The Perfect Thank You Note

Last week my family and I attended a 50th birthday party for one of my cousins. It was a blast...from the past with a 1950's theme. Appropriate attire was strongly encouraged. Saturday I received the perfect thank you note from Colleen, the birthday girl. It reads: "Thank you so much for the bag set. I am going to Egypt next month on vacation and know they will absolutely come in handy. I also want to say thank you for coming to my party. I hope you guys had a good time. I think Tim (my son) would have won for best costume had we had a contest. He looked amazing! Please take good care of yourselves and thank you so very much again."

Why it is perfect:

1. She mentions the gift and how she will use it. The giver knows it is appreciated.
2. She goes on to show appreciation for the guests' attendance...their time and expresses interest in whether they had a good time.
3. She mentions something personal and compliments the attendee.
4. She signs off with a warm close and says thank you again.

The note is warm, sincere and a pleasure to receive. Sure beats "Thank you for the gift and coming to my party."

The Jacket - The Most Important Item in Your Business Wardrobe

Yesterday, I had the privilege of addressing members of AMF, a Bedminster, NJ based management company which provides services and solutions to enhance golf professionals' careers and their facilities. The program at which I was the speaker was held at the prestigious Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, NJ. After being a bit overwhelmed by the beauty of the club, the first thing I noticed was the audience's appearance. The so called business casual look is sadly still in vogue. So, it was a sight for sore eyes to see the men...and they were all men...in suits, ties and sports jackets. What a treat. Amazing what clothes do to set the tone of an event. The jacket adds class. It is the most important item in your business wardrobe. It adds instant credibility and authority.

Wear a jacket to work. Put a blazer over a sweater and a polo shirt; wear it without a tie; wear one with jeans. One of my favorite retailers is Lands End. They offer the best customer service and quality, reasonably priced clothing. You'll find many blazers at Lands End. For those with a limited budget for dry cleaning and unfamiliar with an iron, they offer 100% cotton no iron shirts and pants.

Again, wear a jacket. You'll look like you mean business.

Opposites Attract

Here is an interesting revelation about those with whom you work. Tony Ammeter, Ph.D, a University of Missouri-Rolla engineering management professor, surveyed diverse teams of MBA students for four months as they worked together on class assignments. He found that students with similar job backgrounds were significantly less likely to trust each other than those with differing backgrounds. The theory is professional jealousy causes us to feel threatened. Ammeter suggests that during team-building, workers "exchange information about individuals' abilities and convey that their intentions are good for the team."

The Business of Business Card Etiquette

Here's another "you can't make this stuff up" story...this one about business card etiquette. A friend told me after giving a new business contact her business card, he picked his teeth with it...in her presence. ewww. Can't think of anything else you can do with some one's business card to show more disrespect.

Most business people carry business cards. They are a common taken-for- granted business tool. But is also a business accessory; an opportunity to create a good impression. We take pride in our business card and should treat others' with respect. Keep your business cards clean and in an easily accessible place. Don't keep a potential client waiting awkwardly while you dig in a bag to pull out your dogeared dirty card. When you receive some one's card, treat it with respect. Look at it, comment on the design or title and then place it carefully in a portfolio or jacket breast pocket.

If you are not proud of your business card and have the option to redesign it, by all means do so.

I recommend nothing other than what you need when you dine or attend a meeting be placed on the table because the items we carry around are dirty; cellphones, blackberries, handbags etc. Below is a story Valerie found making the...rather gross...point:

HANDBAGS...

It's something just about every woman carries with them. While we may know what’s inside our handbags, do you have any idea what's on the outside? Women carry handbags everywhere; from the office to public toilets to the floor of the car. It turns out handbags are so surprisingly dirty, even a microbiologist who tested them was shocked.

Microbiologist Amy Karen of Nelson Labs says nearly all of the handbags tested were not only high in bacteria, but high in harmful kinds of bacteria. Pseudomonas can cause eye infections, staphylococcus can cause serious skin infections, and salmonella and e-coli found on the handbags could make people very sick. So the moral of this story is that your handbag won't kill you, but it does have the potential to make you very sick if you keep it on places where you eat.

Use hooks to hang your handbag at home and in toilets, and don't put it on your desk, a restaurant table, or on your kitchen counter top. Think of your handbag the same way you think of your shoes.