by shelly

The Business Etiquette We Forgot

I need to vent briefly because something’s been driving me nuts lately.


You know how much I love working with small business owners, right? But I’m seeing some
behavior that frustrates me. It’s not because people are ill behaving, everyone’s just distracted
and overwhelmed, and maybe we have gotten too comfortable with being casual about
business stuff.


Here’s what happened this week alone:
My client Sarah had five people book free strategy calls with her and just… not show up. Five!
Can you imagine? She blocked out time, prepped for each one, and then just sat there staring
at an empty Zoom room.


And here’s why it is so disruptive—when you have a call scheduled, you have to stop whatever
deep work you’re doing, get mentally present, pull up their info, and shift into “meeting mode.”
Then they just… don’t show up. It’s honestly rude.


Then yesterday I’m on a call with a potential business prospect and this person is literally using
the camera like a mirror—fixing their hair, checking their teeth, completely not listening while
I’m trying to explain a project that could help both our businesses.


And don’t even get me started on the emails. I sent someone a simple question two weeks ago
that would take thirty seconds to answer, and… crickets. There is no reason not to at least
answer received and when you will get back to them, and that all be in the subject line, so it
takes two seconds.


Super simple fixes that actually work:
Start with boundaries: Say “I have a hard stop at 3:30” right at the beginning. Because you
know what else drives me crazy? When you try to wrap up and they keep talking or say, “just
one more thing.” It’s about respect.


Zoom stuff: Just pretend there’s a real person sitting across from you. Because there is. Do your
primping before you hit “join meeting.”


Showing up: If you book it, show up. If you can’t, give people a heads up. It’s really that simple.
Email: Even “got it, will get back to you by Friday” changes everything. People just want to
know they haven’t disappeared into a black hole.


P.S. – Seriously though, what’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen someone do on a Zoom call? I
need to know I’m not alone in this.

Shelly Berman

Business and Communication Strategist

Shelly is committed to teaching you exactly what to do or can alternatively execute on your behalf. As a serial entrepreneur, she has hands-on experience and wisdom to move you quickly towards your desired results. She is an inspiring strategist and brilliant wordsmith, believing that what we say and how we say it, ultimately compels others to engage with us. Shelly is considered one of the top business coaches in today’s business world.

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