Jamie Biesiada
There's no denying that proper business etiquette is important. It helps establish professionalism and, as a natural byproduct of that, trust — both key elements for any successful businessperson.
Over the past two weeks, I've shared with you some of etiquette expert Jacqueline Whitmore's tips for crafting more professional business emails and a refresher on phone and text message etiquette.
This week, in the third and final installment on this series on etiquette, Whitmore shared with me some tips on meetings, politely making requests and networking.
Jacqueline Whitmore
First up, hosting a business meeting.
Whitmore recommends finding a location that is convenient for all parties. It could be a quiet room in a restaurant, a hotel, a coffee shop during off hours, a library or something similar.
She also stressed the importance of starting and ending on time and making sure you have an agenda going in (and, when appropriate, sending it to all attendees in advance).
Having light refreshments like coffee, tea, water and something to snack on is a good tactic, Whitmore said.
When it comes to politely making requests, Whitmore said dealing with each person is different.
"Etiquette is situational," she said, and depends on your relationship with a person, how well you know them and a number of other factors.
But, in general, she recommended being honest. If you're requesting a favor from a supplier, call first and follow-up with an email. If they honor your request, send a thank-you in the form of cookies or something similar. Also, be sure to give them enough information about the client, especially if it's an important client — and if they stand to benefit from granting the favor, be sure to let them know how.
Finally, I talked to Whitmore about face-to-face networking, something agents are undoubtedly familiar with thanks to the number of regional, national and international events and conferences the industry offers.
Whitmore recommends doing your homework: Know who you're going to meet in advance when possible, and learn what you can about them. If you're setting a meeting with someone important, she recommended inviting them to coffee or dinner for a more in-depth networking session.
When networking, always keep a supply of fresh business cards, she said.
Whitmore also recommended doing something to stand out from the crowd and make yourself memorable. That could be as simple as wearing an interesting pin or having some kind of interesting literature about yourself and your business to offer.
Lastly, she said, once you've made a connection, follow-up with a note or email. Then stay in touch on LinkedIn or another social media site to maintain the connection.