Tiffany Nielsen

Adult and Youth Etiquette Workshops

Mixing Tea and Business: Persnickety or Not?

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Mixing Tea and Business: Persnickety or Not?

A dining expert says in his blog to “avoid ordering tea while dining with clients because they might think you are persnickety.”  When I read this, I scrunched up my forehead in a state of confusion and asked myself, “What does “persnickety” mean and how does drinking tea make me appear persnickety in front of business clients?”

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of persnickety is:

  1. fussy about small details
  2. having the characteristics of a snob
  3. requiring great precision

A snob? How ordering tea over coffee or espresso is considered snobbish is beyond me. But, if the dining expert refers to the fact that making a perfect pot of tea takes great precision, then perhaps a client might see attention to detail as a good quality in a business partner.

Preparing tea is an art. I’m comfortable in saying that a client who doesn’t appreciate “art” during a business dinner may be drinking too much coffee and be better off with a glass of Port.

Tiffany Nielsen shows men and women of all ages how to stand out-not stick out socially and professionally. She is the President of Premier Etiquette, a full-service etiquette and image training and consulting company, and co-author of The Power of Civility and Incredible Business.   Visit her website at http://www.tiffanynielsen.com/ to learn more about how you can thrive socially and professionally!

Copyright 2011 Tiffany Nielsen. All Rights Reserved.  To reprint, please contact Tiffany Nielsen at tiffany@tiffanynielsen.com for permission. www.tiffanyynielsen.com

Conference Call Etiquette

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Conference Call Etiquette
Public or Private?

According to a new survey, 81 percent of respondents say it is somewhat/completely inappropriate to take a conference call on a cell phone while in public. I personally can vouch for this majority opinion!

Before there was Premier Etiquette, I worked in corporate America.  At one point in that previous career, I dialed into a conference call while sitting in a hotel lobby.  Big mistake!  As you can imagine, the background noise was streaming through my phone straight to the CEO’s landline and it was horribly loud.

The CEO, who I once thought was cool and collected, stopped the conference call comprised of 30 people to bark loud orders to the fool not on mute who muttered, “Duhhhh, Tiffany.”  Embarrassed –  and I think I even chuckled – my fingers found mute and I sat, not moving for fear of making another mess of a situation that could have been avoided if I had participated from the safety of a quiet hotel room.

Ah, the business we learn the hard way, speaking of which, make it easy to stand out-not stick out professionally and socially by joining my next public dining etiquette class:

Family Etiquette Night: Dining at its Finest!

Date: September 19, 2011
Time: 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Location: Monet’s Restaurant in Exeter, CA.
Fee: $45.00/person. This fee includes dining etiquette instruction, a scrumptious 4 course meal (tax and gratuity included) and a perfect opportunity to create a treasured lifetime family memory. 
 *Open to families, couples and singles.

Register by calling Tiffany Nielsen at (559) 280-9859.

Tiffany Nielsen is a sought-after speaker, trainer and author whose wit and wisdom engages, inspires and motivates audiences. She is the President of Premier Etiquette, a full-service etiquette and image training and consulting company, and co-author of The Power of Civility and Incredible Business.   Visit her website at http://www.tiffanynielsen.com/ to learn more about how you can thrive socially and professionally!

Copyright 2011 Tiffany Nielsen. All Rights Reserved.  To reprint, please contact Tiffany Nielsen at tiffany@tiffanynielsen.com for permission. www.tiffanyynielsen.com

Dining Etiquette: Fishing Around with Knives

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Dining Etiquette
Fishing Around with Knives

At the moment, my wife and I are having dinner at a beautiful restaurant in Hawaii and we have an etiquette question for you. Is this a butter-like knife to the right of my plate? We have a butter knife on the bread plate to the left and find it puzzling to have two of the same funny looking knives at a place setting.

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Aloha Savvy Diner,

What lies to the right of your plate is a Fish Knife, a type of knife not often seen in restaurants these days. Wow, I envy you!  You know how I love fine dining!

So, how do you use this fancy fish knife…that is what you really want to know, right?   Take notice of the photo above and look for the notch and scallop carving on the knife. This artistic edging serves as extra help for lifting away bones when not already performed by the chef.

Practice makes perfect (and it gives you confidence too) so learn to fillet your own fish. Here are the steps:

  • Starting at the neck, insert the tip of the knife underneath the backbone.
  • Slide the knife down to the tail, underneath the backbone all the way.
  • Lift off gently and place on your plate or the extra plate provided by your server.

My friend Jennifer gave me an antique fish knife for my birthday; a very fitting gift for a dining etiquette junkie like me! If you want to learn how to use the fish knife in person, join me September 19, 2011 for our “Family Dining Etiquette: Formal Dining at its Finest” program in Exeter, CA. Quickly register for this sell-out program and come learn just how easy it is!

Poised for Success:New Book Coming Soon!

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I love emails that drip with good news. Today, my publisher informed me that my new “must have” co authored book is at the printers and due to arrive the first week of May!   It feels like Christmas in my office!

The title of the book is energizing!  Here’s a sneak preview of the book cover.  Do you like it?

Power of Civility provides the tools you need to boost your social intelligence and build your cultural competence, giving you the confidence and poise to go anywhere and be welcomed as a caring and considerate citizen of the world. Discover the power of civility!

Stay tuned for more!

Tiffany

How to Pack Your Executive Wardrobe Into a Carry-On

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Along with your successful career comes the potential for travel. Savvy professionals traveling to domestic locations for two to five days do not want to wait for their bags to come off the carousel or risk their luggage getting lost. It is possible to pack everything you will need into a carry-on for maximum efficiency in travel. Use these tips to learn how to pack your executive wardrobe so you are always ready to grab your carry-on and go.

It Is in the Bag
When you begin packing for your trip, make sure that your bag is large enough to fit all of the items you need to bring, as well as fitting in the overhead bin of the airplane. Most airlines allow you to have a carry-on that is 45-to-50 linear inches – meaning the dimensions of the width, length, and height cannot total more than that when added together. I use the same carry-on trip after trip because I know it won’t let me down. Stick to your favorite bag too.

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