Marketing and selling in tough economic conditions:

Marketing and selling etiquettes

Prasanna Perera, Marketing and Management Consultant, Chartered Marketeer, CIM U.K.

Marketing and sales staff interact with both internal and external customers. Hence, they need to have a very good understanding of appropriate etiquette. Bad etiquette will be detrimental to individual and organization reputation and image.

1. What is etiquette?

Etiquette is one of the most misunderstood words in the English language. Most people think that etiquette means ‘manners.’ However, there is more to etiquette than manners. Emily Post defines etiquette as,

“Whenever two people come together and their behaviour affects one another, you have etiquette. Etiquette is not some rigid code of manners, its simply how persons’ lives touch one another.”

2. First impressions, specially in first time business encounters

Give a firm handshake. Say ‘Please’, ‘Thank you’ and ‘Excuse Me.’ Be punctual for appointments and return phone calls promptly. Be careful with your appearance. Dress appropriately and for the position you want, not the position you have.

Keep an open mind and make informed judgements. Establishing yourself as a professional means that you show respect for others.

Be assertive, but not aggressive. Assertiveness is appropriate behaviour for the situation at hand. Aggressiveness is strong, over powering, often abusive behaviour.

Listening to both internal and external customers is important. Speaking and listening are twin skills in communication.

Positive and supportive behaviour is also important. Make others look good whenever possible.

When it comes to leaving the organization, leave gracefully. Just be cordial and say goodbye quietly. Never provide negative word of mouth publicity, of the people who have put money in your pocket.

4. Business invitations and Gifts

The following are tasteful gifts to consider for your customers. A gold / silver pen, an elegant bookmark, an attractive appointment book or calendar.

The following gifts should be avoided. Liquor to non drinkers, perfumed stationery, clothing and anything of inferior quality.

The most important letters in the etiquette of invitations are RSVP. RSVP does not mean ‘Let us know if you are coming.’

It means ‘Let us know either way.’ Of course if the invitation specifies ‘Regrets Only’, you needn’t acknowledge acceptance but you do need to let the host know if you cannot make it.

If you are invited to an event honouring someone (e.g. wedding anniversary) a gift is definitely in order. Always include a note with the gift, or a greeting card (not your business card) and in an envelope.

5. Planning and attending ‘meal’ meetings

Food and business cannot be separated and in today’s business world executives expand their visibility by wining and dining.

If you choose to have your meeting at a restaurant, remember that the facility you select will be seen as an extension of your office.

If you are taking one person to lunch, take that person’s tastes into consideration. If you are planning a larger meeting, choose a facility where the food is good and the service is reliable.

The bill can be an embarrassing challenge. The rule is quite simple. The one who did the inviting does the paying. The best way to handle this situation is to arrange the details with the restaurant, before the others arrive.

Relax for a few minutes before the meal, with small talk, but avoid personal topics. Be careful with your compliments as well. Personal comments may be perfectly acceptable to people you know but they could be misconstrued by new acquaintances.

6. Electronic Etiquette

You need to mind your manners, whether you are responding to internal company e-mails or external e-mail.

E-mail is more like a conversation than letters, memos or faxes.

Hence be informal, but polite. Make sure your message is clear. Get to the point and don’t write too much. It is also important not to overuse e-mail. Avoid cluttering people’s valuable electronic space with non-urgent items that you could fax or send by regular post.

7. Answering your phone

Answer your phone by the third ring. Quick response builds a reputation of efficiency for your company. Be courteous, friendly, professional, enthusiastic and soft spoken. Talk into the telephone as you would talk to some in your office.

Transfer calls only when necessary and explain reasons for doing so. Transferring is one of the most delicate areas of handling telephone calls.

8. Making and returning calls

Make your own calls, although it is prestigious to have someone else dial and hold for you. Return phone calls within 48 hours. If you don’t, you are offending the person who called you. Try and call only during business hours. Most people don’t appreciate receiving business calls after office hours or at home. Greet the person you are calling politely, identify yourself immediately and announce your purpose for calling.

9. Multicultural etiquette

Americans treat business cards as objects, throwing them into a pocket or purse, without even glancing at them. The Chinese on the other hand, take cards very seriously and are prepared to exchange business cards early in a meeting. If you are sitting at a desk, put the persons card in front of you on the desk until the meeting is over.

Americans like to touch, embrace, take people by the arm and pat them on the back. In many other countries, this behaviour is totally inappropriate, particularly in business.

In general keep touch to a severe minimum, when doing business with people from other cultures.

Getting too close to some people can offend them, if they are not comfortable with tight personal space.

It takes twenty years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.

- Warren Buffet