Michelle Rodger: Manners maketh man – and sometimes a deal

There's a huge opportunity for businesses that pay attention to detail

DID you know in Japan it's considered rude to accept a business card and put it away without reading it? Or that showing the sole of your shoe is considered an insult in Egypt?

If a businesswoman wishes to pay for an Ecuadorian man's meal, arrangements should be made ahead of time, otherwise the man will refuse to let her pay. And in Mexico you shouldn't use red ink to write someone's name.

We know to put our mobiles on vibrate during a presentation, but did you know it's poor etiquette to leave your phone on the table? It's even worse during a business meal.

We've all become more aware of business etiquette in different cultures, and it's spawned a host of expert consultants who can tell you everything from how to address your new German boss, to wearing a red tie to impress your host in Hong Kong, and how to wash your hands in a Vietnamese public toilet without breaching protocol.

But there's a much simpler form of business etiquette that seems to be overlooked, and that's good manners. Returning phone calls or replying to e-mails seem to have fallen by the wayside. Whether this is a deliberate time management tool or simply ignorance, I'm unsure.

It has been noticed, however, that bad manners are getting worse. How many of you have invested time and money compiling a new business proposal, sent a carefully crafted – and polite – e-mail with the attachment, and had no response?

I've heard the same story repeatedly. You jump through hoops to secure a meeting with the decision-maker and then, after the three-hour meeting and a three-hour brainstorm back at the office resulting in a two-hour proposal document being written and e-mailed, all within a 12-hour deadline at the behest of the "potential" client, you find yourself waiting for a response. In many cases, for weeks.

Now, I understand we're not necessarily going to get a "Yes, that's fab, we want you to start tomorrow" response.But a "Thanks for the proposal, we're going to spend a bit of time looking into it" or a "Nice to meet you, we'll be in touch" response is expected. In short, a simple acknowledgement of your e-mail and the work you put into it.

With a background in journalism, Mike Ritchie knows that good communication and great manners are often key to the exclusive, but since taking up the PR mantel he's been exasperated by a "worrying increase" in the lack of common courtesy in business.

He blogged about business bad manners and was inundated with comments from Russia, India, Belgium, Greece, the US, Scotland and England. The Glasgow-based PR man discovered that this isn't just a Scottish problem, it's universal.

"If I'm spending time plus effort to communicate and keep potential clients informed, the least I expect is the same level of courtesy," says Ritchie. "I make no apology for being a stickler for good manners; to refuse to respond or acknowledge is arrogant, ignorant and totally unacceptable behaviour in my book."

Business etiquette doesn't just extend to customers existing or potential, however. It affects employees too. According to one American study, by Professor Christine Pearson, workplace rudeness costs companies an average of $50,000 per worker.

In her book The Cost Of Bad Behaviour, Prof Pearson says 96 per cent of Americans report experiencing rudeness at work and 48 per cent of poorly treated employees have intentionally decreased their productivity as a direct result. Who can afford that in the current economic climate?

It's a touchy subject. Some say it's down to a new sense of urgency in business, the need to do business now and ignore anything that doesn't generate a tangible ROI. Others believe it's down to the rise of social media and the plethora of communications options confusing the user. Some say it's the fact we just expect less of each other these days; we expect people to be so desperate for the business that they'll wait until we're ready to reply.

Whatever the reason, the implication is blindingly obvious: there's a huge opportunity for businesses that pay attention to detail, for those that can deliver and delight with polite, timely and well thought out responses. And it's apparent there aren't that many.

Karen Birch, MD of the3rdi business magazine for women, says everybody deserves to be treated properly, but somehow this now means you stand out from the crowd. "If somebody replies when they say they will, they are more likely to get the business, it's common sense. I would think there's a huge opportunity for companies who behave as they should."

This isn't just a get-your-finger-out-and-get-better message to those who haven't quite grasped the concept. This is a call to action to all those businesses that do get it; you have a clear, compelling and memorable competitive advantage over all those who don't get it. You have the chance to leverage your attention to detail, your ability to communicate, your handwritten thank-you notes or prompt return calls.

It's really easy, compared with the other challenges of running a business. You don't need qualifications, you don't need training, you don't need a coach or mentor; you just need to remember the manners your mother taught you.