Welcome to Planner's Pointer's Planners Pointers is a blog and talk cast to help beginning event planners with their event planning. Give them ideas on planning better events, books to read and websites to discover.

This week I would like to talk about 15 tips on Business Etiquette

1. Dress Professionally. It doesn’t always mean a suit, but clean and neat is necessary. Tip – dress like the people you are going to meet. If you are attending a meeting on behalf of your client, ask if they have a dress code and dress appropriately.

2. Arrive on time. Arrive 10 minutes early. If you are meeting for lunch let, the people know that if you arrive early you’ll get a table. Have cell phone numbers in case you are running late.

3. Have a clear agenda on what you want to accomplish with your meeting. It doesn’t need written down, although that’s a good idea.

4. Schedule as much time as you need and don’t short yourself. Allow at least one hour for a one to one meeting.

5. If you are the one who did the asking, offer to pay for the meal. The other person may say, Dutch treat is fine and that’s OK also. If doing separate checks, say so when you are ordering.

6. Order food you are comfortable eating.

7. Do not order alcohol at lunch.

8. Remember all those things your mother tried to teach you as a child about chewing your food. Do talk with your mouth full. Butter your bread one bite at a time. Cut your meat two bites at a time. Don’t shovel your food; it’s not a race.

9. Remember that a first time meeting a new or possible client it’s a lot like a first date.

10. Keep the table as clear as possible when you are eating.

11. Once the person you are meeting has arrived, put your cell phone on mute.

12. Keep the lunch conversation professional, but light. Do not ask personal questions. Dodge age questions. A question I get a lot is who old are my children. My response is grown and flown.

13. Remember is meeting is a conversation not an interview.

14. Listen to what other people are saying. Try not to formulate your response while they are responding to your questions.

15. Follow up with a Thank you note. Handwritten is best. Use a “fun” stamp not machined postage or stamps off of a roll.


Planner's Pointers is produced by me, Mary Pam Kilgore, of Kilgore Business Services, LLC You may reach me through my website www.kilgorebusiness.com You can find podcasts of Planner's Pointers at http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/73353