiece for the table as well as other decorations. Send the flowers the next day as a thank you or select another gift.

Don’t come to the table with your cell phone. IF you do, turn it off. If you can’t get through the meal without checking email and voice mail, stay home. Your actions say that you are not present anyway and are downright insulting to everyone else.

Don’t heap your plate to overflowing when going through the buffet line. To begin with it makes you look like a pig. While there is usually more than enough food for all, things do happen and the last person through the line could find themselves staring at empty serving dishes or scraping out the few crusted remains.

Don’t use your napkin for anything except to blot your mouth. This is cold and flu season. If you have a cold, bring your own handkerchief or a good supply of tissues.

Don’t start eating or touch anything at our place setting until your host has had time to welcome everyone or ask the blessing. That includes not taking the napkin off the table or taking a sip of wine or water.

Don’t use the boarding house reach. If you want something that is beyond your grasp, ask the person closest to it to pass it.

Don’t ask for any condiments that are not on the table or being served with the meal. That includes salt and pepper. By asking for additional sauces or spices, you are implying that the host did not season the food properly. Eat it as prepared.

Don’t leave the table until everyone else has finished eating and the host rises. To my utter amazement at this memorable occasion, I witnessed a dinner guest get up from the table and settle himself in a chair in another part of the room. Can you guess who it was? I am sure you know. It was the very same person who kept his cell phone in plain view during the meal.

My best advice for dodging dining disasters is to brush up on your table manners before you head out. If you are not willing to be the polite, engaged and engaging guest, stay home or go out alone.

Happy Holidays to all!

Lydia

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Special Holiday Offer

Feasting faux pas are not the only missteps you risk committing while celebrating the holidays. If you want to be confident that every move you make during this special time of year is one that positions you as the polished professional, I invite you to read my newest publication, Being the Polished Professional Throughout the Holidays –The Complete Guide to Etiquette and Protocol During the Holiday Season.

This easy-to read booklet on holiday business etiquette is designed to guide you through the protocol of sending out greeting cards, following the rules of conduct at the office party, hosting holiday meals with grace and good manners, selecting and presenting appropriate business gifts, and finally showing your appreciation with personal thank you’s. This booklet is available as a digital download for only $9.95 and can be yours within seconds.

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About Lydia Ramsey

Lydia Ramsey is a Savannah-based business etiquette expert, executive etiquette coach, professional speaker and author of Manners That Sell™, offering keynotes and seminars to corporations, associations, colleges and universities. Learn more about Lydia, or call here at 912-598-9812. If you have clients or colleagues who might enjoy this business etiquette newsletter, please feel free to forward it to them and let them know they can register at the link below to get their very own copy!

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