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Manners Always Matter

Written by: Glenn Ebersole

Article Overview: Several years ago I had the good fortune to meet and become friends with Pamela Hillings of Hillings Enterprises in Pasadena, California. Pamela and her mother wrote a book entitled "Manners in a Minute," which is a practical guide for proper conduct and good manners when dining in or out. Pamela has been the official Royal Court Protocol Consultant to the Tournament of Roses Queen and Court and has been referred to as the "Miss Manners of the Internet," as she has taught "How to Have Great Business Manners" through an Internet class. And I had the privilege of being one of her guest "speakers" during the course to talk about business manners. Pamela Hillings has been my guide for business manners ever since our first contact.

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Manners Always Matter

"Manners Always Matter"
By: J. Glenn Ebersole, Jr., Chief Executive of J. G. Ebersole Associates and The Renaissance Group™

"I have been in the business of 'Business Manners' for over twenty years and I have never worked with anyone who is the perfect example of professionalism except for Glenn Ebersole. I have been engaged in several business dealings with him and every single time he has been detailed, punctual, polite, follows up and is extremely professional. He could easily consult my clients on an appropriate business image.

Glenn is also excellent at communication and public relations. We worked on a national survey together and he was on top of the project at all times in terms of national exposure and contacting me. I would highly recommend him to anyone; you won't be disappointed."

Pamela Hillings
Hillings Enterprises Pasadena, California

Several years ago I had the good fortune to meet and become friends with Pamela Hillings of Hillings Enterprises in Pasadena, California. Pamela and her mother wrote a book entitled "Manners in a Minute," which is a practical guide for proper conduct and good manners when dining in or out. Pamela has been the official Royal Court Protocol Consultant to the Tournament of Roses Queen and Court and has been referred to as the "Miss Manners of the Internet," as she has taught "How to Have Great Business Manners" through an Internet class. And I had the privilege of being one of her guest "speakers" during the course to talk about business manners. Pamela Hillings has been my guide for business manners ever since our first contact.

AND since I strongly believe that manners ALWAYS matter and since I have learned much from Pamela Hillings, here are just a few of Pamela's tips that have always served me well:

Remember people's names. Repeat their name and use it occasionally in conversation and when departing. If you can't remember someone's name when meeting them again, shake their hand while reintroducing yourself, they will usually reply in kind. If someone mispronounces your name, correct them in a polite way.
Be respectful of others when using your cell phone. Go outside if needed and turn it off when appropriate. Never use your phone in the restroom.
Write e-mail like a letter, keeping it brief and avoiding abbreviations.
Always reply to phone calls and e-mails within 24 hours.
At the table, remember "solids," like bread plates, on the left and "liquids," as in glassware, on the right.
Use utensils from the outside in.
Don't begin eating until everyone is served unless you are invited to go ahead. If you're waiting to be served, be extra nice by telling others to start without you.
If someone uses the improper utensil or dish, don't say anything. If they use yours, such as a bread plate, don't make a fuss, simply ask the waiter to bring you another one.
When greeting and eating, be considerate of others and respectful of other cultures.
The perfect wave is refined, yet friendly. Hold your fingers together and turn your hand as if screwing in a lightbulb, add a bright and sincere smile.
If you want to learn more about the importance of good business manners and how you can acquire them, please feel free to contact Pamela Hillings at: HillingsEn@aol.com

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About the Author: Glenn Ebersole
RSS for Glenn's articles - Visit Glenn's website

J. Glenn Ebersole, Jr. is a multi-faceted professional, who is recognized as a visionary, guide and facilitator in the fields of marketing, public relations, management, and engineering. He is the Founder & Chief Executive of the Lancaster, PA based multi-disciplinary & strategic thinking consulting practices, J. G. Ebersole Associates and The Renaissance Group™. He is a Certified Facilitator and business and strategic thinking and planning coach to a diverse list of clients. Also called the "PR Doctor." At J. G. Ebersole Associates and The Renaissance Group™, we offer a unique approach to a wide range of strategic planning, management, marketing, public relations, and communications assignments through our team of independent professionals. We believe that our multi-disciplinary, customized and strategic thinking approach to our clients makes us unique.

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Related Forum Posts
Re: i get really, really pissed off when . . . . Re: i get really, really pissed off when . . . . - Manners? People still have those??? [quote="Mal Tindle":38uhfa1f]Monday August 2nd Nothing pisses me off more than bad manners !!! Mal.[/quote:38uhfa1f]
Web Pro News' "Mom's Top 10 Reasons to Social (Web)Mark Web Pro News' "Mom's Top 10 Reasons to Social (Web)Mark - I belong to WebProNews, a weekly eletter which provides lots of good info. I reproduce their whole article below on "Mom's Guide To Social Marketing" (No intent on violating copyright - if you think this is good info you too should subscribe to Web Pro News too.) Your mother, if she did her job right, taught you everything you need to know about how to get along in the world and how to get ahead in it. When we were kids, we thought these rules were silly, but later we learned her advice was pretty valuable. In honor of Mother's Day (May 13), we've put her wisdom to work in online marketing. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Editor's Note: Social marketing is quickly becoming an integral part of generating business online. While search is the on-ramp, social networks are the destination. And just like any social setting, your rep is important. Mom's Guide to Life, we thought, was a great Guide to Everything. Did we forget some valuable tip? Let us know in the comments section. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mom's Top 10 Steps To A Good Online Reputation 1. Put Your Best Foot Forward: As recently as a year ago, when things were newer, more experimental, a presence on MySpace only was fine. Not so anymore. You have to be everywhere, treating branding in the online world the way you would in the real world. Most social networks allow you to set up a profile page for free (the ones that matter most do anyway). Create your online persona (a polite one), then clone it as necessary. 2. Make Eye Contact: Just like in the real world, wallflowers don't get noticed. The wallflower is most likely an incredible resource – it's just that nobody knows her because she doesn't put herself out there. Be a participant by commenting, inviting, giving. Show up at your new neighbor's door with a gift. It always goes over well – just remember to button your blouse. 3. You Are a Reflection of Your Mother (Company): Nobody likes a poorly kept lawn except the lazy bum that lives behind it. Maintain your public face on the social networks, shine your shoes, crease your pants, embrace your OCD. It may not be your homepage, but it is a home away from home. Maintaining several of these online presences is work, but so is business. 4. Keep An Open Mind: There's an appropriate cliché for every situation – all your eggs in one basket comes to mind here – but I prefer my grandfather's chestnut: "You drove your ducks to a damn poor market." Poetic, that man was. For a long time it was search, search, search. Before that it was email, email, email. But now you need to integrate your campaign. Search is a staple, a pillar of your online campaign, but we also know that Wikipedia ranks consistently number one in the SERPs. That means you need a Wikipedia page, too. Note: YouTube also ranks well. 5. Become Necessary: Viral marketing is tricky, difficult business. But maybe it doesn't have to be. Maybe if you realign your approach to reflect what you, as an individual enjoy, instead of being a salesperson, you can find a more intuitive connection with what the public wants to see. It's often been said that a salesman sells himself more than the product. So if you want to make linkbait, think about what would cause you to bite first. If you look at your viral attempt and see more corporate talking points than linkable material, it's time for a do-over. 6. Like the People that Like You (Even If You Think They're Annoying): Barack Obama's campaign people did something brilliant, and followed up with something not so brilliant. That makes it a great case study. An Obama fan set up a MySpace page and soon attracted thousands of friends. Instead of competing with his biggest fan, Obama endorsed the site as the official MySpace campaign headquarters. That was the brilliant part. After the page "got too big" for the original operator, the campaign crew took staged a coup to wrest control of the page from their biggest fan. That was the not so brilliant part, even if politics is mean by nature. 7. Watch Your Mouth: Again with the clichés that still hold true – if you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all. Steve Rubel learned the hard way that stream-of-consciousness blogging can have you saying something you wish you hadn’t. Transparency doesn't mean total access. 8. Don't Be a Fake: Who do we dislike most in civilized society (aside from the violent)? Liars, cheats, and thieves. We don't like them because we view them as betrayers. That principle applies online, too, when your network discovers you're not what you say you are. And the mob's wrath is one that is hard to endure. Ask Edelman PR about their Wal-Marting Across America campaign. 9. Mind Your Manners: Mom's favorite Bible verse still applies: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Commonly referred to as the Golden Rule on Earth, in Cyberspace, manners and etiquette are becoming increasingly more important. People are getting angry about anonymous drive-by (rude) commentary, salesy and useless comment spam (spam in general constitutes harassment in some form)…the list of ethics and etiquette violations is a long one, so it's probably best to ask yourself: Would I appreciate this if it were done to me? 10. Stay Hip. Right now, MySpace, Facebook, Wikipedia, and YouTube are essential, but they're still relatively new. Few really saw SecondLife coming as a virtual marketplace. Still yet, only the early adopters are talking about Twitter. But change online is swift, and the smart marketer keeps up with what's hot. The last thing you want to do is look outdated. Just don't sell out your core identity in the process. While that's just ten guidelines out of many, Mom always had one rule that ruled them all: Use your head, dodo bird! This is a thinking man's game. Indeed it is. Good luck with your campaigns.


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