ETIQUETTE CONSULTANCY
We can help you or your employees engage master the rules of etiquette and understand the game, allowing you to navigate any social or professional situation with ease and confidence.
Etiquette is often viewed as outdated or irrelevant and it is true that some rules are anachronisms. Some rules never change, however, and remain timeless and foundational in our societies. Others have evolved and continue to adapt as times change.
We now know from studies conducted by Princeton and Harvard that people form their judgement of another person within the first seven seconds of meeting. These judgements are based on seemingly trivial things such as the handshake, tone of voice or choice of words. Unfair as it is, those such judgements can take years to overturn.
Etiquette is also therefore criticized as being socially divisive, a way for one group to identify its members and to exclude its non-members. We believe that counts as abuse and that etiquette is in truth just a code which enables people to come together in a neutral zone, where they can then begin real communication and dialogue. Our consultancy assists clients to negotiate the judgements of the first seven seconds in order to find that neutral zone where meaningful and life-changing things happen.
Consultancy
Our consultants have studied at some of the world’s leading schools in etiquette, hospitality and protocol, both in the UK and the US (The Butler Valet School, The English Manner, Beaumont Etiquette and The International Butler Academy). Our courses are delivered in our classroom or at a location of your choice, in a casual, friendly and non-judgemental manner that breaks down cultural barriers.
Courses: one-to-one or groups
- Table manners
- Setting the table
- Greetings
- Navigating the rules of napkin, conversation and cutlery (UK vs US vs European differences)
- Laying the table: understanding the traditions and the key elements for an elegant formal dinner. This is vital to set out the perfect tone for an occasion.
- How to do table and after-dinner service. Learn the differences between a private house and a hotel or a restaurant.
How do you pronounce ‘scone’? Should you put the jam or the cream first? Where should you look while drinking tea and should you lift your saucer? What is the difference between afternoon tea and high tea? What time should you arrive? So many questions… so many opportunities to get it wrong!
This informative but fun tutorial is in the form of an actual tea party, so that you can learn the do’s and don’ts of this very British ritual and a little history as well as enjoying a traditional afternoon tea. A practical course put into practice, so you’re ready to go if you are invited by the King.
The course includes some historical context, anecdotes and cautionary tales and can be taught in a commercial venue or in the Minerva’s period apartment, where tea will be served by one of the Minerva butlers and enjoyed with fine china, linen and silverware. This is a unique experience in a unique setting.
Curriculum includes:
- Correct table setting
- Traditional foods and teas
- Service etiquette
- Drinking and eating etiquette
- A history of tea
- Front office / Front of house – in a competitive environment, it is essential not to turn away potential clients/customers or lose existing clients/ customers due to poor employee attitude. Our training will assist your team to understand the importance of service excellence, will refine aspects of personal presentation and deportment and enhance their greeting, communication and other such skills. This is an interactive course with role playing.
- Meeting Etiquette – how to receive your visitors from greeting and escorting all the way to bidding them farewell. We will teach you verbal and non-verbal cues – how to greet and carry out introductions, how to offer amenities, where to sit and when, and generally how to carry yourself through a meeting, reflecting your position and role. This is an interactive course with role playing.
- Meeting Management – badly managed meetings waste everyone’s time and can send the wrong message. Our training will teach the key ingredients for productive, informative and motivating meetings, whether they are with colleagues or clients.
- Email Etiquette – our advice focuses on the correct way to write and send emails. It teaches the Do’s & Don’ts, tips for writing effective emails, how to follow-up politely, and generally how to get the most out of polite and business-like email communication.
- Crash course in confidence – we will teach you to elevate your communication skills, how to present yourself with confidence, how to greet in an appropriate way and how to make a first great impression. This is an interactive course with role playing.
- Job applications/Interviews – we will teach you how to give a good account of yourself through the whole process, from creating a clear and engaging CV or Resume to the interview itself and the follow-up. This is an interactive course with role playing.
- The Business Lunch – although you are away from the office, business is still the order of the day. We look at etiquette in a restaurant context and teach you the technicalities of the business lunch or dinner. You will learn about duties and responsibilities of host and guest. This is an interactive course with role playing.
- The Cocktail Party – how to navigate receptions and make the most of valuable events in order to network effectively and make useful contacts or life-long friends. You will learn skills and techniques that will give you the confidence to step forward and maximize your attendance in social gatherings. This is an interactive course with role playing.
- Dress codes: the correct way to wear a hat, Morning Dress and Black Tie
- Who does what?
- Guest etiquette
- Forms of address
