It’s sad, but true – good manners are a competitive advantage. I have seen the use of good manners close deals, get people (OK, me) out of traffic violations and give kids an attention advantage. I went to the dentist in San Francisco this morning. My dentist has been teaching dental school for 7 years. He told me that all the kids are smart, capable and equally qualified. He told me that most are excellent test takers, but many don’t know how to think for themselves. They can follow directions really well but often can’t make decisions under pressure – that’s obviously not good. Of greater concern to Dr. C. was their lack of respect and manners. He believes that the greatest difference between one student and another is their use of manners.
I have noticed the same over the last couple of months. My boys are very well-mannered. They are all about please, thank you, you’re welcome and excuse me. I would suppose that 75% of the people we encounter comment on their good manners. As I recall, everyone spoke like this when I was a kid – but maybe not. I have seen the boys given special attention because of their good manners.
A couple of weeks ago I was pulled over by a San Francisco cop. I took a left turn when I wasn’t supposed to. It honestly caught me by surprise (by the way it’s a left turn from 16th onto Mission St in the SF Mission District – be careful of that) since it seems like a left turn would be OK. When he addressed me at the window as we were pulled to the side of the road, I apologized and politely explained that I didn’t even see the sign. He came back to thank me for not jumping down his throat with some kinda nasty attitude and told me to be careful and have a great day. He saved me a few hundred bucks in fines and insurance premiums.
When I was CEO of Leverage Software I emphasized that we always treat prospects and clients with respect. We remained firm to our opinions and expectations but we were always polite and respectful. We were often told that we earned business because people “just wanted to work with us”. I suspect we heard this as the sole competitive advantage in 40% of the deals that we closed (out of 400 or so clients). That’s a rockin ROI for simply being nice.
I have absolutely hired people to help with my video projects and to provide other services because the are pleasant, responsive and well-mannered. In some cases, they may not be quite as experienced but I’ll trade a small amount of differential knowledge for responsiveness and manners any day. How about you – are you experiencing the same in you personal or business lives? If so, let’s hear about it.
Thanks for reading and sharing if relevant – I appreciate it!
