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I remember attending my first networking event as a salesperson in 1993 and was entirely overwhelmed by the idea. "What does networking mean?" I asked. "How do I do it, and is there a proper way to do it or not to do it?"
Like most people, I rarely received answers to my questions, so I learned. Jumping in, making many mistakes, and finally researching proper etiquette for business. My fumbling in those first few years paid off. I was quite successful in media sales, and it was due to networking and following established protocols.
What worked in the US, however, only sometimes works elsewhere. Business etiquette changes from nation to nation.
My second lesson in business etiquette came through a friend who recently completed her Ph.D. in international diplomacy.
To get LEEP Calendar off the ground, I took a good-paying job in the Middle East and spent a large percentage of my paycheck, weekends, and evenings building the company over four years.
In the weeks leading up to my arrival later in the summer of 2014, I discovered how to "open mouth and insert foot" quite well. What exists as good manners in the United States sometimes fails to translate overseas. Now I'm learning business etiquette again, with a Middle Eastern flair.
It is easy to offend inadvertently. What did I do? In my excitement and attempt to explain what I would be doing to Westerners, I worded it so that, upon reflection, coming from an American would seem arrogant and dismissive to another culture.
"Laura, you are going to offend them with that statement," my friend, an expert in the culture, scolded me.
"But, I was just trying to explain it so people here will understand it," I protested.
I thought I was complimentary by being excited and simplifying my job role. It turns out it would be taken offensively. Americans have a reputation for being arrogant overseas, so a douse of humility goes a long way.
"That's why you're in marketing and I'm in diplomacy!" she added. "You need to learn when to sell and when to respect."
Aye, meu Deus!
For anyone in business (or politics), knowing the proper protocols in a situation can mean the difference between success and failure. Etiquette exists to help us navigate various social situations successfully, even if we're unfamiliar with the culture, whether national or corporate. It provides us with a roadmap of acceptability that is familiar and respectful.
Business Etiquette Week, sponsored by the Protocol School of Washington, is a chance to review the social graces that allow us to succeed, build relationships and thrive. Whether learning how to shake hands, what to speak about at networking events and parties, or when to put the smartphone on mute, knowing business etiquette always helps your career and ingratiates you with those you meet and do business with.
—LD Lewis
Founder, LEEP Calendar