Pinterest Etiquette for Business

The Polite Way to Utilize Pinterest

If you use Pinterest to promote your business, here are some great tips to make sure you are presented in a good light.  .

Tip # 1:  Keep Things Interesting

In order to convince them that your Pinterest board is worth their time, it’s important to make it visually appealing.  Therefore, make sure the content that you provide is up to date, unique, and eye catching.  Also, make sure that your boards are filled with pins that are closely related content with easy ways to access the information.  After all, this is about making connections, not creating a webpage maze nightmare.

Tip #2:  Make Yourself Memorable

Many people today are quite savvy and want to be an informed shopper.  Since you have a stellar service or product, you want this as well.  Therefore it’s a great idea to make sure that your business name is featured prominently on your profile, and that it is branded across the internet.  That way, all a potential client has to do is type your business brand into the search engines, and they’ll soon find out how good your reputation really is.

Tip # 3:  Remember it’s About Making Connections

It would be nice to be able to share everyone’s likes on your board, but in reality it’s just not practical.  Plus, it would make your board to congested, making it harder to decipher.  Instead of simply pinning everything that could be of interest, consider liking the pins placed by other people on their boards.  Doing this not only shows respect, but it could grab the attention of others just passing through.

No matter what you reason for using Pinterest, doing so in a polite and respectful manner will go a long way to making sure both you and your business are presented in a good light.

Gym Etiquette

Minding your manners at the gym

#1 LEAVE YOUR SUN GLASSES IN THE CAR: You are at the gym, not walking the red carpet. So unless you’re in the C.I.A. or witness protection program save the shades for outdoor activities.

#2 AVOID USING YOUR CELL PHONE: Not one person on the planet has ever gotten in shape by exercising their vocal cords. People don’t really want to hear about your tilted uterus or how your doctor, husband or psychic are planning to fix it.

#3 YOUR TRAINER IS NOT YOUR THERAPIST: Your trainer doesn’t care about your in-laws or your best friends bunion surgery . They are the professionals you hire for strength and conditioning coaching. So let them do the job that you are paying them to do.

#4 KEEP YOUR GRUNTS AND LOUD MOANS TO A MINIMUM: You’re working out ?not birthing an 8 pound child. You’re at the gym-not the maternity ward. So keep those scary loud noises to yourself.

#5 WAIT YOUR TURN: Other people matter. So show them respect while waiting at the cardio machines , locker room, water fountain and the parking lot. Remember, it’s not only about how you look on the outside . Your character, decorum., and kindness are what really make you shine.

#6 REMEMBER SWEATIQUETTE: Please no sweat deposits! It’s yours-so wipe it up and take it with you.

#7 IF YOU PICK SOMETHING UP: Put it back! Ropes, balls, mats and weights all have a special place where they belong. Leave things in an orderly manner for the people that come after you.

#8 REMEMBER THE 3 S’s: To have respectful personal and public protocol at the gym you must remember the 3-S’s : Refrain from Swearing , Staring or Singing loudly to that high dollar IPod.

 

PATRICIA ROSSI is the Nationally syndicated Manners Correspondent for NBC’s Daytime,where she hosts the popular Manners Minutes segments. Patricia is a sought after etiquette consultant and public speaker who focuses on kindness as opposed to formality. Visit patriciarossi.com for manners clips, event appearances and workshops near you. 727-375-0375

Have you ever felt like you don’t fit in?

3 Simple Steps to Grow & Glow

3 Simple Steps to Grow & Glow

Here are a few tips about how you can improve the lives of the people that you work with.
Be a Secret Agent. We all have our ups and downs… that’s just life. So when you see a co-worker going through a hard time — a family death, divorce,  dealing with a troubled teen, loss of a pet — leave a note of encouragement, or drop off lunch to their desk that you know they’ll like or their favorite coffee drink from Starbucks with a huge smiley face on the cup. The trick is doing it, and not getting caught. Be that secret agent you’ve always wanted to be. Don’t let a week go by without doing this 1 to 3 times. If you just look about 10 feet in front of you or around you there are folks that need your support and encouragement.  Build Others Up. You know the folks who are doing it well in your realm of business.
So tell them you see their efforts and thank them for being a leader and someone you learn from.

I believe in Good Gossip…so tell others how well that person is doing. Send a note congratulating them on the gains you see them making.  Start At The Bottom. We’ve all had to work our way up – I will never forget the unexpected kindness from people in higher levels. Be that person. Take the time to talk to the mailroom person, the janitor, or the intern that has the deer in the headlights look!  Your kindness and wisdom may just be the catalyst that sends that person a notch higher than they ever dreamed they could go. Pick a person that you have nothing to gain from and make a point to encourage them, listen to them, and laugh with them… just 3 minutes a week. Trust me, you will be the one that benefits. And someday down the line, someone may show that kindness to your children or niece and nephews.

The secret to self confidence is to know and understand the rules of social engagement before you are in the middle of an uncomfortable situation. Check out Everyday Etiquette for tips.

Pinterest Manners

Minding your Pinterest Manners

Pinterest is currently the hottest and fastest growing social media site of 2012. It is refreshingly different from all other social networking sites, in that Pinterest is a beacon of simplicity where individuals “pin” (bookmark) their favorite things – recipes, photos, craft ideas, art, etc. – onto pin-boards and create an organized collage of sorts. It is different because it is a gathering of your own personal interests. Yet, it is similar to other social media sites since you can follow each other and collect creative ideas and inspiration.

Of course, where there is social interaction, there are certain etiquette guidelines that should be considered:

• Hold the ego. Pinterest is not about bragging, showing off, or self-promoting. Pinterest is about personal interests and inspiration. The other social networking sites give you plenty of opportunity to promote your business, awards, promotions, etc.
• Be considerate. Each person’s pin-board is designed to reflect their own personal interests. Therefore, there should be no criticisms of another’s thoughts, hopes and dreams. Connect with people who are like-minded and share the same interests that you do, or search for new interests and ideas.
• Properly credit your sources. When you pin someone’s photos, recipes, artwork, etc., be sure to properly credit the “original” source. They deserve credit for their magnum opus. Sending them a message and letting them know you pinned them would be an added bonus.

According to http://pinterest.com/about/, it is Pinterest’s mission to: “…connect everyone in the world through the ‘things’ they find interesting. We think that a favorite book, toy, or recipe can reveal a common link between two people. With millions of new pins added every week, Pinterest is connecting people all over the world based on shared tastes and interests.”

Pinterest has a marketplace feel to it – it is a place where you see people and ideas and places and products alike – it is refreshing, open and welcoming. Check it out and enjoy!

A Dream Come True

I am still in a quasi trance from the July 2010 news that my book Everyday Etiquette was going to be published by St. Martin’s Press. My mind haunted me with crazy thoughts like, “They picked me by mistake. I was dreaming it all or worse… I was being pranked.”

I vacillated back and forth between euphoria and nauseous fear that I would wake up from the dream. St. Martin’s Press shared with me that the contract arrives later than a slow boat from China and they weren’t kidding. The offer was verbally given to me in July and the contract didn’t arrived until October.

I loomed by my mailbox for the first month. After that, I just watched from the window for almost two more months. When the contract finally arrived, I was out of town speaking in Chicago. So my husband called with the news, “The contract is here!!” and I said, “Do you really think they meant to send it to me?” I could hear his eye balls rolling through the phone. I read and re-read the contract especially the section with my name and title of the book. Maybe there was another Patricia Rossi that was an Etiquette Coach with a book titled Everyday Etiquette?

It wasn’t a dream at all. The offer, the contract, and the book were indeed real.

September 13th, 2011, Everyday Etiquette launched and sold out on Amazon the first day. Within a few weeks a 2nd printing was already on the press. Shortly after Christmas I received an unexpected holiday gift from my publishers: Everyday Etiquette went into it’s 3rd printing in just 16 weeks!!!

So, thank you dear family and loyal friends that supported this project from day one and also to the thousands of new friends coast to coast and abroad who made Everyday Etiquette a part of their book collection. I still sometimes wake up in the night, go into my office and pick up the book just to make sure it is really real.

Thank you all for making my dreams come true.

Here’s my secret to how I got my book published.

Click here to read about it.