Business Etiquette for Tough Economic Times

In today’s uncertain financial climate, it is more important than ever to approach business and social situations with grace and thoughtfulness. We need to be mindful of others’ circumstances and add value to everything we do. Whether you have experienced a change in your financial security personally, or you are one of the fortunate individuals experiencing “life as usual,” a conservative attitude is the order of the day.

First and foremost, be a value to your place of business. Start earlier, stay later and skip lunch now and then. Kicking it up a notch will not go unnoticed by your management, and you will likely be rewarded for your loyalty and hard work down the road.

Be a positive force in your environment. Never complain, whine or speak poorly of the company. Be sensitive to management’s position. It is probably not a good time to ask for a raise, but you can always ask for a commitment to “revisit” the conversation when things improve.

It is always in good taste to spend your company’s money wisely. Approach any financial decision at the office with the same frugal attitude you would use at home. At firstPRO we have cut back on many of our monthly internal events, opting for every other month instead.

Do NOT bring your financial worries to the office. It is never polite to air your problems to your co-workers; it is always better to find your support system outside of the office.

In the end I believe that there is an upside to any situation, and the upside to a down economy is that we are developing conservative habits that will stay with us for a lifetime.

Negotiating Your Salary with Manners

With companies scaling back on hiring and spending, it has many of us wondering, is now the time to ask for a raise? Or is it wise to just keep quiet and be grateful that you have a job at all? Now is probably the wrong time to negotiate your salary unless you have a scheduled review. If this is the case, however, go into your review prepared to receive some type of increase in compensation, just a smaller percentage of increase than prior years.

Ten percent is a good rule of thumb when negotiating at the pre-employment stage, but remember that there are other ways to receive additional compensation or benefits. Things like additional car allowances, vacation or flextime can be very valuable as well. The biggest mistake people make when negotiating salaries is not preparing. If you are negotiating before starting a position, be sure to identify and list the concrete skills you are bringing to the table and the specific benefits those skills and attitude will allow the company. When negotiating as an existing employee, it is important that you prepare the same way:

·Never ask for a raise because you need it. No one cares that your bills have increased, your car broke down or your child’s tuition has gone up.
·Always ask for a meeting in advance. Do not just barge into your manager’s office with no warning.
·Use a respectful tone, know when to accept no and when to move on graciously.
·Leave the door open to revisit the conversation down the road, and get a commitment to do that within a certain time frame.
·Send a follow-up note acknowledging and thanking them for their time, and mention that you look forward to revisiting the subject in three months.

As crucial as it is to be paid what your worth, you need to be certain your “worth” is based on realistic data and not just “what you want.” At firstPRO, we want our staff to be paid at the high end of the industry, because we invest so much time and money into training individuals whose worth to the company increases over the years.