Executive Q&A: Scott Celley - Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce

The word etiquette might evoke images of
Emily Post and Miss Manners, or cause your
charm school nightmares to return. But
etiquette, says business etiquette consultant
and trainer Marla Harr, isn’t about being prim
and proper.
“It’s really the way in which you act,”
she says, and in the business world, that
often means more than your technical and
functional skills.
Harr, who runs the etiquette training
company Business Etiquette International,
cites research from Harvard University,
the Carnegie Foundation and the Stanford
Research Center, which shows that 85
percent of professional success is related to
people skills.
Another way to think about etiquette is
treating people in a way that makes them
comfortable, adds Victoria Trafton, owner of
the Referral Institute of Central Arizona.
“In business, you’re always selling
something — whether it’s your company, your
ideas or yourself,” she says. “People buy from
people they like and trust. And treating people
well is the foundation of trust.”
Some standards of etiquette have fallen by
the wayside, but here are a few behavior basics
to brush up on.
n Practice+your+handshake. “The handshake
is huge,” Harr says. “There is a proper
handshake.” A firm handshake, accompanied
with eye contact, demonstrates confidence
and aids in a positive first impression.
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n Learn+how+to+make+an+introduction.
“There really are proper ways to introduce
people,” Harr says. “Introductions are based
on hierarchy.” That is, individuals of a lower
ranker or lesser authority are introduced to
those of greater authority.
n Ask+about+preferred+communication. In
today’s high-tech world, Trafton says, it’s
important to ask people how they prefer to
Victoria Trafton of the Referral Institute of
Central Arizona.
be communicated with. Don’t text someone
who doesn’t like to communicate that way,
she says. If they prefer a conversation, pick
up the phone.
n Turn+the+phone+off. One of the biggest
issues today, Trafton says, is that people
don’t put their phones away. “People don’t
honor the person standing in front of them,”
she says, and Harr agrees. “If you’re going
into a meeting, you’re there for a reason.
Your phone should be off,” Harr says.
“Understand that for that hour, it’s OK to
put the phone down.”
n Study+other+cultures+before+you+travel.
“Etiquette becomes even more important when
it comes to international business,” Harr says,
adding that before you meet with someone
from another country, do your homework on
that country’s customs and etiquette.
Regardless of whether you’ve mastered all
the rules of etiquette, Trafton says, the key
is to treat others the way they want to be
treated and to be authentic, sincere and wellintentioned
in all of your interactions.
“When someone is offended and they think
you don’t care, that’s when problems arise,”
she says.
It’s also helpful to realize etiquette isn’t all
about how you look, she adds.
“It’s about how the other person felt,” she
says. “If they felt good, you did good.”
Get connected
Business Etiquette International
www.actwelldowell.com
Referral Institute of central Arizona
www.referralinstitute.com
Marla Harr of Business Etiquette International.
www.phoenixchamber.com