Be on Time

Back in February, I wrote a piece about the importance of writing thank you notes in business.
This was from an article by Peter Post, Emily Post's grandson and director of The Emily Post Institute. I ran across another interesting article by him in the March/April issue of Training.
He gives five "essential" tips for people preparing for an interview--it could be a job interview, it could be for a promotion, with a new client, or even a new business you're trying to land.
These tips are nothing new; but I think they are so valuable they are worth repeating.

• Be on time. Post says this is the most crucial element of all. If he had only one piece of advice to give, this would be it. "When you're on time, you start to build a relationship. When you're late, you start by having to recover from a mistake. "


• Be prepared. Think about the questions you will be asked and develop questions to ask. Rehearse. Practice those questions and answers out loud. Practicing out loud gets you used to forming the words with your mouth so it becomes second nature.


• Dress one notch up. Always know the dress code of the place you are visiting and then dress up one notch from that level.


• Look them in the eyes, smile, and speak clearly. This shows you have confidence and are comfortable and interested.


• Finally, thank them twice. First at the end of the meeting. The second time the next day when you send a note (we're back to the note again!) in the mail.

Also, remember that once you have the job, promotion, client, etc., it's still important to apply these five tips for meetings and everyday interactions at work. The successful employee already knows this and does it every day.