Business Etiquette 2 | Tiffany Nielsen

Inspire Civility: Random Acts of Kindness

July 30, 2013 By Tiffany Nielsen

Inspire Civil Behavior Everyday!

Prior to launching my own company, I worked for other incredible businesses. My career was in sales and marketing which required me to travel at least three weeks out of the month. Once, while on a business trip in New Mexico, I received word that the company I was working for at the time was closing its doors and I was out of job.

I was sitting in an airport restaurant when the bad news came crashing down. As you can imagine, I was mad, scared, sad and numb all at the same time. To help calm my nerves and to get some sort of direction on how to deal with my suddenly difficult circumstances, I called a few trustworthy friends including my mother.

When the female server brought my bill, I plopped down my credit card without looking at the tab. I didn’t care what my meal cost; I just wanted to go home. With a twinkle in her eye, my server said, “There’s no charge today.”

“Huh, what?” I replied.

“The woman who was sitting at the next table overheard your conversations,” she explained. “She felt you deserved a break and paid your bill.”

Up to this point, I had fought back the tears, but the flood gates opened. Rather than crying over my job loss, I was overcome with gratitude for what is often referred to these days as a Random Act of Kindness.

I will never, ever forget the thoughtful stranger who helped me move forward with spirit and strength in order to overcome obstacles. I have paid for lunches for jobless friends in her honor and otherwise continued to gain a greater appreciation for civil behavior and what a positive impact it has on others.

Image Impact International is the proud sponsor of Global Civility Awareness Month which is officially featured in the month of May. I have joined Image Impact International’s Civility Council team to help create positive civility messages, including the inspirational quote seen at the top of your page. Positive messages are supposed to stir-up positive memories, as this one did for me!

Do you recall a random act of kindness directed towards you? What was it and how have you paid it forward? Tweet it, forward it, blog about it and most of all, talk about kindness and civility. Help inspire civility by starting conversations that keep this tradition of caring for others alive and well. A little sprinkle of civility goes a long way.

Tiffany Nielsen, CEO of Premier Etiquette, is a public speaker, business etiquette and children’s manners consultant, and image stylist!

Tea Etiquette

February 8, 2013 By Tiffany Nielsen

Tea According to www.gone-ta-pott.com tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world! Is coffee or water first? I am not sure. January was National Hot Tea month, but rest assured tea is a consumable beverage year round. At least it is in my house.

Here’s a little something most people don’t know about me. I have yet to drink an entire cup of coffee. Yup, that’s right! I’ve sipped it, and with puckered lips, I put the coffee right back down and say, “I can’t do it.” You can’t image how saddened I was while in Italy in May of 2012, I couldn’t finish an Italian cappuccino. I tried! I am told that the best cappuccinos in the world are made in Italy, and I wimped out. For a half-Italian woman like myself, I feel as if I have let my motherland country down. Thankfully, my Northern Ireland grandparents introduced me to tea.

While in Ireland in 2003, I was further introduced to Barry’s Tea, and consumed more of that tea that I ever thought possible. Last I checked, World Market stocked Barry’s Tea. Personally, I bounce between Chinese green tea, Ceylon and blended black teas like Earl Grey. I hear Queen Elizabeth II drinks Earl Grey too.

I will host a tea etiquette and manners class someday, because I’m absolutely enthralled by tea culture. From the history of tea, to tea times, to tea varieties and etiquette, spreading the art of tea to fellow aficionados sounds like a really good time. While you wait for me to post a tea etiquette program on www.tiffanynielsen.com, here are a few of my favorite tea etiquette tips:

1. Formally speaking, tea is usually reserved for four o’clock. Depending on where we live or where we travel too, one and five o’clock also serves well for tea time. Frankly, I prefer to have my tea between 8 and 9 am every morning, otherwise I might reach for a soft drink to help wake me up!

2. Clinking and clanking the spoon against a tea cup makes for unnecessary noise. Back and forth, in the center of the cup, move the spoon in a small semicircle like fashion.

3. Filling the cup to the brim leaves no room for milk and sugar. Leave a little room at the top to avoid spillage.

4. Pour your tea first. Then add your milk. Too much milk will take away from the flavor of the tea.

pinky

5. There is no need to extend your pinky when drinking tea from a tea cup. Personally, I think the pinky finger naturally extends, because the tea cup handle is sometimes small, making it difficult to grasp it without twitching the pinky outward. If you find your pinky waving at your neighbor, tuck it back in and carry on.

If you would like to join me for an Afternoon or Full Tea etiquette class, please let me know by writing “Yes, please invite me, Tiffany!!!” in the comments section below. I will round up my tea pots and cups and wash the china and serving pieces while I await your RSVP.

Graciously Yours,

Tiffany

Central California Women’s Conference

September 7, 2012 By Tiffany Nielsen

Sept 18, 2012 boasts the 25th anniversary of the Central California Women’s Conference. Jamie Lee Curtis hits the stage as the event’s featured keynote speaker! I like her, which has me excited to attend!

Along with Jamie, breakout session speakers will be offering insight on various intriguing topics. One of the featured sessions happens to be with me and I want to invite you to attend, pretty please! How’s that for manners? The team behind the scenes of the Central California Women’s Conference invited me to share my presentation, “Professional Savvy: How to Stand Out Not Stick Out.” They cut a video of me that shares some of the highlights of my session. Have a look at my video, if you please.

I am far from comfortable speaking into a video camera. I would rather speak to you in person, over the phone, or via Skype than imagine you there in the lens of a camera that is zeroing and in and out, while I’m trying to look cute and sound intelligent. Can anybody relate? Anyway, thank you for cheering me on from the comfort of your computers.

Rumor has it that this conference will be a sellout. My kind of gathering! You can register here while tickets are still available. Be sure to sign up for my session and stop by afterwards to visit my etiquette and image boutique. You can pick up my autographed books and oooh and ahhh over the new items not yet featured on tiffanynielsen.com, which I’ve set aside just for you through the end of the September.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Sincerely,

Tiffany

Business Etiquette: Smart Phone Manners

April 30, 2012 By Tiffany Nielsen

*Photo Courtesy of American Express

As handy as they are, smart phones can be and are the culprit of much of the rudeness we see in America today. The phone’s resources are abundant, but they introduce nuances that are unacceptable.

No matter who we meet with, each person deserves our undivided attention. To choose phone surfing over the face to face meeting time tells others they are not relevant. Here are a few tips to keep us all smarter with our phones.

When attending meetings, smart phones should be silenced and put away if they have nothing to do with the topics at hand. It’s in everyone’s best interest to perform this action because it protects the image of the organization and the business at hand.
People are much more present when their fingers aren’t tasking through emails and peering at information that has nothing to do with the meeting.
Let everyone know when and why you need your phone for the meeting. This way, you avoid any negative judgment.
Apologize if your phone rings during a meeting. It happens.

Smart phones used by smart people make for poised and fruitful communication. Be smarter than your phone. You own it; it doesn’t own you.

Feel free to share Tiffany’s etiquette and image tips with others!

Business Casual for Creative Career Professionals

March 13, 2012 By Tiffany Nielsen

John Wind knows how to transform fantastic vintage into posh style. One of Mr. Wind’s beautiful, hand-made necklaces was on a “wish list” at Rosemary and Thyme in Exeter, California. My husband is friends with the boutique owner. Guess who received her wish list item??

I’m a cool season Winter II, but found great joy mixing splashes of gold into this ensemble that I’m wearing today with my new necklace.

To balance the gold in John Wind’s necklace and create length (petite, well almost) , I paired a long black sweater and White House Black Market leggings with the style bonus of my leopard belt. I borrowed my husband’s boot socks (because I can’t find any of my own) and zipped up my new Anne Klein boots for a slimming appeal. The black sweater tied together with the white blouse creates the chic sophisticate look I admire. Of course, I never leave the house these days without my red Talbots Tote and sassy red lip gloss. Mixing and matching with a little creativity makes it easy to piece together a brand new look, don’t you agree? Creativity is the key word. Planning and patience have their place here too.

As an image consultant, I’m fortunate to work with clients to help them uncover small wardrobe adjustments that create the greatest amount of impact. For some, it’s as simple as adding new jewelry (like I did) to brighten up a black suit. Others find the addition of colorful shoes or bold ties an immediate “can-do” wardrobe primer.

What small adjustments in your wardrobe can you make today that will create immediate impact? Think about it and let me know. Your input can be very useful to a fellow reader, so I appreciate your thoughtful comments.

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