dining and entertaining
- Hold the door open for others. Allow others to get on and off elevators first.
- Leave the best seats at a table for others (generally those seats with a view or facing
the action). - Treat waiters and restaurant staff with kindness and respect. Rudeness and impatience, regardless of service or quality levels, will only show poorly on you.
- Wait until everyone is served at the table before starting to eat. If everyone but you has been served and your meal is delayed, then ask others to please begin eating.
- Chew food with your mouth closed.
- Never talk with your mouth full.
- Don't slurp soup or drinks.
- Never take the last food item.
- When passing food, pass the plate rather than an item (do not touch with your hands something someone else will eat).
- If someone asks for salt or pepper, pass both. Do the same for cream and sugar.
- When passing a glass, do so by holding it toward the bottom. Do not pass a glass by placing your hand around the area from which someone will drink (for real fun – or Howard Hughes-like fascination (see the movie "The Aviator") – watch waiters do this).
- When using butter, take a portion for your bread plate to draw from during the meal, rather than drawing from the common butter dish several times.
- Pour beverages for others before filling your own glass. Avoid picking up others' glasses,
if possible. - Avoid dominating a conversation, but be sure to share appropriate information as well – minimize one-sided discussions.
- Engage everyone in the conversation, if possible.
- Say "please excuse me" when leaving the table or room.
- Avoid excessive alcohol.
- Wash your hands after using the rest room (and dry them well for the inevitable handshake).
life
- When someone tells you they're not responsible for driving sales, have patience with them and be compassionate. Not everyone can be as fortunate as you.
other areas of sales manners
attention - appointments - meetings - trade shows
at the office - on the phone - voice mail - email
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