Lydia Ramsey

Customer Service Opportunity Missed

Last month I must have qualified for the "Frequent Flyer of the Month" Award. I flew over twenty segments (separate flights) on business. When I mention this to friends and associates, their response is always, "It must be exhausting to work like that." ... Read >

Trade Show Etiquette - Free Mints and First Impressions

Trade shows are big business today and you probably already have a number of invitations from upcoming conferences asking if you would be interested in renting space to hawk your wares. Over the years I have resisted these invitations. They require mon... Read >

Lydia Ramsey's Six Secret Sales Weapons

If you are involved in sales, and who isn't, you know the terms, techniques and tips for attracting potential customers, creating the desire to buy, gaining trust, closing the deal and maintaining relationship. Each step in the process is critical to t... Read >

Shaking Hands Throughout History And Around The World

"You can't shake hands with a clenched fist." - Indira Gandhi The most significant gesture in business and in life is a handshake. In many cultures it is the unspoken message that accompanies our words. A handshake often takes place when you meet so... Read >

Leaving On A Jet Plane? Business Etiquette To Go

Business travel is often a necessity whether you work for a Fortune 500 company or own a small home based business. Only so much business can be conducted by telephone, e-mail, computer and fax. There will come a day when you need to travel for business... Read >

R.E.S.P.E.C.T. - Your Client's Communications Preferences

Imagine this: you've worked for hours putting together the proposal that your prospective client requested and are finally ready to hit the send button. You envision the recipient checking e-mail immediately and contacting you within a few hours to seal ... Read >

Let\\\'s Start With The Soup

Many a business meal starts with a soup course. Unless you have already begun by munching on the bread, this is your first opportunity to demonstrate your table manners-to impress or un-impress-your dining companions. Choosing the right spoon is step ... Read >

Managing Messy Food

For the past month you have been attending more than the usual number of parties and receptions, and the end is not yet in sight. You knew before you arrived at these business related events that you were expected to be on your best professional behavior... Read >

Business Manners Apply to Interviewers As Well As Applicants

Today's job applicants are encountering a lack of courtesy that is all too common. Businesses are flooded with applicants for every opening and many are showing a lack of respect for job seekers by failing to respond to their applications. Most employ... Read >

Musical Phones

"Let me transfer your call." What goes through your mind when you hear those words? Do you have visions of being placed on hold, waiting for someone else to come on the line, repeating what you just said, and then hearing one more time, "Let me transfer... Read >

Solving The Utensil Puzzle

Many people know how to navigate place settings and know when to use each utensil. How to hold those knives, forks and spoons, where to put them when you are not using them and what to do with them at the end of the course or the meal may still be a chal... Read >

Got Voice Mail?

"There's not anybody who really cares about using voice messaging the way I envisioned it." According to Gordon Matthews, the inventor of voice mail, he never anticipated that his automated message system would be used to confuse and frustrate business c... Read >

Working With The Disabled

Since Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, people who previously had limited or no access to public places now move about with a degree of ease in the workplace. While these people have their challenges with sight, hearing or move... Read >