First impression is one of the most important deciding factors on whether business deals will be a success or a failure, whether products will be bought from you or not. Imagine if you went to discuss a business deal with someone who was dressed in lets’ say a Singlet and Bermudas. Would you feel that he/her is not taking this business discussion seriously? Believe it or not, most of us humans judge people on what we see at first. Our judgment is based on the individual’s grooming, body language and personal appearance. The way we dress defines and describes us. This is why it is so important to always look good.

Weird Caveman and a Handsome Businessman

Now who would you rather do business with?

Personal grooming is important as well. Make sure we maintain personal hygiene, make sure you have enough time to prepare to look your best, do not overdo your makeup, you are dressing to impress not scare people. Piercings should be removed for guys, and no oversized earrings or diamond studs will be accepted for ladies. Also, before heading to the company for an interview or a business deal, know how the people in the company usually dress. You do not want to go to the company looking like an alien. Makeup for the ladies must be appropriate and not overdone. Your dressed to impress not to scare.

Overdone makeup and makeup nicely done.

People will only take you as serious as you will take yourself. This is what i have learnt from creating a professional presence. Now i know how to dress and impress at interviews. =)

Corporate Politics

Corporate politics is something which happens in every industry. Although not all of us might have actually experienced corporate politics at this point of time, it is probably evident to those who have worked before. Have you ever felt that although you perform better than your colleague, the boss seems to not recognize your contributions but your colleagues when what you have done is better? Corporate politics can make the working environment very harsh and intimidating. This is why sometimes people cannot perform in some working environments but thrive in success in another. I have learned through my personal and professional life (as so far) that you will interact with different people with different agendas and backgrounds. You will see politics used for both good and bad in the workplace. Expanding your knowledge of politics allows you to understand how other's agendas are shaping the work environment for better and/or for worse. Keeping in mind you have an agenda just like your coworkers, so don't forget to look in the mirror.

By understanding how you both use and are affected by politics you will be able to better exist and shape the environment you live and work in. Not participating in corporate politics does not necessarily mean that you are safe from it. As we are all working toward some goal(s) (e.g to just get through the day, to make a huge business deal, to be good at our jobs, to get recognized for our work/contribution, to just get the paycheck, or to just fly under the radar) these rule sets are in play. The combination of our goals and the rule sets we have in our repertoire essentially drives our behavior and perception/interpretation of the events occurring around us.

Now I would like to share some basic survival skills with you all:

· Being Visible

By being visible, it does not mean always being present for work. Being visible comes in many forms, one would be always churning work of quality, being helpful to the people around you, being a person who always solves problems and not create problems for the company, being an expert in your area of work and always being truthful.

· Peers and subordinates

Always be respectful to your peers and subordinates. Be helpful, be a team player, ask for advice, exchange favours, listen to gossip but do not participate in it, always be a listener when people tell you about their problems.

· The Big Boss

Avoid having bloopers when the boss is involved or not he will just have a bad impression of you and usually that impression is not easy to change. Always meet deadlines the bosses set, be loyal to your boss, avoid upstaging and always give helpful suggestions at the right time, do not give suggestions in situations where you will embarrass your boss.

Corporate politics in all is a fact of life. I see politics as the forum ofsocial interaction. My personal approach is to develop those skills to successfully navigate these interactions toward my many goals. Politics is not something to be judged negatively as activity engaged only by those with malicious ulterior motives. They should not be just considered the "games" people play. Finally, no one is immune from politics. Because politics is in the fabric of our human interaction, it is by design not something that can be avoided- it is something, we can learn to more effectively manage . From this topic, i have learnt how to survive the harsh environment of corporate politics. I myself has encountered corporate politics before and it does not feel good. With my knowledge and tips of corporate politics now, I am sure I will reach greater heights and be more impressive at work.

Customer's Perception

In today’s globalising economy competition is getting fiercer. That means it becomes more difficult for products and services to differentiate themselves from other products than ever before. Not only is the number of competitive offerings rising due to globalisation of production, sourcing, logistics and access to information. Many products and services face new competition from substitutes and from completely new offerings or bundles from industry outsiders. Since product differences are closed at an increasing speed and many companies try to win the battle for customers by price reductions, products and services tend to become commodities.

On the other hand, customer behaviour becomes more hybrid. On one hand, customers are increasingly price sensitive – searching for bargains at marketplaces like Ebay or buying their groceries at discount markets. On the other hand they enjoy branded and luxury goods. One and the same person may plan a weekend trip with a no-frills airline and a stay at a five-star-hotel.

Companies also have a hard time offering services and products, this is because all customers have a different perception on what the product should do for them, how it will benefit them or help them. Therefore when a company decides on advertising their product, they will have to take note of how they want their product to be portrayed. This is why customer feedback is so important; complaints about products are not exactly negative and should be viewed in a positive way. By gathering customer feedback, products can be made for the majority where the gold lies and for the minority, companies can decide if they want to custom-make a product for them. If the company does and satisfies the customer, the company would have more or less gotten themselves a loyal customer.

Customer satisfaction is of utmost importance. If a customer is satisfied that means that a product of service has met his expectations and that he was not dissatisfied by it. Customer satisfaction is doubtlessly very important. It is the precondition for repeat purchases and it prevents the customer from telling others about his disappointing experiences. A loyal customer, however, is more than a customer who frequently purchases from a company. Customer loyalty can be understood as to how customers feel about a product, service or brand and whether their perceived total investments with it live up to their expectations. By providing quality products and services, will further increase your chances of the customers telling others of the good experiences they have had because of your product and this is actually the most powerful way of advertising as mouth to mouth advertising is the most influential.

Another thing about customer satisfaction in service is never ever to say these 7 deadly statements

Statement 1: I am having a terrible day

By saying this, you are actually making your problem into the customer’s problem and chances are, nothing fruitful will come out of this. Every customer expects to get the best service you can offer and complaining about it will not have a positive outlook on you and the organization you are working for. Ways to help you will be to focus on the customer’s problem, if you make a mistake, apologize for it and proceed to correct it. Always maintain a cheerful and friendly tone as well so that the customers will not feel uncomfortable and any hostility towards him/her. Remember, a bad day is not an excuse.

Statement 2: We are short on staff today

It is not the customer’s fault and it is not your fault as well, but by saying this, you are sending the wrong message to the customer. The customer might interpret it as his/her needs and business are not important to the organization. Being short on staff is not an excuse for ignoring customers’ needs. Ways to handle this kind of problem would be to make your customers’ needs your priority, acknowledge your customer’s presence, and apologize for any delay in service. Being short on staff does not mean we cannot provide excellent service.

Statement 3: I only work here part-time

It may be hard to keep up but every customer expects quality service. It does not matter to the customer if you are a part-timer or full-timer, he/her will expect good service nevertheless. Tips to help you if you really do not know what to do would be to update yourself daily about the things you do not know, if you really cannot or do not know what to do about it, approach the older staff to help you.

Statement 4: This job is really hard

Although things can get really hard, confusing and complex, saying this is not going to help you but instead it is just going to have a paradox effect. Customers will feel that serving them is a burden to you and this will reflect badly on both you and your employer. How to solve this would be to think of the rewards, find ways to recharge and always seek for self-perfection. No job on this world is easy. Every job has its fair share of tests and challenges. The key is to make it look easy.

Statement 5: That last customer was really a pain

By saying this, you have already ruined the customer’s first impression of you. You will appear unprofessional and the customer is going to wonder what you are going to say about him or her when they are gone. There will be a loss of trust and trust is very important in business. How to correct this would be to devote yourself to your current customer’s needs and always remember to smile. People respond better to a friendly face.

Statement 6: This is the third time this week we have had system problems

This statement damages both your company’s and the staff working in that company’s reputation. The customer will probably be wondering why is it that if you have had encountered this problems three times already, then why have you not solved it. It reflects poorly on the company. A way to solve this although it is not your fault that you are facing system problems would be to control your attitude and the quality of service you provide. Keep your cool and use your customer service skills. An even better way would be ask your superiors what to do in case the problem occurs.

Statement 7: My colleague messed up

This will reflect poorly on you and your colleague. You will both seem incompetent. Although it is not your fault, complaining to the customer about it is not a solution. When in this kind of situation, assume full ownership of the problem and promise the customer to make it right if you can. Let your colleague know what happen at the end when the problem is solved.

In conclusion to this, excellent customer service, excellent product and making sure the customer’s needs are met by your product or service will ensure you good customer perception of your company and yourself.

Without covering this topic about customer's perception, I would never ever have known how the customers feel when i have actually mentioned a few of these statements while working. Time to start changing the way I talk to customers! And besides this, knowing that every customers' needs and wants are different is of utmost importance in the hospitality and tourism industry.

Conclusion

Finally, I would like to conclude that without studying Business Etiquette, going out to work in the world will be a big reality shock to many. More than often, people are not actually prepared for what they are about to face. Many cannot take corporate politics and often leave their job if they become a victim of corporate politics. Others do not know how to dress and go to work looking like a joke. BESE has helped us a great deal in preparing for our interviews for our internship and i am sure that BESE will play a huge part in our future endeavors. In a way, it has prepared us or at least given us a preview of what life will be in the working world.