Tiffany Nielsen

Dining Etiquette, Business Etiquette and Children's Workshop

Dining Etiquette Experience

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My passion for people and food have led me to create a one-of-a-kind dining experience which takes guests on a delicious expedition of superior dinner selections accompanied by specially paired wines. The very first of these events in Exeter was presented last month to a full house. From Bakersfield, Tulare, Hanford, Visalia and Exeter, influential and exciting enthusiasts gathered with a sincere attitude towards learning the tenants of formal dining while enjoying the splendor of excellent company and poetic atmosphere.

Monet’s of Exeter, CA hosted the dining experience and, without a doubt, surpassed the expectations of everyone in attendance. Along with the tantalizing food and wine, the dining tutorial on all things “Continental and American” surprised and inspired guests to further inquire about the niceties of pairing wines with French food and proper ways to navigate a place setting. The showdown over how to dine Continental style was addressed with gratitude.  Balancing vegetables on the backside of a fork is no small task for most of us.

Keeping the menu a secret up to the start of the event and the “ooo’s and ahhh’s” that greeted each course confirmed expectations that “good things come to those who wait.”  Being comfortable in any dining environment enhances the pleasure of gathering with family and friends and making new friends and business contacts.

This special occasion to dine in Exeter brought people to our town who might otherwise have missed the special role we all play in building our reputation of small town charm with cultural splash. From art and culinary choices to architecture and farming, we the keepers of Exeter continue to thrive together through endless innovations that tempt the tastes of everyone we encounter.

To sign up for the next dining experience, an event you don’t want your out of town friends to miss, go to www.tiffanynielsen.com

Bon Appetit!

Dining Etiquette Class

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Are  you confident in fine dining enviroments?  Do your kids squirm in their seats and ignore your call for manners?  Are you looking to impress your date? How about simply feeling comfortable? Understanding dining etiquette increases self-assurance and sets the stage for a fun time minus any embarrassment.  Your favorite etiquette enthusiast Tiffany Nielsen will present an interactive, far from stiff and boring event, all while enjoying a carefully selected course dinner prepared by a French Chef.

Class participants will learn American and European styles of dining, how to navigate a place setting, the silent signals of dining and more!

  • Can I sit anywhere I want?
  • I’m late for dinner. Now what?
  • Pass left or pass right?
  • Help, I’m allergic!
  • It’s okay to use my cell phone at the table, right?
  • Who pays the bill?
  • Which bread plate is mine?
  • Oh, goodie I get to put my elbows on the table, but when?
  • Does it matter how I hold my fork?

This dining workshop has helped hundreds of local men, women and kids gain added confidence and appreciation for the joy of eating. Parents hope their children behave while out for a dinner. Teenagers care about their image and want to impress their friends and peers. And, one third of business is conducted over a meal. Make time to enhance your dining skills because manners do matter and etiquette is a social skill to be mastered. A person can have all the right technical skills, but without social savvy it’s hard to get anywhere.

Date, Time and Location:

 September 19, 2011
5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Monet’s Restaurant in Exeter, CA.

 

“Tiffany Nielsen’s dining etiquette workshop was both a fun and informative component to my client dinner.  Tiffany was perfect, accessible and knowledgeable about the challenges of modern etiquette, and connected with everyone at dinner-regardless of age or background.  Everyone left having learned key pieces  regarding dining etiquette and the event still comes up in conversation, months later! Thank you, Tiffany, for making our   dinner and educating us on modern dining etiquette!”
–     Elizabeth Newman, Google

Fee: $45.00/person. This fee includes dining etiquette instruction and a scrumptious four course meal (tax and gratuity included).

Pre-registration is required. Seven seats left! Open to families, couples and singles.  

Please register over the phone by calling Tiffany at (559)280-9859.

“Thank you so much for coming out to our troop meeting. I know the girls really enjoyed it. I had one come in the next day to eat with her family and as I watched her I could tell she was practicing what she learned.”
–     Adela Montgomery, Pixley Girl Scouts, CA

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

July is National Cell Phone Month

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July is National Cell Phone Month
Cell Phone Etiquette Guidelines

At the start of just about every business etiquette seminar I present, I always ask participants, “When it comes to rude behaviors seen in public, which one annoys you the most?” Nearly all say, “The misuse of cell phones.”  If participants in my seminars are saying this, then what could the rest of the country be saying?

Making cell phone users more respectful of their surroundings is the motto of July National Cell Phone Month. Let’s not let our use of cell phones offend others or take precedence in areas of our lives where it serves no purpose.  In fact, courteous cell phone practices are easily accomplished when we commit to these cell phone civilities:

Switch the Sound In business, switch your cell phone ring tone to vibrate or silent. When can you leave the jingle on? When you are at home, but only so long as your ring doesn’t wake a sleeping baby or your spouse. As always, let common sense be your guide.

Mind the Meeting Room In most cases, bosses and meeting leaders would prefer that cell phones be switched to silent mode or vibrate to avoid having a loud, ringing device disrupt a meeting, not to mention sending the violator into panic or denial mode. Nobody wins in the “It’s not me!” – “John, it’s you!” game. If you are expecting a call that can’t end up in voicemail, let your colleagues, boss, etc… know ahead of time the importance of taking an incoming call. When it does arrive, quietly grab the phone and disappear without slamming the door behind you.

Mind the Kiddies Parents, advocate in your house that “National Cell Phone Month” is an everyday celebration. Feel free to set boundaries as to when and where cell phones can be used. After all, you pay the bills; therefore, you get to set the rules, right?

Quit Playing Around Honestly, there’s nothing more annoying than seeing colleagues or guests super-glued to their phones when clearly your company is not boring. If you find yourself addicted to the little gadget, follow First Lady Nancy Reagan’s motto and “Just Say No.” This is an especially important exercise when entertaining guests and clients, attending meetings and workshops, waiting at the altar to get married, etc…

Remember, we own our cell phones – they don’t own us! I challenge all of us to stick to the cell phone etiquette tips offered above, not just in the month of July but year round!