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Business Etiquette/Questions
| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
| Spouse at a Business Dinner | 2/7/2012 | Denise Anne Taylor |
| Q: I'm writing to you from UK desperately seeking advice. I have been asked by my significant other if ... A: Pam, Your role is to establish rapport and bonding to solidfy the business relationship that your ... | ||
| name tag question | 2/5/2012 | Denise Anne Taylor |
| Q: I have a small in-home pet sitting business. I live in a small, 55 plus gated community,(maybe 3000 ... A: Barbara, Each organization may or may not have protocols for volunteers regarding such a matter. ... | ||
| employee protection | 2/4/2012 | Denise Anne Taylor |
| Q: My wife has worked for 15 years as a bank tellor. Her bank has been bought out by a big bank and ... A: Don, Every corporate culture is unique. Gossip and hearsay can be costly. She should sit down with ... | ||
| Proper Congratulations To Someone Making Substantially More Than Me | 1/31/2012 | Jay Remer |
| Q: I work a government agency. I am not rich, nor am I poor. Rules regulate my agency that state I can ... A: I do apologize for not answering this question sooner, but my email has been acting up. In any ... | ||
| Business Letter Question | 1/10/2012 | Cynthia W. Lett |
| Q: I am trying to give our grant materials a new look this year. Previously, we listed a lengthy board ... A: I apologize for taking so long to reply to your inquiry. There is no etiquette rule that states you ... | ||
| Letterhead Etiquette | 12/7/2011 | Jay Remer |
| Q: The company that I work for has Letterhead where the logo appears at the top of the letter and the ... A: I recommend a front page which is used as the front page no matter how many pages the document is. ... | ||
| Dont you agree with me that stockboy is a liar about the lease | 12/6/2011 | Denise Anne Taylor |
| Q: Today I went to a 99 cent store in my neighborhood. I needed a wire for my phone. I saw the stock ... A: Debbie, Thank you for your feedback. The stockboy may have provided misinformation, or mentioned ... | ||
| 23 yr old son wants to take business etiquette | 12/5/2011 | Denise Anne Taylor |
| Q: My son would love to take your class at the Birmingham Community House, but they only offer it for ... A: Marsha, I can bring this up to the program committee for consideration to address the adult ... | ||
| Promotion | 11/28/2011 | Denise Anne Taylor |
| Q: Should a celebration be given to a person who receives a promotion within the same company? What is ... A: Carolyn, Every company typically has protocols regarding how promotions are managed. What level or ... | ||
| Dont you agree with me that stockboy is a liar about the lease | 11/26/2011 | Denise Anne Taylor |
| Q: Today I went to a 99 cent store in my neighborhood. I needed a wire for my phone. I saw the stock ... A: Debbie, Every company operates differently. Some privately owned businesses are more open with ... | ||
| Dont you agree with me that stockboy is a liar about the lease | 11/26/2011 | Cynthia W. Lett |
| Q: Today I went to a 99 cent store in my neighborhood. I needed a wire for my phone. I saw the stock ... A: Since I don't know the stock boy you are referring to in your question I cannot say for sure whether ... | ||
| Dont you agree with me that stockboy is a liar about the lease | 11/26/2011 | Constance Hoffman |
| Q: Today I went to a 99 cent store in my neighborhood. I needed a wire for my phone. I saw the stock ... A: One should never assume to understand the relationship between employee and owner. Perhaps the ... | ||
| writing a thank you letter | 9/22/2011 | Jay Remer |
| Q: I need the proper way to write a thank you letter to be published in the paper. A friend of mine ... A: Thank you notes or calls to as many people as possible is always a good idea as long as addresses or ... | ||
| office lunches | 9/9/2011 | Denise Anne Taylor |
| Q: When a boss (male) goes to lunch with 2 female employees is it proper for the boss to sit on one ... A: Marge, A booth is a tough call as it is quite limiting regarding seating arrangements, however, ... | ||
| Follow up after second interview | 9/1/2011 | Cynthia W. Lett |
| Q: On 08/12/11 I went for a second interview ( they called me about one month after the first ... A: I understand how stressful job hunting is but patience is definitely part of it. My suggestion is ... | ||
| Designation of master's degree | 8/31/2011 | Cynthia W. Lett |
| Q: I recently received a dual-focus Master's degree in Organizational Leadership and Project Management ... A: The MA or MS goes after your name. You leave off what your degree focused on. That information ... | ||
| List of Board of Directors on Non-Profit Letterhead | 8/11/2011 | Cynthia W. Lett |
| Q: Cynthia, We are in the process of updating our non-profit organization's letterhead. How should we ... A: You are correct to list by title/position at the top of the list. For other Board members you would ... | ||
| Proper Etiquette to Ask for a Job Back Post-Resignation | 7/11/2011 | Cynthia W. Lett |
| Q: Ms. Lett, Approximately 5 years ago, the summer following my junior year of high school, I was ... A: You are very lucky that you have a history (and I am assuming a good history) with someone who is in ... | ||
| 6/28/2011 | Denise Anne Taylor | |
| Q: I would like your opinion on something I did. My job situation as a city transit driver is very ... A: Bud, You may consider owning your input, don't shy away, you could consider approaching your ... | ||
| Asking for a voluntary position for research assistant | 6/12/2011 | Amanda Gamble |
| Q: I want to progress my career in agricultural research. As I dont have any experience in the field I ... A: Please forgive my tardy reply. Write a letter to the professor and tell him what interests you about ... | ||
| Order and Form of Address for Listing of Dignitaries | 6/1/2011 | Cynthia W. Lett |
| Q: An organization with an honorary board of three members wants to list these individuals on its ... A: You are correct: the Ambassador of Nicaragua. To the United States is not listed. I am sorry but I ... | ||
| Order and Form of Address for Listing of Dignitaries | 6/1/2011 | Cynthia W. Lett |
| Q: An organization with an honorary board of three members wants to list these individuals on its ... A: The proper order would be: The Honorable _______________ Representative from ___________(state) ... | ||
| Letterhead Protocol | 5/31/2011 | Cynthia W. Lett |
| Q: In including a list of the board of directors (15) and a list of the honorary board of directors (3) ... A: Separating the acting Board and the Honorary Board is correct but the nice thing about protocol is ... | ||
| Letterhead Protocol | 5/31/2011 | Cynthia W. Lett |
| Q: In including a list of the board of directors (15) and a list of the honorary board of directors (3) ... A: On the left side of your letterhead are the most important and current leaders who in your case are ... | ||
| Recognizing Volunteers | 5/20/2011 | Cynthia W. Lett |
| Q: I am an officer for a local chapter of a not-for-profit organization and I am currently planning an ... A: How an organization recognizes their volunteer workers is entirely up to the organization. There is ... | ||
| Business Letter | 4/26/2011 | Cynthia W. Lett |
| Q: When addressing a business letter to dual recipients with an enclosure, how do I indicate the ... A: I am not entirely clear about what you are asking but I will give my answer a try. When you are ... | ||
| Lunch Invite to my Boss | 4/25/2011 | Amanda Gamble |
| Q: I would like to take my boss out for a lunch for all the favours she had done to me during the 5 ... A: I hope this reply reaches you in time. It is simple enough say or write a date specific invitation. ... | ||
| Why no commas between the name and designation | 4/6/2011 | Cynthia W. Lett |
| Q: Just read one of your posts and saw that you noted no commas between the name and designation. Can ... A: The reason that there are no commas between the last name and professional designation is that the ... | ||
| Retaining U.S. gov't cabinet titles | 3/27/2011 | Cynthia W. Lett |
| Q: What's the correct protocol in referring to previous holders of sub-cabinet positions in the U.S. ... A: : After the person no longer holds the position the only officials who retain their title in ... | ||
| How to write a letter to re-hire? | 3/25/2011 | Amanda Gamble |
| Q: I was working at a hospital for 2 years when I started having family problems. I missed a couple of ... A: Please do go ahead and try to get the job back. Summarize briefly the past events (Even if you are ... | ||
| Professional Signature Block | 3/22/2011 | Cynthia W. Lett |
| Q: I have seen so many different signature blocks on emails (mainly) that I am now confused as to what ... A: The nice thing about signature blocks is that they can be whatever you believe your audience needs ... | ||
| business attire | 2/25/2011 | Denise Anne Taylor |
| Q: I applied for a job recently, the requisition for which states: "...Assists customers and ... A: Gi, It would depend on the weight of the sheath dress as to whether a blazer/jacket would be too ... | ||
| Business Card Etiquette | 2/9/2011 | Cynthia W. Lett |
| Q: For medical certifications on business cards is it appropriate to list a medical assistant as M.A. ... A: The proper way to list certifications on a business card is to list the most relevant right after ... | ||
| hosting a benefit fundraiser | 2/8/2011 | Cynthia W. Lett |
| Q: My husband died 2 months ago, leaving me with a $6300 funeral bill and no life insurance. Would it ... A: While it is never really in good taste to ask for money from others, there is an exception to the ... | ||
| Wanted: Invite to Annual Dinner | 2/4/2011 | Jay Remer |
| Q: My boss has requested I ask for an invitation to an annual dinner hosted by an organization via a ... A: First of all, you are not responsible for anyone's embarrassment other than your own. I can ... | ||
| Is This Selfish | 2/4/2011 | Denise Anne Taylor |
| Q: I have a co-worker who once said to me "you make me look bad." Why should I adjust my performance ... A: Jean, Your co-worker statement is quite general. To avoid future conflict in the place of work ... | ||
| How to get re-employed from a Company | 2/1/2011 | Amanda Gamble |
| Q: I worked for a transportation company for 17yrs as a school bus aide for special needs children. ... A: Peterson, There is no harm in asking for your old job back. The worst that they can do is say 'no ... | ||
| NURSING CREDENTIALS | 1/31/2011 | Cynthia W. Lett |
| Q: My boss is an RN and earned a Masters in Health Administration. Would the MHA come before the RN ... A: Your boss's signature block should look like this if she earned her RN before her Master's degree: ... | ||
| Showing floral gifts | 1/20/2011 | Cynthia W. Lett |
| Q: We are a law firm having an open house today and tomorrow. We have received many floral ... A: If you leave the cards with the arrangements, the givers of the flowers who will be attending will ... | ||
| BS Interior Design, working in sales | 1/2/2011 | Cynthia W. Lett |
| Q: and am currently working as a sales consultant / designer at a furniture store. Some of my ... A: It is not appropriate to put a BS degree designation after your name. What would be appropriate is ... | ||
Answers by Expert:
Cynthia W. Lett
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
Author of "That's So Annoying - An Etiquette Expert On The World's Most Irritating Habits And What To Do About Them" . One of the few Certified Etiquette Professionals (CEP) and Certified Protocol Professionals(CPP) earned by examination through the International Society of Protocol & Etiquette Professionals (www.ispep.org). I will be happy to answer your questions about business or social etiquette, international customs or protocol issues.
Experience
Ms. Lett has trained over 100 etiquette professionals worldwide to teach the subject to professionals and children. She has worked in 102 countries and is expert in doing business in unfamiliar cultures. Ms. Lett is principal of The Lett Group since 1983. Professionally, Ms. Lett is the founder of and serves as Executive Director of the International Society of Protocol & Etiquette Professionals headquartered in Washington, DC.
Organizations
University Club of Washington, DC
She is an active member of the National Speakers Association, American Society for Training and Development; Women Business Owners; Professional Convention Management Association; and past member of the American Society of Association Executives; Foundation for International Meetings (Board of Governors 1986-1987). She was elected into Who's Who of American Women; Who's Who of Advertising Executives; 2000 Notable American Women; Who's Who of the World's Women; Who's Who of U.S. Executives and Who's Who of the World.
Publications
Ms.Lett is the author of "That's So Annoying: An Etiquette Expert On The World's Most Irritating Habits And What To Do About Them" available wherever books are sold and at www.thatssoannoyingbook.com.
She has been featured and quoted in publications such as Successful Meetings, Meetings and Conventions, Meeting News, Business Travel News, Washington Business Journal, Washington Post, New York Times, Regardies Magazine, Wall Street Journal, The Robb Report, Entrepreneur Magazine, The Harvard Business Review, Ohio Business Review, Training and Development Journal, CIO Magazine and others
Education/Credentials
Certified Protocol Professional
Certified Etiquette Professional
Certificate: Adult Learning Techniques - George Washington University
Master-Legal Studies - Antioch School of Law
BS - Restaurant, Hotel & Institutional Management - Purdue University
BA - Public Relations / Interpersonal Communications - Purdue University
Awards and Honors
Distinguished Darden Professor - Purdue University
Past/Present Clients
During 1990, Ms. Lett planned a series of Business Exchange meetings in the Soviet Union for entrepreneurs from the United States who wished to learn about joint ventures with the Soviets in many different fields.
She is featured in the PBS special – Pioneer Living – as the protocol expert. Ms. Lett is also the etiquette expert for the Fine Living Channel and currently featured in Survival Guide – Office Etiquette. She is also a frequent expert on etiquette issues for Fox Cable News.
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