How to handle pet peeves

Ms Manners,

My colleague told me that I have some annoying habits in meetings. She said I need to brush up on my etiquette. What should I do?

Great question about behavioural pet peeves. I love this topic and I get what you are asking – “how can pet peeves be apart of etiquette?” But it has everything to do with it.

It’s a huge part of how successful you are with your clients. You might be acting out behaviour that drives your client insane, and you have no idea.

Of course you won’t always know, unless their eyebrows raise right off the top of their heads in reaction to something you do.

And this is where business etiquette comes in as it allows you to be neutral and decreases the chance of hitting one of these pet peeves that your client might have.

So think of pet peeves like dangerous obstacles on the side of a highway, and you are burning down this highway in your car and of course you don’t want to hit one of these obstacles as it could stop you right in your tracks.

Well business etiquette is keeping you in a straight line, right in the middle of this highway and so you don’t swerve off to the side and have a nasty accident with one of these pet peeves.

Etiquette skills can teach you keep you neutral, obstacle free and get you where you want to go.

If you Google pet peeves you will find a million comments of what makes some people insane – there are all sorts of things. I

It’s very entertaining but not knowing these behaviours and doing them subconsciously could be damaging to your success because one of these pet peeves may be held by your client. Do it and they are gone!

The good thing is you already have with you the equipment you need to improve your odds of being neutral – your mind and your body.

Once you get your head around this concept and gain some awareness of what your body is doing, you will be able to stay right in the middle of that highway and you are good to drive!

Use etiquette to be neutral and be open to a greater and bigger network of people, this is especially important as you are growing your client base. Remember that people buy from people they like.

Enjoy your new confidence and the game of etiquette.

Kind Regards,

Ms. Manners