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Hi
Tech Etiquette
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*A
monthly column devoted to helping women and men
be their best and most confident in any situation.
Topics include dress, body language, attitude and
etiquette.
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Victoria Seitz, PhD
Image Expert |
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Recently, newspapers across the country reported that Americans
are considered rude; in particular, with their cell phones and
other hi-tech gadgets.
Here
are some tips to make the best of these new forms of communications
and building relationships with your clients and peers.
- If the issue is privacy in communication realize that
e-mail, faxes and telephone lines are not secure. Many companies
monitor conversations as a matter of evaluating customer service
and routinely tap into employees e-mail, and who knows who sees
the messages faxed at the machine down the hall.
- Be sensitive to the technological sophistication of
the individual that you’re dealing with. Evaluate the means
most employed by the other person and use that means as a way
to communication. Just ask them which is the best way to reach
them.
- When confirming a meeting, always do it by phone and
either talk to that individual or to their assistant. Do not
leave a voice message, e-mail, or fax confirmation – usually
the person will not get it in time.
- Don’t try to conduct new business with clients over
voice mail, fax, or e-mail. Face-to-face contact is essential.
- Contact friends at their home e-mail address for matters
not related to business.
- Avoid bring cell phones and pagers to any kind of
meeting i.e. new client, or job interview.
- Invite clients to meetings or get togethers by personal
contact or written invitation.
- Limit cell phone use while in the car or in the air.
- Use laptop computers only as visual components of
a presentation.
- Avoid making or taking calls during meetings unless
it deals with the business at hand.
- Inform customers of forthcoming faxes or e-mail messages
wand follow up with a hard copy in the mail.
- When developing communication with foreign companies,
evaluate their level of technological sophistication prior to
sending messages via hi-tech vehicles.
- Minimize of the use of palm pilots, pagers, computers
until after a client meeting
- Face-to-face meetings are the best way to close a
deal.
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Victoria
Seitz, PhD is a professor of Marketing at California
State University, San Bernardino and is author of Your
Executive Image, AdamsMedia, Inc, 2000 and Power
Dressing, DonJon Publishing, 1991. In addition to teaching,
Dr. Seitz was a fashion coordinator for Burdines, Florida
and in retail management for Saks Fifth Avenue, Phoenix,
AZ. Clients of Dr. Seitz have included Abbott Laboratories,
Northern Telecom, Texas Instruments, Yellow Freight Systems,
Sally Beauty Company, the United States Armed Forces, Travellife
magazine, YWCA and Accountants Overload, in addition to
law firms, hotels, newspapers, universities, banks, credit
unions, national and local community and professional organizations
nationwide.
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To learn more about Dr. Seitz please visit her website at www.cbpa.csusb.edu/vseitz.
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