(Un)common courtesy

The first letter, from a recent Financial Times, appealed to me. It resonates with me, as something I have done countless times over the years. For the sake of a few minutes before, accompanying the client or visitor to the door, pointing him/her to the nearest taxi rank or where they are heading, or merely getting the chance for a relaxed change of tone pays dividends. Again and again.

Deals have been struck: I remember when, in around 1994, I had attended a very difficult negotiation meeting, where I was the note taker, and the meeting ended in deadlock. The senior member of the other side took us down in the small lift, and, in the descent, he and the senior partner did a deal, broke the impasse, and resolved what to do. I learnt a masterful lesson in that lift.

Similarly, and this isn't always possible, but being absolutely ready for visitors can be the essence of hospitality. We have all arrived at people's offices, on time or early, and then have to sit in reception past the allotted start time for the host to deign to join us. In a client-advisor relationship, where the client visits the advisor's offices, why should the client then have to wait?

Life isn't perfect of course, but I am sure Dale Carnegie would have taken his visitors to the entrance, and been on time for meetings at his offices.

Posted with Blogsy