Etiquette Expert Helps Professionals Shine at Holiday Time!

Dec. 8, 2011 - PRLog -- New York, NY

The holiday season is officially here, and now is the time to extend your best wishes to business clients and colleagues. “The right gesture will help you reinforce strong relationships with the people who matter,” says etiquette expert Fiona Cameron-Williams, who goes on to offer these words of advice:

* Keep “business” out of your holiday correspondence, though it is fine to include your business name or logo. Neutral messages like “Season’s Greetings” and “Happy Holidays” are your safest bets. Sign all your greeting cards personally. A handwritten signature shows sincerity and that you appreciate your customer.

* Keep in mind acceptable gift-giving rules for your business environment, and find out whether the recipients observe Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, so you can make certain your gift is appropriate for each individual.

* The Christmas business gift is an opportunity to say “thank you” to a client, rather than promote your company, so use your logo tastefully. When possible, research the personal interests of the recipient—Do they golf? Read novels? Appreciate fine wine?—and tailor your gift accordingly.

* Contrastingly, the principles of Kwanzaa—a week-long celebration honoring universal African-American heritage—are intentionally contrary to commercialization, so in lieu of gift giving, consider making a significant contribution to your favorite charity, then send out cards that explain the donation and provide a background on the charity’s mission.

* As with any other holiday, there are traditional and non-traditional gifts for Hanukkah, or the Festival of Lights, an eight-day Jewish celebration. The Hanukkah gelt is an offering of money, so a gift card or a charitable donation would be appropriate. This tradition has even been picked up by some chocolatiers, who make gelt in molded chocolate and cover it in foil—also a nice gift idea.

For more tips on etiquette and protocol visit our resource center http://www.fionacameron-williams.com/resource-center.html

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Fiona Cameron-Williams is the president of FCW Hospitality and Private Residence Consulting, Inc., and certified as a Corporate Etiquette and International Protocol Consultant by The Protocol School of Washington. As a premier trainer, she specializes in helping people refine their brands and grown their businesses by showing them how to project their most positive image.

This Press Release was brought to you by TLS Marketing: TLS Marketing is a marketing consultancy specializing in the marketing of small boutique yet growing businesses across the USA and across all industries.