Business Etiquette

Referrals can be and many times are a vital element of your marketing plan. Sometimes, and many times too often, referrals are taken for granted or they are not sought. How you deal with referrals makes a significant difference in whether you will receive repeat referrals. If the person giving you referrals has a positive and pleasant experience and it is through a process that they can trust, then you will receive more referrals in the future. There are several key elements in building up a trusting relationship with people who refer others to you. Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach offers the following seven (7) strategic tips on how to establish and solidify that trust with your referrers. #1: Commit to and develop a strategic approach to using referrals as one way to grow your business. #2: Commit to and always treat a new prospect that has been referred to you with the highest level of appreciation, importance and care. Remember, how you treat this prospect will im...

Business cards are an important concept in China. If you are coming to China to do business, the business card is an essential tool you should always have. When you are making your own card, the card itself should have two sides. One side is English and the other is translated to Chinese, that way it allows people you talk to know who you are and your company as well. At the beginning of the meeting is the time to exchange business cards. When you are accepting a card you should accept it with both hands, as a way to show a mutual respect to one and another. When someone hands you their card, please take a look at it. By saying to look at it, I mean do try to read the card. If you do not, you may be considered as being disrespectful and showing a lack of interest towards that person. After looking at it, many people recommend that you leave the card on your desk because you can look at the name while you are talking. Also, you should never write on the back of the business card th...

The etiquette system in Japan is perhaps one of the world's elaborate. It involves every aspect of one's life, with its strict codes of behavior governing daily etiquette and manners. Although the Japanese mostly adhere to these codes, it is not expected that people visiting Japan be familiar with them and would not be reprimanded. However, making an effort to be polite and to show at least some understanding of local customs can make life in Japan a bit easier. Hierarchy and social standings - Japanese etiquette is based on a social ranking. For example, "me-ue-no-hito" (or "person whose eye is above") are those of higher social standing such as a top ranking corporate executive, government official, or teacher. Meanwhile, "me-shita-no-hito" (or "person whose eye is below") are those of lower social standing relative to the other person such as a corporate staffer, a government employee, or a student. Older people have higher social...

Business meetings are held for a variety of reasons, but one common characteristic is the sharing of information with others. As in dining, there are rules of etiquette that go along with meetings. Unfortunately in my experiences today, business meeting etiquette is a lost or ignored mannerism that needs to be retrained. I recently was leading a meeting of business owners and managers who meet together to help find resources and ideas to build each others businesses. One persons cell phone rang in the middle of a presentation. Before the meeting I did not ask attenders to silence their phones, so I can forgive this unintentional interruption. But instead of silencing it, the person answered the phone. Not only did they answer it, they carried on a conversation for a brief time. I was appalled at the lack of courtesy. In our society today, I believe we have gotten so technical and fast-paced that we forget about the other person and common courtesy at meetings. If I were to...

As a Decorator and Home Staging Specialist I spend a lot of time shopping in general, particularly for great buys on a website called Craigslist.org for my clients too, but mostly for myself. It provides the ability for buyers and sellers to come together like eBay does, without the need for auctions or any fees. It is all done locally, so there usually isn't any shipping involved. It's amazing to see how quickly Craigslist has taken off in so many major and minor cities. Daily there are free items up for grabs, listings for garage sales and any items from artwork and bedding to cars, appliances and clothing! It truly is a great way to save money and recycle, so you're helping the planet too with fewer items in landfills! As with most things in life, there is a certain level of etiquette that needs to be adhered to for all to be happy in the world of online selling and buying. Below I've listed some guidelines for both buyers and sellers. Sellers: You've decide...

Chinese business etiquette is closely linked with country's culture and its history. In this article we will try to explain the philosophical base of Chinese business etiquette. It is necessary for better understanding your Chinese partners and for evaluation of their behaviour. Confucianism and Taoism are the two main philosophical sects in China, which have had an impact on the Chinese way of doing business for centuries, and nowadays still have been influencing and remain important. Interpersonal relationships are the main core in Confucianism. And nowadays it has a great influence on Chinese mentality and social behaviour. One of the most important aspect of Confucianism is mutual respect and interpersonal trust in society. There are two main doctrines that have an impact on business negotiations: hierarchical social relations and the concept of saving face. Confucianism defines the hierarchical relationships in society as follows: Managers and followers, father and son,...

Two of my passions in life are sales and golf, so why not mix business with pleasure? Those of you who are golf fanatics and business men (and women), and you know who you are, probably already know and understand the subtle nuances that the game of golf has in common with the sales process. The first obvious advantage of taking business associates, customers and prospects on a golf outing is that you can have a captive audience for the 4-5 hours, not including downing a few cold ones in the club house after the round. There is no more acceptable excuse in the business world for spending that amount of time together with your customers than a round of golf. More and more business people are taking up the game and as the average age of this generation of baby boomers continues to age, golf is becoming more and more popular. If you haven't taken up the game yet, you might consider investing in a few lessons just in case. One of the worse things you can do is invite a big cu...