Are you a Business Person or Business Professional?

You have expended a lot of time and money to earn your degree. You are representing a well-respected firm who is interested in developing your talents. You are putting in long hours and earning a great salary in return.

To be successful in business today, however, you must have more than a JD and a reputable organization behind your name. Climbing that slippery ladder of success means being thoughtful and engaging with those around you. In fact, the attention you pay to detail is the main ingredient that differentiates you from evolving from a business person to a business professional.

Business Etiquette: 101 Ways to Conduct Business with Charm and Savvy [Third Edition] by Ann Marie Sabath   What exactly is “business appropriate? When is it appropriate to send a thank you via e-mail? When is it considered uncivil to use a cell phone? What are the do’s and taboos of interacting with international clients? You’ll get the answers to these and other questions in the third edition of Business Etiquette: 101 Ways to Conduct Business with Charm and Savvy. A practical business survival guide for executives, managers, sales people, customer service teams – anyone involved in day-to-day business operations. Business Etiquette will help you survive and thrive in today’s competitive business world. Topics include: Greetings And Introductions Business Appropriate Attire Telephone, Cell Phone And Voice-Mail Teleconference Courtesy International Etiquette E-Mail And Business Correspondence Conducting Business During A Meal And Much More!

Where are you in your evolution from business person to business professional? Picture yourself in the following 17 situations to find out:

1. You’ve been invited to a prearranged luncheon on a client site only to find that you are allergic to the main course being served.
    
   A Business Person asks the server if the meal can be replaced.

   A Business Professional plans ahead by making mention of foods that he can eat due to his allergic reaction when accepting the invitation.

2. You sent an e-mail message to a client only to realize that you have transposed two letters in a word.
    
   A Business Person hopes the client realizes that keyboarding is not their best strength.

   A Business Professional sends a revised message correcting the error.

3. You are invited to a client reception with your spouse who feels uncomfortable since he will not know anyone there.
    
   A Business Person approaches others making sure that his/her spouse is next to him/her.

   A Business Professional briefs his/her spouse about individuals who have interests similar to his and then makes a point of introducing them so that his/her spouse can develop his/her networking skills.

4. You are meeting with a client with whom you spoke by phone one week ago.
    
   A Business Person goes to the meeting at the appointed time.

   A Business Professional confirms the meeting details 24 hours in advance.

5. You have a 3:00 p.m. conference call scheduled with two clients.
    
   A Business Person dials into the conference call at 3:00 p.m.

   A Business Professional dials into the call a few minutes prior to the designated time.

6. You meet someone whose name is difficult to pronounce.
    
   A Business Person avoids using the name in conversation.

   A Business Professional asks for assistance to correctly pronounce the name.

7. You receive a telephone call from one of your organization’s managers who asks you to join him for lunch that day at a Private Club which requires a coat and tie. You are wearing khakis and an open collar shirt.
    
   A Business Person declines the invitation due to lack of required attire.

   A Business Professional keeps a back-up suit and tie at the office.

8. You are hosting a meal with clients from India and would like to order filet mignon as your entree.
    
   A Business Person makes sure that vegetarian meals have been arranged for his/her clients.

   A Business Professional honors the culture of his/her clients by also choosing a vegetarian meal.

9. You have just finished a client meeting in one of your conference rooms and thank the client for his time.
    
   A Business Person says good-bye to the client with a handshake and then points the person in the direction of the lobby.

   A Business Professional either walks with the person to the elevator or has prearranged for his assistant to do so.

10. You are invited to your manager’s home for a casual gathering.
     
    A Business Person verbally thanks his/her manager for being included in the get-together at the end of the evening.

    A Business Professional recognizes that a verbal thank you does not take the place of a written note.

11. Your firm encourages you to send holiday cards to your clients and other business contacts.
     
    A Business Person signs his/her name on each card.

    A Business Professional adds a short note with each card.

12. Your assistant is on vacation and you are going to be in meetings most of the day.
     
    A Business Person checks voice-mail at the end of the day to prioritize which calls need to be returned.

    A Business Professional updates his/her voice-mail message to reflect his schedule.

13. You are invited to an early morning meeting at a client site.
     
    A Business Person picks up a Starbucks’ cup of coffee and takes it into the meeting.

    A Business Professional drinks the coffee before leaving Starbucks rather than walking into meeting with the cup in hand.

14. You are at a business reception and are handed a bottle of beer from the bartender.
     
    A Business Person thanks the bartender and moves on.

    A Business Professional requests a glass for the beer.

15. You drop by someone’s office who makes time to talk with you.
     
    A Business Person gets the colleagues’ feedback and then continues to make idle conversation.

    A Business Professional gets the answer to the questions and then leaves unless he/she is encouraged to engage in further conversation.

16. You have been asked to participate in a 10:00 a.m. Webinar.
     
    A Business Person downloads the webinar as he/she dials into the call.

    A Business Professional does a test download the day before to avoid any unexpected delays at the time of the meeting.

17. You have promised a return telephone call to a client by noon and are waiting for one more document from a manager who cannot be reached.
     
    A Business Person returns the call to the client as soon as he/she has all of the information and explains the delay.

    A Business Professional keeps his/her word by getting back to the client a few minutes before noon and updates the client with the information he does have.

How did you rate?

1. If you found yourself acting like a business professional 17 times, congratulations!
2. If you chose answers like a business person in two or more of the situations, you have a little work to do.
3. If you found yourself selecting answers like a business person with eight or more of the above scenarios, prepare to polish your professional image.
4. If you do not see the difference between a business person and a business professional, you may want to consider professional coaching.

Ann Marie Sabath is the founder of At Ease Inc., the 23-year old business protocol and development Cincinnati training firm. Her Strategies for Gaining That Competitive Edge in Today’s Workplace and other business development programs is a regular part of many organization’s Business Development programs. Sabath also is the author of eight books on domestic and international etiquette. Her newest release, Business Etiquette: 101 Ways to Conduct Business with Charm and Savvy [Third Edition] was published by Career Press (www.CareerPress.com), and hit bookstores in March 2010.

Do you have an etiquette question? E-mail it to Sabath at sabath@ateaseinc.com or call her at 212-956-1807.

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