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Techno-Manners:
The Do’s & Don’ts Part I
by: Liz Pabon
Business etiquette is made up of significantly more important things than knowing which fork to use at lunch with a client. Unfortunately, in the perception of others, the devil is in the details. If you can’t be trusted not to embarrass yourself in business and social situations, the perception may be that you lack the self-control necessary to be good at what you do. Etiquette is about presenting yourself with the kind of polish that shows you can be taken seriously. Etiquette is also about being comfortable around people (and making them comfortable around you!)
In today’s techno-centric society,
the use of telephones, cell phones,
speakerphones, voice mail, email and
faxes has become a way of life in
business. Sadly, the rules of
etiquette have not always kept pace
with the advances in technology.
Here, then, is the first in a
six-part series on the “do’s and
don’ts” of techno-manners.
TelephonEtiquette
- If you’re going to be out of the
office, have someone pick up your
calls or, have your answering system
tell callers when they can expect a
return call.
- When you initiate a call and get a
receptionist or secretary, identify
yourself and tell them the basic
nature of your call. This will
ensure you’re getting the right
person or department and allows the
“gatekeeper” to help you more
efficiently.
- When you’re on the receiving end of
a phone call, identify yourself and
your department. Answer the phone
with some enthusiasm; the person on
the other end doesn’t necessarily
realize that you might be busy, nor
do they care.
- Be certain that your voice mail
system is working properly and
doesn’t tell the caller that the
mailbox is full, transfer them to
limbo, or ring indefinitely. Address
technical and system problems
quickly- a rude machine or system is
as unacceptable as a rude person.
- If someone is calling to sell you
something, you can politely indicate
that you are not interested then
hang up without losing too much
time. A word of caution: You never
know when you’ll be getting a call
from a company (that may initially
appear like a solicitor) that wants
to hire you for your services! Be
sure you know the nature of the call
before you (politely, of course) end
the call.
Many people behave with technology
(including phone, voice mail, and
e-mail) the way they act in their
cars. They feel that since they’re
not face-to-face with a person, it
is perfectly acceptable to be
abrupt, crass, or rude. We can take
full advantage of technology and
still remember that golden rule; Do
unto others as we would have them do
unto us.
© 2005 – Liz Pabon. All rights
reserved.
About the author: Liz Pabon, “The
Branding Maven,” is inspiring,
motivating and empowering - but most
importantly, she’s effective. A
speaker and author on the topic of
personal branding, Liz delivers
insights and principles that are
proven to achieve WILD SUCCESS. Liz
publishes the weekly Keys 2 Wild
Success! ezine. If you're ready to
ATTRACT amazing clients, set
yourself APART from the pack, make a
lot more MONEY, and have a lot more
FUN in your small business, get
Liz’s FREE WEEKLY TIPS by going NOW
to www.thebrandingmaven.com!
NOTE: You’re welcome to “reprint”
this article online as long as it
remains complete and unaltered
(including the “about the author”
info at the end), and you send a
copy of your reprint to liz@thebrandingmaven.com
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