Courtesy Is the Most Persuasive Selling and Alignment Tool

One of the most persuasive tools that you have in your sales, team-building, and company alignment tool belt is one that you don’t have to take a webinar or get a master’s degree to learn.  It’s an old tool (one that our grandparents were pretty good at actually) and it’s a tool that is used less and less today (especially in national politics). It’s a tool that sets you apart from your competitors and from other leaders in your business.  That tool is courtesy.  Here’s a primer.

Courtesy (level: beginner)

1. Give each person a genuine smile when you meet them.  Be friendly.
2. Use please, thank you, you’re welcome, and excuse me as appropriate.
3. Be on time.

Courtesy (level: expert)

1. Use people’s names, and introduce new people to each other when standing in a group.
2. Don’t honk your horn unless someone is backing up and doesn’t see you.
3. Stand up when a new person enters a meeting, smile, shake their hand and thank them for making the time to come.

Let your courtesy set you apart from your peers.  You can’t always be happy, but you can always be cheerful.