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FROM THE STRAITS TIMES, SINGAPORE, 9 July 2002
9th
July 2002
WATCH
YOUR Ps AND Qs
Good Manners mean good business, say these two women.
And they can show you how
Good Manners = Good Business By TEE HUN CHING
Minding your Ps and Qs is not just good manners, but good business
too, says Ms Louise Percy.
She should know. She has been running a consultancy that trains individuals
and organizations in business etiquette and corporate protocol for
the last 10 years.
Called The Percy Institute of International Protocol, its clients
include Government of Ethiopia, protocol officers from the United
States government and Qantas Airlines.
Two
months ago, it set up its first overseas branch at Caltex House
in Raffles Place.
Says Ms Percy, who is in her 40s:
"Our market research has shown that Singapore is a ready market.
It's cosmopolitan and relies on global trade."
Explaining the rationale behind the consultancy she says: "It
became apparent to me in the 1980s that the world was shrinking
into a seamless world global village. But the manners were not necessarily
universal.
"What may be acceptable behaviour and manners for domestic
business relationships does not always meet the demands of today's
global business."
For instance, the laid-back culture in Australia sees many people
addressing one another on a first-name basis.
But this informal approach might not work in, say Asia, where hierarchy
is adhered to more strictly, she points out.
Programmes
run by the firm include modern manners, international corporate
protocol and business entertaining and dining skills. Half or full-day
corporate programs range from $500 to $3,000.
In
Singapore, some senior corporate executives and government agencies
have indicated their interest, says Ms Sharon Tan, principal of
the institute's South-east Asian branch, who is in her 40s.
There are now plans to venture in Shanghai, Malaysia and Indonesia.
The
daughter of a former navy admiral, Ms Percy says etiquette was drilled
into her from young. She also drew on much of her experience in
the press office of two former Australian prime ministers - Gough
Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser.
Says the mother of two children, aged 17 and 20: "Graciousness
is not old-fashioned. Courtesy is still the key."
Most
seek her help for their communication skills, or lack of. "People
want to know how to interact effectively," she says.
She has often been called in to help turn the wives of newly-promoted
diplomats into instant dream hostesses.
Corporate
bigwigs hoping to polish their social skills and clinch major overseas
deals have also knocked on her door.
Social boo-boos that turn her off include tardiness and inconsiderate
mobile-phone users. But she is quick to distance herself from the
image of a prissy Miss Manners.
"I don't sell manners. I sell confidence."
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