35 Things I learnt from 14 Etiquette Consultants

One of my mottos is: Learn from anyone, anywhere, anytime. Today I would like to share what I learnt from other Etiquette Professionals in the past few months.

Patricia Rossi:

• Don’t use Twitter.com just to promote yourself or your business but give out etiquette tips for free.
• Writing about popular and well-followed people on my blog has a direct impact on the web traffic I’m getting.
• Generosity and kindness pay off. You never know where it leads to.
• Her ebook taught me how to write more impressive, memorable and thoughtful thank you notes.

Diane Gottsman:

* Being thoughtful really pays off.

* If you want something in life, ASK for it.

* Look at every interaction as an opportunity to build a relationship that is genuine, honest and potentially fruitful. Your motive should not be to “close a deal” or secure a client but to leave a favorable impression, regardless of the circumstances. Making a good friend or building a good relationship is more important than making a good client contact. The relationships all work hand in hand and “if it is meant to be it will be”.

* If you want something bad enough, and it feels right, don’t give up until you get it.

* Follow your instincts and never underestimate a small act of kindness.

Walethia Aquil:

• Do good things and good things will happen to you. It’s really true.
• First love your job, then think of the money you might make from it.
• Be seriously interested in others, care about them and they will be your new raving fan in the future.
• It is possible to earn money online as long as you provide good stuff.
• For my future audio podcasts I will have to sound a bit more like Walethia sounds in her blog talkradio shows.

Mindy Lockard:

• It is possible to be a good mother, wife and business woman. Leading by example makes you more credible.
• Etiquette isn’t necessarily about knowing everything, but having those who do at your finger tips. You don’t need to make up information just to appear to know it all. It’s perfectly fine with saying, “Let me research that for you!”
• Even though I consider myself as very creative, there is still more to learn from others when it comes to creative ideas. I realized that when I was reading Mindy’s blog.

Barbara Pachter:

• If you want other people to remember your message, tell them a real life story. It really makes a difference. (In her book “New Rules @ work” she mastered this in an excellent way.)

Juanita Ecker:

• If you post something on Twitter that you want others to be read, mention the direct link of your website and not just the main page of your website. I started doing that and could notice the difference from the web traffic I was getting very quickly.
• Don’t see other etiquette peers as competitors, instead focus on your unique gifts. You will make valuable friendships and find support when you need it.
• Cultivate relationships first and the rest will fall into place.
• Consider hiring virtual assistants. If you want to grow you need to start delegating. It helps you to stay focused on the money-making projects.

William Hanson:

• “Conversations across the pond” taught me that conversations or/and discussions do not always need to be presented as videos but can just be written down. It turns a simple idea into a creative one. Something I might consider in the future for my own blog on a different career-related topic.

Sue Fox:

• The importance of following up, being kind and generous.

Jacqueline Whitmore:

• How to turn a good blog into a great blog.
• Use every opportunity to market yourself/your business.
• If you are looking for famous people to endorse your book, don’t approach them directly. Instead, try to use a connector. This is someone the celebrity knows or trusts who introduces you. And once you get a famous person to introduce your book, use their name to get the second, third and forth endorsement.
• If you are at a check-out line in a store and the cashier doesn’t say hello or look in your eye, look at her nametag, greet her/him by name and ask her/him about her/his day. This technique might break the ice. You may be the only person who was nice to that cashier all day because you took the time and made the effort.
• If you are invited to a major event, don’t think that everyone is going to scrutinize your outfit. Most people won’t remember what you wear but they will remember the conversation they had with you.

Karen Hickman:

• You don’t need to teach all ages and all subjects. Specialise in a particular sector (maybe even in the industry you gained previous relevant experience). While she does it in the healthcare industry, Juanita Ecker does it in the service industry.

Arden Clise:

• Etiquette Consultants make mistakes too. You don’t need to be perfect.

Janice Gibson:

• Don’t waste money on ads, instead focus more on networking.

Rebecca Black:

• Always check in with real people in various industries and countries. Know what is really going on and not just what is in print.

Jodi R. Smith:

• If you wouldn’t do your job as an Etiquette Consultant for free, then think twice about doing it at all.