Everyday Etiquette

We are probably all guilty of failing to RSVP promptly or even at all. It’s one of those things we tend to put off, especially when we have to send regrets. I have yet to meet a friend, client, or caterer who does not complain about late or skipped RSVPs, when in reality it only…

Personal Image: Positive and Negative Signals

  During my term as director of protocol for the city and county of San Francisco, HRH Prince Andrew paid a visit to the city. As dictated by British protocol, I was not allowed to speak to the prince until first spoken to. This was difficult, seeing that he was coming to our city and…

I don’t know about you, but I haven’t been the same since 9-11. I can’t look at an American flag without getting teary. The same thing happens when I see one of our military men or women in uniform, especially our veterans. Veterans Day, unlike Memorial Day, is a day to honor our living veterans….

One of my favorite quotes is from a literary critic named Will Cuppy, who said, “Etiquette means behaving yourself a little better than is absolutely essential.” Thank-you notes show that you are respectful, they make you look good, and they are absolutely necessary! If we simply ask ourselves why anyone should send a thank-you note,…

E-cards are a growing presence on the Internet, but according to statistics they still generate only a fraction of the traffic of paper cards. E-cards are easy to send, they are often well designed, and many of them are free. The downsides of e-cards? They raise electronic security questions, they can take a frustratingly long…

Name Tag Etiquette If you attend cocktail parties or other events where networking is the name of the game, name tags or badge holders can be lifesavers. Providing well-printed name tags is one of the most effective investments you can make if you’re holding a networking event, and they’re just as important as a business…

Today the world is divided into two groups of people: those born in the paper age, and those born in the digital one. I am in the former group. Some of us might not be comfortable sending invitations online, but whether we like it or not, welcome to the new world, the digital world, where…