Mind Your Manners!

Recently I was invited to lunch by a wealthy attorney and his wife who ran a large fundraising organization. They were anxious to meet me and wanted information on a project I was working on.

We went to lunch at an upscale restaurant in an affluent area. They were ten minutes late and pulled up in a limousine. Everybody seemed to know them – including the hostess – and immediately following our introduction we were led to “their table.”

I have a penchant for relating to people, and was far more interested in hearing their story than telling them my own. Instantly I was informed that they were very successful and very used to getting what they wanted. I did a lot of listening, which I prefer, and a lot of observing as well. I observed their indifference toward our server. I observed their absence of words like “please” and “thank you” and, consequently their oblivion as I overcompensated to be extra-polite out of pure discomfort.

The lunch itself was wonderful, although they complained about theirs, and when we finished they had an idea of how we could do some business together. They reminded me again how they are people who always get what they want.

When I got home I send them each a text message thanking them again for the lunch. I also wrote them out a thank you card and got it in the mail right away. Neither act was acknowledged, but I did get a phone call asking me what the next step was. I politely informed him that I didn’t think we were a fit to do any business together.

In other words, he didn’t always get what he wanted.

How you treat other people is a huge reflection of what kind of person you are. I didn’t necessarily dislike these people and won’t judge these people for their behavior that afternoon. But I won’t let them into my circle either.

An Appreciation Marketing ® champion minds his manners and treats everybody as a human being. Trust me, people are paying attention. Be the person you wish to attract.

Tags: Appreciation, Appreciation Marketing, curtis lewsey, Gratitude, manners, tommy wyatt

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