BUSINESS ETIQUETTE -
THE RULE FOR BUSINESS SURVIVAL
by Alan J. Zell, Ambassador of Selling

Etiquette is not a term most business people, or anyone for that matter, are comfortable with. As children our two rules of etiquette were, "be quiet" and "quit it" both of which sound almost like someone was saying "etiquette." So, don't let the term scare you. It is an important word in today's business world.

Before you think that this is an article about snob appeal, let's define what "Etiquette" is. Etiquette, business or social etiquette, is the art of taking the unfamiliar and making it familiar to many. That's what the "rules" (they are really guidelines rather than rules) of etiquette are. Nothing more, nothing less.

Another way of saying it is, "Etiquette is the art of not being a snob." A snob in business? Well, yes, unfortunately, every business or industry has it "snobs" who think that their work or business is above what everyone else does.

Everyone has heard of the "rules of etiquette" and they are synonymous with the name Emily Post who was the author of the most often used book of etiquette for some decades. Today there are over a dozen books on the topic covering both business and social etiquette.

So, let's look at the first rule of etiquette:

Business Etiquette Rule #1: At first glance or at first hearing whatever is being presented it must be understandable and logical to the customer*.

There is no Rule #2. All other rules you hear or read about are guidelines. If whatever guideline someone uses does not fit Rule #1, most likely the guideline will not work. There are, literally, thousands of guidelines that will work at some time or another . . . there is only one rule.

How does this relate to business? Well, there are many aspects to this. For example: Business owners, managers and staff are usually so involved with their business, that they fail to see that what is common to them may be very unusual, and even confusing, to their customers. Confusion does not generate sales. Moreover, confusion discourages sales because if customers are confused because it will be harder for them to make the decision to buy.

When one reads the books and papers on why businesses fail, the reason most often given is due to the lack of money or sales. What they don't say is that this lack of money can often be traced back to the disregard for following the Rule #1 of Business Etiquette.

Money, if it can't be found on trees, can only come from three sources:

1. owners/investors,
2. banks and other lenders,
3. customers.

Once a business is open, it is not easy to go back to the investors or lenders for additional funds. It, therefore, means that for a business to survive, it must have additional funds from their third source of money - customers.

Looking at what a business has to offer through the eyes of the unknowledgeable customer is the most difficult part of merchandising any idea, service or product inside the business as well as outside to customers.

For example, job descriptions are a form of Business Etiquette. A logically arranged catalogue and price list is another. Signs within the firm, such as the signs grocery stores have in each aisle, are business etiquette. Highway exit signs and street signs are forms of business etiquette. Easy to find price stickers are a form of business etiquette.

Whenever a business of offering something -- an idea, service or product that is new or relatively unknown, to a potential customer, the "Rule of Business Etiquette" comes into play. And it is not just for a business to apply these guidelines. Anybody, when they are asking someone else to accept something new should also be using Rule #1 of Business Etiquette.

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* Customer . . . usually thought to be the potential and current user of any organization's output. But customers can and do come in many variations; customers are those being asked to accept and adopt an idea, information, service or product. Sometimes they are called clients, or patients. Business owners and their advisors are also customers to each other. Both have and are customers of their associates, customers, staff, family, close friends, acquaintances . . . and these are all customers to each other. Everyone is asking their customer(s) to accept their idea, information, proficiency, changes, policies, procedures, service or product in return for the customer's time, effort and/or money.

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