USAManners. Definition: The socially correct way of acting; etiquette. I’ve been thinking a lot about manners lately and have begun to wonder. When has it become acceptable to be rude? At some point we all have had a door slammed in our face, or sat next to someone yelling into a cell phone at a restaurant. In many ways it’s like Mr./Ms Rude are oblivious to others in their environment. Unfortunately this egocentric sloppiness has also transcended to business practices.
Let’s start at the beginning. You are considering buying a product or hiring a service provider. You contact possible contractors, set up an appointment and request a proposal. You decide not to move forward with the product, not to work with a particular company, or the budget deems the purchase out of reach. Please contact the vendors involved and tell them about your decision. Salespeople are very accustomed to hearing no and to understanding budget constraints. Sharing your decision is a fair request and a quick exit meeting is more time effective than dodging follow up calls and e-mails.
Next, don’t dodge or ignore follow up calls and e-mails. Yes, you are busy. Everyone is busy. Yet people always have time for the things that are important to them. A quick follow up with a better time to talk, or a no, is still better than leaving a potential business vendor or customer out in the void. Don’t be oblivious to others in your environment.
Say thank you. Say thank you for the meeting, the proposal, the time, the follow-up and the effort. This should happen no matter how the business meeting ends. People do business with people they know and trust. Become a business that people trust and want to work with, even if that isn’t today.
Why the formality, when ignoring someone is the universal sign for “I’m too busy” or “The answer is no”? Because this is your business and your business reputation is largely based on your behavior. And because people share, even salespeople and vendors. They share in their recommendations, their perceptions and their experiences. And now they share via worldwide free platforms like twitter, facebook, and yelp. And they talk at chamber mixers and over coffee with friends. Do you want to be categorized as someone with a good product with poor follow through? A business that is difficult to work with? Someone who expects exceptional accommodations with quick proposals and then disappears? Maybe you’ve never thought about it, or thought it important. Well, think about it now. Because a negative impression can cost your business. Everybody shares. And most people don’t follow the dictate “If you can’t say something nice….