Social Etiquette

6 Hostess Etiquette Tips for New Year’s Eve Bash

December 31, 2015 By Tiffany Nielsen

If you are hosting a New Year’s Eve bash, here are 6 hostess etiquette tips to help boost your spirits while adding a few classy touches to your party.

Be the Ultimate Hostess. Etiquette is your guide to a successful party! Help your guests feel welcome by greeting them upon their arrival, or soon after. Glide around your party topping-off flutes of bubbly, offering non-alcoholic drinks to sober drivers and keeping conversations flowing among guests. By all means, try to refrain from bringing up things like the weather if it doesn’t turn out the way you had hoped. You are the ultimate hostess, after all!
It’s Cocktail Time! If you start to feel stressed about the party, it’s normal; but, don’t let party prepping suck the fun out of you. Before your guests arrive you can meditate in silence for a few minutes or make yourself a very weak cocktail to help take the edge off. Easy-does-it on the cocktail! You don’t want to be completely smashed when guests arrive.
Use Your Very Best! Dinnerware, cutlery, saltcellars, or whatever you may have, are not meant to be stuffed into cupboards collecting dust only to possibly be tossed out by the next-generation who didn’t quite understand all the fuss. Serving your guests, with the very best, lets them know “they are worth it”.
Not a Hostess but a Guest? Try not to arrive to a party empty handed. Even though you weren’t asked (or told) to bring something, etiquette tell us to bring a Hostess Gift. A bottle of wine, fresh fruit from your orchard, a box of chocolates, fresh flowers in a vase, homemade treats, or an exquisite bottle of champagne are just a few hostess gift ideas to consider. Use etiquette -or consideration- when choosing a gift. For example, you wouldn’t want to bring a bottle of Rye to a ‘dry’ house.
Don’t Be Rude! Go without social media for one night. Try focusing on the media right in front of your face—your personal guests.
Have Fun! You might burn the dinner rolls, but oh well! Someone will likely spill a bit of red wine on your white carpet, nothing that can’t be remedied by a strong foot and a paper towel. Smile, be gracious, and by all means, have a good time at your own party!

Stay classy and remember that “etiquette” is not only your friend, but a perfect guide to a successful party.

Happy New Year!

What Would Charlene Say? Part 1: Three Habits for Gracious Living

May 10, 2014 By Tiffany Nielsen

Charlene Nielsen and her family. Gracious woman, editor and our #1 Fan at Premier Etiquette.

Charlene Nielsen, my beloved Mother-in-Law, Editor and Board Member here at Premier Etiquette, joined the angels in heaven on May 4, 2014 If I were to ask mom what we can do today to feel better about our situation, she’d recommend the following daily habits, which I would like to share with you over the next three days leading up to her celebration of life service.

Part 1

Get Dressed. In spite of a bald head, pale skin and being at war with the gremlins (as we called them), mom got dressed every day. She styled her hair and wigs and she never left her house looking as if she just rolled out of bed. “Get up, get dressed! You never know who you might meet!” says Charlene. I’d like to add that pajamas are made for bedtime, not for wearing out in public.

To quote mom…

“The hardest lesson to learn is self-discipline”
– Charlene Brooks Nielsen, Author, Editor and Woman of the Year.

Are you getting dressed each morning? If not, are you open to learning about a few simply ways to transform into a habitual pro at dressing for your day? If the answer is “yes”, we should talk! 🙂

Tiffany Nielsen, Founder and CEO of Premier Etiquette, is your favorite Etiquette Lady and Personal Stylist. She lives in Exeter, CA with her husband, David and travels nationwide representing ideas and strategies to help solve social and business faux pas. You can attend Tiffany’s upcoming program, Mother May I on May 27 and 28^th from 5:30 to 7:30 P.M. at Brandman University in Visalia, CA or in Bakersfield. The program cost is $34.00.

Small Talk Skills- Make it Count!

November 12, 2013 By Tiffany Nielsen

Small Talk: Make it Count

Recently, a woman approached me at an event where I was a guest speaker. She was kind to compliment me on a job well done following my keynote etiquette presentation, but used her compliment as a way to bait and hook me into listening to her well-rehearsed 30 second elevator sales pitch. Right then and there, I had just been handed another good topic for the etiquette conversation, Small Talk Etiquette.

Small talk, sometimes known as “chit chat” is one of my favorite socials skills. It is what takes us from stranger to friend, date to spouse, nervous sales pitch to closing a new account.

It has also been my experience that “let’s get to know each other” – the reason for small talk – is a useful cornerstone for building business relationships. A 30 second elevator pitch won’t seal the deal, and frankly, going in for the kill is old-school. Isn’t that a relief?

Some people despise or fear small talk while others thrive on it. Personally, I have my good days and bad days communicating with the new people I get to meet. I am a chatter box; therefore, I have to work on zipping my lips and listening more intently. How do I listen more intently? I latch on to really good social skills recommendations! Here are steadfast guidelines that make this small talk thing easier.

1. Meet and greet people: Stand up (if possible) to meet people. Look them in the eyes, shake hands and say your name and repeat their name. “Hi, Hello, My name is, Nice to meet you” are proper pleasantries. Pleasantries in return are a must. It is a huge pet-peeve of mine when people don’t exchange pleasantries.

2. Kick-start a conversation by asking questions:
– Jane, what do you do for work?
– Jane, this is my first time attending this event. I’m having a blast! What do you think of the event?
– Jane, I am new here and I would really like to get acquainted with other people. Do you mind if I tag along with you for a bit in order to meet new individuals?
*Try not to linger too long. Jane needs her time too.

3. Be sure to ask questions in return. One-sided conversations are dull. Don’t be dull.

4. If you think, “I just don’t know how to do this,” practice! Try practicing small talk with store clerks, taxicab drivers, etc. I once heard someone say, “Practice makes permanent”.

5. Find out what interests the person to whom you are speaking to. Also, it is okay to talk about the news of the day. Avoid politics; however, this would be impossible if you were attending a political event, right?

Keep in mind, not every new person we meet will converse back with us. Please don’t take it personally; instead, move on to somebody that will gladly want to get to know you. And, as always, treat others the way you’d like to be treated.

Feel free to add your conversational small talk etiquette tips in the comment section below and let’s help as many people as possible make their best connections yet!

Linking In or Blanking Out? Business Etiquette for LinkedIn Users

March 10, 2012 By Tiffany Nielsen

I use the social networking site LinkedIn for many reasons. It’s one of those sites that discourages the nuances of risqué photos and unwanted, uninvited posts. LinkedIn is also the place to showcase our talents, network our business services and dock our contacts online. No matter where professions take us, we can easily keep relationships moving along with us.

I get excited when I receive invitations to LinkedIn with others because I like to meet new people. But what really gets my etiquette happiness bursting at the seams is when I receive a request with a message attached. You know from experience that any invitation you receive, be it to a fundraiser, a party or some other event, usually includes a message as to why: “It’s Tiffany’s 40th Birthday” or “Open House for our New Business”, etc… you get the point. But, oddly, some networkers purposely or mistakenly skip over this nugget of relationship building which could be a decided business advantage.

Since the fun of my business is sprinkling etiquette fairy dust when opportunities arise, I’m compelled to spread some of it today. LinkedIn Etiquette? Yes, it exists.

When you send an invitation, you can build a friendlier connection if you include a message. The message can be a simple introduction or a sincere message as to why you want to connect. Maybe some people don’t attach a message because they don’t know what to say. Rest assured you can make it easier for people to connect with you by letting them know how you met, why you want to connect with them, etc… We already have enough mysteries to solve.
Consider including your LinkedIn URL in your email signature line. This makes it easier for people to find you on LinkedIn. Please feel free to link up with me.
Be sure to send a “thank you” message to new connections that accept your invitation. And, don’t worry about those who don’t accept. If you haven’t heard back from an invitation request, wait a few weeks and then resend the request. If you still don’t receive a response, move on.
In my opinion, writing a LinkedIn recommendation is a gift to someone, not a requirement. We all can mutually benefit each other if we are willing to give to get. A personal thank you email or handwritten note to the person who writes a glorious recommendation on your behalf wins friends. And, the offer to write one in return for yours is good business.

I hope these etiquette tips support you in some way or at least validate your own etiquette expectations for LinkedIn. I want to build on this etiquette list with your help. Please comment below with your own tips and let’s mutually benefit each other by sprinkling etiquette anywhere and everywhere we can.