Live large. Live luxury.
People who look sharp get better jobs and make more money.
You've seen it and studies prove it. And to get that corner office you've
got to be sharp and polished.
That's where we come in. Our posts advise smart guys on the
grooming, style and social skills they need to get to the top.
So start packing up your cube and read on.
And come back each week to check out our latest post.
___________________________________________________
Latest Posts
Post 19: Be Smooth Like a CEO
If you think about it, your shirt is probably the most important piece of
clothing you wear. It’s the most visible, most often. These days many
guys don’t wear a suit to work, and even those who do take their
jackets off for much of the day. So your shirt is on display. And it better
be sharp.
It needn’t be expensive but it’s got to be clean and pressed. A pricey,
custom shirt in the finest fabric will still look like crap if it’s wrinkled or
dirty. On the other hand, even a relatively cheap shirt that’s pressed
and crisp can look nice.
So do yourself a favor and have your shirts professionally laundered
and pressed. It’s easy. Just take them to your regular dry cleaners. (If
you don’t have one, get one. Try a cleaner near your home or office or
get a recommendation from a friend.) They’ll wash your dirty shirt
then put it on a machine that dries and irons it. The result should be
a shirt with a wrinkle-free chest and back, smooth sleeves, cuffs with
a nice barrel shape and a collar that’s crisp and flat.
The cleaner will probably ask whether you want starch. Starch is
used to keep shirts crisp – or if too much is used, crispy. But note
that starch generates strong feelings. Some say it’s uncomfortable
and can even shorten the life of your shirt. But others swear by it,
saying it minimizes wrinkles. You’ll have to decide for yourself.
Your clean shirts will come back either folded or on a hanger. If you
travel a lot, consider the former. That way you can just shove them in
your suitcase without refolding. If you’re not a road warrior, hangers
may be easiest. You’ll be able to take them straight from the cleaner’
s rack to your closet.
The price per shirt for these services varies. It can range from less
than a buck to two dollars or more at fancy cleaners in big cities. But
unless it’s outrageously expensive in your area, it’s worth the
investment. Your shirts need to get clean one way or the other and
this beats having to wash and iron (or not iron) them yourself.
Wearing shirts that have been professionally cleaned and pressed
will make a huge difference in your appearance. You’ll look sharper
and crisper – more like executive material. After all, when was the
last time you saw a CEO in a wrinkled shirt? Exactly. So emulate the
boss and get thy shirts to the cleaners!
Post 18: Business Meal Etiquette Part 2 - Hosting a Business
Lunch or Dinner
Last time we talked about what to do when you’re invited to a
business meal. This time we focus on what to do when you’re
hosting – that is, when you’re the one extending the invites.
First off, give the folks you invite enough time to put your event on their
calendar. This is doubly true if you're taking out a client. Try to
schedule at least a week in advance.
Now where to go. If it’s a business event you’ve probably got a
budget. Most companies limit the amount you can expense for client
and company-related meals. The rest comes out of your pocket. So
find and read your company policy before you take anybody out. And
when you’re calculating the cost don’t just look at the price of entrees.
Assume your guests will order starters, entrees, deserts and drinks.
(Drinks are tricky. Folks tend to imbibe less at lunch, more at dinner,
and still more at celebratory dinners. Know your occasion and know
your guests to avoid getting caught off guard with a hefty bill for booz.)
And don’t forget the tax and tip. Calculating this way ensures you won’
t be stuck footing the bill.
So once you know your price range, pick your restaurant. Find one in
the upper-middle class of appropriate places. If you go any lower you’
ll look cheap or unsophisticated. There’s nothing wrong with the
chain bar & grills - if you're grabbing wings with your buddies or
hosting out-of-town relatives. But for a business meal, trade up.
This can be tough if you’re new in town or just starting out in your
career. Here are a couple of ways you can find out where to go. First,
ask around the office. Or remember where you were taken for your
interview lunch or dinner. This will give you a benchmark for the kinds
of places people at your office go to. And get to know the boss's
assistant. Ask him or her where the boss likes to take clients for
meal. That should be your upper parameter: Bosses don’t like
approving expense reports from restaurants pricier than the ones they
frequent.
Another good way to go is to read your local restaurant guidebook or
newspaper. Both feature reviews, pricing details and web
addresses. Once you winnow your choices based on quality, price
and location, check out websites to view sample menus and
calculate budgets.
One caution: Unless you're dealing with extremely sophisticated or
snobby palates, don't risk alienating your guests by picking a place
with a challenging menu (one that features lots “foam”, for example)
or pretentious atmosphere. Just pick a very good place that you think
will satisfy the most people. The more you know your guests and
their tastes, the more flexible and adventurous you can be in picking a
spot. But as a baseline simply go for high quality food and excellent
service. You want the meal to be memorable for the right reasons --
good food, good service and good conversation.
Which leads us to a key point about hosting a business meal: Always
make sure your guests feel comfortable. That’s the ultimate goal in
business etiquette -- the ultimate goal in etiquette generally. Keep
that in mind when picking your restaurant and you’ll be well on your
way to hosting a successful business meal.
Post 17: Business Meal Etiquette (Part 1)
The days of the three martini lunch are pretty much done. But,
whether eating with your boss or taking out a client, business meals
are still important. Sometimes they’re just a chance for the boss to
see a new employee’s social skills. But in consulting, lawyering,
banking and sales, they’re a key part of everyday business. Even in
the tech industry, executives constantly meet with customers and
senior managers over food.
So you better know what you’re doing. The simple fact is that your
manners and sophistication will be on display. And – yep – people
will be paying attention. If you screw it up you’ll be seen as rube best
kept locked in his office. But if you master the nuances everyone will
know that your social skills and presence are as sophisticated as
your dress and as sharp as your acumen. You’ll impress your clients
and you’ll impress your boss. And guys who do that move up.
So to that end, this is the first in a series of posts about how to
navigate a business meal from start to finish with class and polish.
One thing to note – while we’ll try to cover basic table manners to
make sure you don’t drink out of your finger bowl, there are legions of
books with hundreds of pages detailing the minutia of dining
etiquette. Buy one and read it if you’re interested. It’ll come in handy
the next time you’re invited to a state dinner. But for business we
think you’ll do just fine so long as you know the basics. Most guys we
know don’t. So by learning, understanding and knowing what to do,
you’ll put yourself way ahead of the pack.
Let’s get started with the invitation. If you're just getting into your
career, odds are you’ll probably be the one getting the invitation, not
the one extending it. Still, we’ll cover both scenarios, taking the latter
first.
For most business meals you won’t be getting an engraved invitation,
as if it were a wedding or a ball or whatever. You're more likely to get
an e-mail or call from the host's assistant asking you whether you can
go.
Rule of thumb: GO!
Obviously if your boss invites you to lunch or dinner, go. Drop
whatever plans have with your buddies and accept the invite. The
reasons should be obvious. First, you don't want to piss off your
boss. Second, it will give you a chance to show off the kind of
sophistication that bosses want to see in their rising stars. Third, the
boss didn’t ask you to go just for his health – it’s most likely either a
reward or a test. Sometimes it’s both. If it’s a reward for something
you’ve done well, you should take advantage of it. If it’s a test to see
how well you interact with clients or management, you need to ace it.
The bottom line is this: When your boss issues an invitation accept it.
The same should go for an invite from your colleagues, too: If you get
an invitation from someone else in your organization, take them up on
it. You never know what might come of it. You might make a new
contact who could become a friend or a mentor or a customer. And
it's a go6d opportunity for you to practice your social skills so that
when the boss does call, you’ll be ready for the spotlight.
Now all of that said, if it’s your anniversary or your grandmother’s 90th
birthday party, reasonable people will understand if you can't make it
to a business meal. Just don’t turn down a chance to impress your
boss or your big client to play poker with your buddies. Use your
judgment.
What’s the timing on accepting the invitation? Preferably right after
you get it. If for some reason you can't accept or decline immediately,
do it ASAP. And if you need to bow out after you’ve accepted, let the
host know immediately. Call or send a note explaining what’s
happened and why you can’t make it. Express your regrets and your
hope that you can make it the next time. By showing a little class you’
ll increase the odds that there will be a next time.
Post 16: Delete the Pleats
Look, we’ve got nothing against pleats. Some of our best friends
wear pleats. And they can look sharp – just check out a Cary Grant
movie.
And yet we still say: Don’t wear pleats.
Why? Because more often than not they look really bad.
Keeping them sharp is tough. It requires: 1) a perfect fit so the pleats
don’t pull wide; 2) meticulous pressing so they stay crisp; and 3) cuffs
that add weight to the pant leg so they fall taut.
Because it’s so tough, few guys manage to do it. The result?
Disaster. You’ve seen it. Guys in ill-fitting pants with pleats so
flattened, so stretched, so strained you almost feel sorry for them (the
pleats, that is). Or guys in allegedly pleated pants that haven’t seen
an iron in years and now look all big and billowy in front, as if they’re
wearing diapers underneath.
The simple fact is that jacked-up pleats make you look sloppy. And
sloppy guys rarely make it to the boardroom – well, to a seat in the
boardroom. Remember: Sloppy, bad. Crisp, good.
So here’s our advice: Stick with flat-front pants. That goes for khakis,
dress pants, casual pants, all kind of pants.
And remember, have your pants dry cleaned or professionally
laundered, depending on what the label says, and pressed. If you get
your pants professionally pressed they’ll look sharp and crisp.
(Crisp, good – remember?) That will put you miles ahead of the
sloppy masses in pleated, wrinkled, ballooning khakis.
Down the line you may decide that you like the look of pleated wool
suit pants, especially if you’re tall and thin. If you’re willing to make
the effort to keep them crisp, go for it. Cary Grant would be proud.
But for now, keep it simple: Stay away from pleats; wear flat-fronts
instead. And vow never, ever, ever, to wear pleated khakis again.
Sometimes less really is more.
----------------------------------
Interested in luxury travel? Check out these links!
Luxury Hotel Reviews
Chicago Luxury Hotels
Los Angeles Luxury Hotels
New York Luxury Hotels
San Francisco Luxury Hotels
Washington Luxury Hotels
People who look sharp get better jobs and make more money.
You've seen it and studies prove it. And to get that corner office you've
got to be sharp and polished.
That's where we come in. Our posts advise smart guys on the
grooming, style and social skills they need to get to the top.
So start packing up your cube and read on.
And come back each week to check out our latest post.
___________________________________________________
Latest Posts
Post 19: Be Smooth Like a CEO
If you think about it, your shirt is probably the most important piece of
clothing you wear. It’s the most visible, most often. These days many
guys don’t wear a suit to work, and even those who do take their
jackets off for much of the day. So your shirt is on display. And it better
be sharp.
It needn’t be expensive but it’s got to be clean and pressed. A pricey,
custom shirt in the finest fabric will still look like crap if it’s wrinkled or
dirty. On the other hand, even a relatively cheap shirt that’s pressed
and crisp can look nice.
So do yourself a favor and have your shirts professionally laundered
and pressed. It’s easy. Just take them to your regular dry cleaners. (If
you don’t have one, get one. Try a cleaner near your home or office or
get a recommendation from a friend.) They’ll wash your dirty shirt
then put it on a machine that dries and irons it. The result should be
a shirt with a wrinkle-free chest and back, smooth sleeves, cuffs with
a nice barrel shape and a collar that’s crisp and flat.
The cleaner will probably ask whether you want starch. Starch is
used to keep shirts crisp – or if too much is used, crispy. But note
that starch generates strong feelings. Some say it’s uncomfortable
and can even shorten the life of your shirt. But others swear by it,
saying it minimizes wrinkles. You’ll have to decide for yourself.
Your clean shirts will come back either folded or on a hanger. If you
travel a lot, consider the former. That way you can just shove them in
your suitcase without refolding. If you’re not a road warrior, hangers
may be easiest. You’ll be able to take them straight from the cleaner’
s rack to your closet.
The price per shirt for these services varies. It can range from less
than a buck to two dollars or more at fancy cleaners in big cities. But
unless it’s outrageously expensive in your area, it’s worth the
investment. Your shirts need to get clean one way or the other and
this beats having to wash and iron (or not iron) them yourself.
Wearing shirts that have been professionally cleaned and pressed
will make a huge difference in your appearance. You’ll look sharper
and crisper – more like executive material. After all, when was the
last time you saw a CEO in a wrinkled shirt? Exactly. So emulate the
boss and get thy shirts to the cleaners!
Post 18: Business Meal Etiquette Part 2 - Hosting a Business
Lunch or Dinner
Last time we talked about what to do when you’re invited to a
business meal. This time we focus on what to do when you’re
hosting – that is, when you’re the one extending the invites.
First off, give the folks you invite enough time to put your event on their
calendar. This is doubly true if you're taking out a client. Try to
schedule at least a week in advance.
Now where to go. If it’s a business event you’ve probably got a
budget. Most companies limit the amount you can expense for client
and company-related meals. The rest comes out of your pocket. So
find and read your company policy before you take anybody out. And
when you’re calculating the cost don’t just look at the price of entrees.
Assume your guests will order starters, entrees, deserts and drinks.
(Drinks are tricky. Folks tend to imbibe less at lunch, more at dinner,
and still more at celebratory dinners. Know your occasion and know
your guests to avoid getting caught off guard with a hefty bill for booz.)
And don’t forget the tax and tip. Calculating this way ensures you won’
t be stuck footing the bill.
So once you know your price range, pick your restaurant. Find one in
the upper-middle class of appropriate places. If you go any lower you’
ll look cheap or unsophisticated. There’s nothing wrong with the
chain bar & grills - if you're grabbing wings with your buddies or
hosting out-of-town relatives. But for a business meal, trade up.
This can be tough if you’re new in town or just starting out in your
career. Here are a couple of ways you can find out where to go. First,
ask around the office. Or remember where you were taken for your
interview lunch or dinner. This will give you a benchmark for the kinds
of places people at your office go to. And get to know the boss's
assistant. Ask him or her where the boss likes to take clients for
meal. That should be your upper parameter: Bosses don’t like
approving expense reports from restaurants pricier than the ones they
frequent.
Another good way to go is to read your local restaurant guidebook or
newspaper. Both feature reviews, pricing details and web
addresses. Once you winnow your choices based on quality, price
and location, check out websites to view sample menus and
calculate budgets.
One caution: Unless you're dealing with extremely sophisticated or
snobby palates, don't risk alienating your guests by picking a place
with a challenging menu (one that features lots “foam”, for example)
or pretentious atmosphere. Just pick a very good place that you think
will satisfy the most people. The more you know your guests and
their tastes, the more flexible and adventurous you can be in picking a
spot. But as a baseline simply go for high quality food and excellent
service. You want the meal to be memorable for the right reasons --
good food, good service and good conversation.
Which leads us to a key point about hosting a business meal: Always
make sure your guests feel comfortable. That’s the ultimate goal in
business etiquette -- the ultimate goal in etiquette generally. Keep
that in mind when picking your restaurant and you’ll be well on your
way to hosting a successful business meal.
Post 17: Business Meal Etiquette (Part 1)
The days of the three martini lunch are pretty much done. But,
whether eating with your boss or taking out a client, business meals
are still important. Sometimes they’re just a chance for the boss to
see a new employee’s social skills. But in consulting, lawyering,
banking and sales, they’re a key part of everyday business. Even in
the tech industry, executives constantly meet with customers and
senior managers over food.
So you better know what you’re doing. The simple fact is that your
manners and sophistication will be on display. And – yep – people
will be paying attention. If you screw it up you’ll be seen as rube best
kept locked in his office. But if you master the nuances everyone will
know that your social skills and presence are as sophisticated as
your dress and as sharp as your acumen. You’ll impress your clients
and you’ll impress your boss. And guys who do that move up.
So to that end, this is the first in a series of posts about how to
navigate a business meal from start to finish with class and polish.
One thing to note – while we’ll try to cover basic table manners to
make sure you don’t drink out of your finger bowl, there are legions of
books with hundreds of pages detailing the minutia of dining
etiquette. Buy one and read it if you’re interested. It’ll come in handy
the next time you’re invited to a state dinner. But for business we
think you’ll do just fine so long as you know the basics. Most guys we
know don’t. So by learning, understanding and knowing what to do,
you’ll put yourself way ahead of the pack.
Let’s get started with the invitation. If you're just getting into your
career, odds are you’ll probably be the one getting the invitation, not
the one extending it. Still, we’ll cover both scenarios, taking the latter
first.
For most business meals you won’t be getting an engraved invitation,
as if it were a wedding or a ball or whatever. You're more likely to get
an e-mail or call from the host's assistant asking you whether you can
go.
Rule of thumb: GO!
Obviously if your boss invites you to lunch or dinner, go. Drop
whatever plans have with your buddies and accept the invite. The
reasons should be obvious. First, you don't want to piss off your
boss. Second, it will give you a chance to show off the kind of
sophistication that bosses want to see in their rising stars. Third, the
boss didn’t ask you to go just for his health – it’s most likely either a
reward or a test. Sometimes it’s both. If it’s a reward for something
you’ve done well, you should take advantage of it. If it’s a test to see
how well you interact with clients or management, you need to ace it.
The bottom line is this: When your boss issues an invitation accept it.
The same should go for an invite from your colleagues, too: If you get
an invitation from someone else in your organization, take them up on
it. You never know what might come of it. You might make a new
contact who could become a friend or a mentor or a customer. And
it's a go6d opportunity for you to practice your social skills so that
when the boss does call, you’ll be ready for the spotlight.
Now all of that said, if it’s your anniversary or your grandmother’s 90th
birthday party, reasonable people will understand if you can't make it
to a business meal. Just don’t turn down a chance to impress your
boss or your big client to play poker with your buddies. Use your
judgment.
What’s the timing on accepting the invitation? Preferably right after
you get it. If for some reason you can't accept or decline immediately,
do it ASAP. And if you need to bow out after you’ve accepted, let the
host know immediately. Call or send a note explaining what’s
happened and why you can’t make it. Express your regrets and your
hope that you can make it the next time. By showing a little class you’
ll increase the odds that there will be a next time.
Post 16: Delete the Pleats
Look, we’ve got nothing against pleats. Some of our best friends
wear pleats. And they can look sharp – just check out a Cary Grant
movie.
And yet we still say: Don’t wear pleats.
Why? Because more often than not they look really bad.
Keeping them sharp is tough. It requires: 1) a perfect fit so the pleats
don’t pull wide; 2) meticulous pressing so they stay crisp; and 3) cuffs
that add weight to the pant leg so they fall taut.
Because it’s so tough, few guys manage to do it. The result?
Disaster. You’ve seen it. Guys in ill-fitting pants with pleats so
flattened, so stretched, so strained you almost feel sorry for them (the
pleats, that is). Or guys in allegedly pleated pants that haven’t seen
an iron in years and now look all big and billowy in front, as if they’re
wearing diapers underneath.
The simple fact is that jacked-up pleats make you look sloppy. And
sloppy guys rarely make it to the boardroom – well, to a seat in the
boardroom. Remember: Sloppy, bad. Crisp, good.
So here’s our advice: Stick with flat-front pants. That goes for khakis,
dress pants, casual pants, all kind of pants.
And remember, have your pants dry cleaned or professionally
laundered, depending on what the label says, and pressed. If you get
your pants professionally pressed they’ll look sharp and crisp.
(Crisp, good – remember?) That will put you miles ahead of the
sloppy masses in pleated, wrinkled, ballooning khakis.
Down the line you may decide that you like the look of pleated wool
suit pants, especially if you’re tall and thin. If you’re willing to make
the effort to keep them crisp, go for it. Cary Grant would be proud.
But for now, keep it simple: Stay away from pleats; wear flat-fronts
instead. And vow never, ever, ever, to wear pleated khakis again.
Sometimes less really is more.
----------------------------------
Interested in luxury travel? Check out these links!
Luxury Hotel Reviews
Chicago Luxury Hotels
Los Angeles Luxury Hotels
New York Luxury Hotels
San Francisco Luxury Hotels
Washington Luxury Hotels
| Live large. Live luxury. |
| Sign up here if you'd like to receive updates and info from Y-V2 via e-mail. |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| You-Version 2 Business Manners & Style for Men |
 |