Whether you're an entrepreneur or independent consultant, whether you're looking for a job or whether you're fortunate enough still to be employed by a downsized corporate America, the 90's are competitive times. The new reality is that your every action in the business arena of the 90's has become more visible and telling without those layers of management to pass the buck on to or the cushion of a large support staff to make you look good. Each of you now needs to present yourself with confidence and authority to succeed. Outclassing the competition is the name of the game if you want to survive the current economic climate.
There is a major psychological power in our behavioral choices. Because we transmit and receive on both a subliminal and on a conscious level, our body language and our behavior play a critical role in determining how others respond to us. Actions speak louder than words, and we can create specific responses with specific choices. By understanding business etiquette and utilizing this mode of communication, we can use it to great advantage in our business and our sales strategies.
An article by Diana McLellan in The Washingtonian stated that polished social graces can get you where you're going faster than a speeding BMW. Executives are expected to assimilate these finer points of etiquette along with the subtleties of their business because good manners grease the wheels of society.
By remembering your mother's admonitions to mind your P's and Q's, by remembering the adjustments you have to make in your behavior for the new etiquette of the 90's, and by remembering the underlying difference between social and business etiquette, you will improve your P & L. Good manners are good business!