Many people believe that etiquette in business, business and commerce is a set of outdated rules and behaviour. Nothing could be more wrong! Good manners and courtesy are a fundamental aspect that positively distinguishes every professional.
Technology has contributed to an impoverishment in the use of good manners. The behavior in the use of social networks clearly shows how insults and lack of respect rage on the net. In this regard, a new term Netiquette has been coined, which refers to a set of rules governing behavior on the web. A true and proper etiquette “on line”.
Does it really make a difference an item of clothing or a uniform worn with style? A well studied look communicates professionalism? Does using a balanced and courteous tone of voice convey confidence to customers? Interact correctly and politely on blogs, forums, chats, newsletters can distinguish us from the mass of rude screamers who infest the network?
It seems so. The study of Albert Mehrabian, psychologist, U.S. professor at the University of Los Angeles, has established that the incisiveness of communication depends:
7% on the words < verbal;
38% on the tone of voice < paraverbal (tone, rhythm and timbre of voice);
55% on non-verbal language < posture, facial mimicry, look, gestures, proxemics, look, style, etc..
From this we can deduce that in working relationships and with the public it is not only what is said but how it is said and how it is communicated. Professional success is determined by interpersonal skills that have to do not only with personal empathic qualities, but also with non-verbal communication and good manners … in short, with savoir faire.
Good manners and style have nothing to do with academic training and should not be exclusive to an elite group. They can be acquired by following courses held by experts, but also by following some tricks and having a pinch of common sense. In the world of Beauty, based essentially on standards of presentation, image and hygiene, every “actor”, from any sector of the supply chain, has the responsibility to maintain a good image of himself and his company.
Personal presentation is always noticed and evaluated and is of fundamental importance because it always improves the impression that the customer makes of the brand he represents. This is why Beauty operators must practice high standards of personal presentation that include not only the consistency of one’s image with the style of the Brand for which one works, but also the adoption of a whole series of customer-oriented courtesies and aesthetic care of one’s own person, ranging from dress-code to grooming in every detail.
At the risk of being trivial, I want to emphasize the extreme importance of presenting oneself to others with a neat, tidy and above all clean appearance. Poor personal hygiene can be offensive to the people you work with and to the clients you come into contact with.
Despite everything, companies rarely rely on Label, Netiquette and good manners to maintain the relationship with their customers and give an effective, efficient and inclusive corporate image. In the Beauty world the label becomes an integral part of the product or service itself and the lack of style and courtesy is often the cause of unsatisfactory customer retention.
Inadequate postures, swearing, vulgar gestures, lack of kindness, excessive gestures and an exaggerated tone of voice damage the personal image. Professionally, they also represent even more serious disadvantages because they show that you are not up to your role and that you are unable to handle work situations with balance and a sense of responsibility.
My advice to all professionals in the Beauty sector and to young people who approach the world of Beauty is to learn from the beginning that good manners and kindness are powerful tools in relationships and, whether you wear a uniform or not, whether you practice etiquette online or offline, you must take care of your clothing without disguising your personality, but externalizing it with class, respecting others, taking care of every detail of communication with the outside world and in the relationship with colleagues and collaborators.
In today’s competitive business arena, the degree of kindness and good manners with customers makes the company stand out from others and the professional environment reflects the quality of human relationships of those who live it daily.
Ethics, good manners and mutual respect are founding values and attitudes of Humanistic Cosmetics, a new vision that sees man at the center of a new Renaissance of Beauty.
