When I was in the second grade, I was invited to a
birthday party. I remember this particular party
because the boys mother had purchased and wrapped
individual parting gifts for each child.They werent labeled. You just reached into a pillow
case, with your eyes closed, and pulled out a gift
that became your own.Mine was very special. I dearly loved it.Maybe youre old enough (or young enough) to
remember the Little Golden Books? They were very
thin, heavily bound, almost but not quite a paperback,
and had gold leaf trim.My special parting gift was The Golden Book of
Manners.What a great book! All sorts of animal friends
invited to a birthday party. How to say hello
to those whod invited you, and thank you for
all manner of things that happened. How to make
sure everyone invited had a good time and was
not left out. And, especially, to remember to
thank everyone as you left.I wish I still had that book, but its imprinted
on my brain Id read it that many times. I can
still see the elephant in his birthday dress
suit and all manner of party-ready animals.Yep, I wish I still had that book. Id be giving
it away, and I know who Id give it to...Never was a total lack of these basic manners
more evident for me than today.Today we went all out. Weve been in our new
home in Las Vegas now for six months. Weve been
busy knocking down popcorn ceilings, sanding,
mudding, texturing, painting. Weve fixed the
most outrageous problems (the previous owner
fancied himself an electrician (!) oh yeah). And
slowly but surely our 1979 house is entering
the 21st century.After six months we were finally ready for our
first dinner guests; a couple whod extended
my husband special courtesy as wed hunted for
our new home and sold our old, many miles away.
They put him up for the night several times,
fed him and were just wonderful.We wanted to say, "Thank You!" And, for me,
Id be meeting them for the first time.We planned a week in advance and they agreed
to come. They even offered to bring the dessert.So what happened? Around 4 oclock we call just
to make sure everything is on. At this point,
our "mister" dinner guest turns out to be 100
miles away and wont be anywhere near leaving
for home until six, with an hour and a half
drive back to the Vegas area.Not a problem we say, we look forward to them
arriving. The fact that it was even Friday had
completely slipped his mind. Not a problem,
we understood. Everyone gets busy. Sometimes I
have trouble remembering what day of the week
it is, too.All we asked is that they let us know when
they arrived back in town; we needed to give
them directions to our home.And yes, he clearly stated they were coming.Six oclock comes and goes. We figure he
(and she?) are on the road - no call saying
they arent, theyve been delayed. No call at
all.Seven rolls around, 7:30 - when they were due
in - no call. 8:15 rolls around, 8:40 rolls
around - still no guests.Our family ate, sans guests, at 9:00.I started thinking about that Golden Book of
Manners.Why in the world wouldnt they at least radio
(they could) or call?After mulling over many different scenarios
the one most likely is... A simple case of
truly bad manners.A phone call. Would it have killed them to call?This couple surely needed to attend the party
I was graciously invited to back in the second
grade... and given that Golden Book of Manners!Okay, so what does this have to do with anything
youre into?Well... Do you market online?Your website needs to reflect these same simple
principles. Call it The Golden Book of Good Website
& Marketing Manners.If your online goal includes any type of customer
service, keep these simple manners in mind.Say welcome and thank you and treat your visitors
with respect and kindness.Dont spend hours and hours, months and months
building your website and advertising your
business if you plan to leave your copy of
The Golden Book of Manners on the bus.People online need to be treated as your very
most important guest - yes the full-out VIP
treatment.They dont know you from Adam, but may just
be willing to trust what youre telling them.
They trust that after money changes hands you
will be there - possibly through thick and
thin - to ensure they receive what they
paid for.Common courtesy, the Golden Rule, and your
Little Golden Book of Manners.Want to be successful?Just keep that Golden Book open at all times.
Its amazing what common courtesy can do
for you :)I wonder if theyll call tomorrow...(c) Theresa Cahill - All Rights Reserved. Feel free to distribute this article. Please keep it intact and with the resource box included below.ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Theresa Cahill, a two decade veteran of marketing, is the owner of http://www.mywizardads.com and invites you to take a look at the services of MWA and download fr.ee helpful information and more at http://www.mywizardads.com/sitemap.html
Keyword : positive thinking,positive attitude,motivation,positive change,personal growth,self improvement
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