Dining for Profit
June 8, 2010
11:15a-1:30p, $149
Tutorial 4-course Lunch Included
Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, downtown Minneapolis Register Here
Business Etiquette Essentials for Women
June 10, 2010 8:30a-11:00a, $149
Continental Breakfast Included Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, downtown Minneapolis
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 Dear Colleagues,
Happy Spring! I hope you are enjoying the springtime! It is my favorite time of year...everything new, fresh, and fragrant! There are seven lilac bushes below my patio deck and I am so looking forward to their blooms!
Are you ready to shine and grow this spring? In this newsletter:
- Enhance your skills by attending our upcoming courses on "Dining for Profit" and "Business Etiquette Essentials for Women" scheduled for June in Minneapolis. Note that courses will also be scheduled for the fall in Tampa. If you prefer, dedicated courses may also be scheduled for your company.
- If you'd like to improve your networking, see the article on Your Networking Savvy.
- If you are looking to improve your communication skills, see the new book recommendation, Communicate THAT!
- Finally, can you disinvite a guest once invited?
Sending all my readers wishes for a fabulous spring!
Best,
Laura
Laura A. Barclay
President & Founder Etiquette Centre of Minneapolis, LLC
"People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success."
(Norman Vincent Peale)
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Your Networking Savvy
I was recently reading the book, How to Work A Room, by Susan RoAne. An interesting point she raises is that concepts we learned when young (and often teach and expect of our children for good reason) can backfire when we are adults, especially when networking. For example:
Here are some tips to avoid letting these concepts sabotage your networking effectiveness:
- Reframe the term, "stranger." When you attend a networking meeting, you already have something in common with the other attendees: professional affiliation with the group, or interest in the speaker for example. Before attending the event, consider what you have in common and use this as a springboard in approaching other attendees.
- At networking events, we must often introduce ourselves. If we don't, we could end up just sitting at the table waiting for the speaker, or worse, leaving early without mingling. Plan ahead of time how you will introduce yourself. You don't need to use your 30-second elevator speech, rather a short 7-10-second intro is perfectly fine. For example, "Hello, I'm Laura Barclay and I help people navigate the nuances of business." "Hello, I'm Mark Richards and this is the first meeting I've attended for this group in its new location."
- When you attend networking events, do you act as a "host" or a "guest"? Networking events are different than a dinner party at one's home where there are roles of host and guest. Guests wait for direction (where to gather, where to sit, etc.). When networking, all attendees can act as host. This means greeting people, initiating conversations, introducing others, and including others in conversations. It is not about being phony, rather, it is about helping others to feel comfortable too. As RoAne suggests, don't wait, initiate!
- Aren't there times you'd rather have risked being sorry than to have waited and missed out? If you fear rejection by other event attendees, you will surely miss out if you avoid interacting. If you are shy, trying to meet everyone at the event can seem daunting. To be successful, determine ahead of time that you will meet and connect with a particular number of individuals, for example four or five. Make the connections meaningful and follow up afterwards.
Consider where you may have been sabotaging yourself and how you can improve your networking savvy!
(Excerpts from pp. 3-27, How to Work A Room: The Ultimate Guide to Savvy Socializing In Person and Online, by Susan RoAne, 2000, MJF Books, NY.)
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Question: Can I Disinvite a Guest?
Dear Laura,
I am hosting a weekend barbeque for some close friends and coworkers. I recently had a falling out with one of the people I invited. I just don't want to see them let alone have them attend my party. Can I disinvite this person? If so, how?
Dear Colleague,
We all have fallings out from time to time. It can be tempting when angry to say to someone they are not invited, however, once you invite a guest, you cannot disinvite that person. It is also not appropriate to send a message through the grapevine that you'd rather not have this person attend, hoping the message will reach them. It is possible that this person won't attend anyway given the falling out. Should they attend, remember to be gracious. No need to make the other guests feel uncomfortable.
Do You Have a Question You Want Answered?
I love hearing from all my friends and clients who enjoy reading my monthly newsletter. And I'm always looking to answer pressing questions you might have about anything relating to etiquette, protocol, and image. If you have a question, please feel free to call me at (763) 432-9008, (727) 639-7362, or email me at laura.barclay@etiquette-centre.com. |
About the Etiquette Centre of Minneapolis, LLC
The Etiquette Centre of Minneapolis provides business professionals with solutions to successfully navigate the challenges and nuances of today's world through business and social etiquette, international protocol, refinement, and civility training and coaching.
Contact us to learn more!
Ph: (763) 432-9008, (763) 257-4722
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