Afternoon tea is a refreshing alternative to lunch or dinner. There is a timeless quality about  going to tea. Afternoon tea conjures up feelings of elegance and gentility. Whether you are meeting friends, colleagues, or clients for tea, you will find that tea is a delightful and very pleasant way to build rapport–particularly on a cold, gloomy winter →

Holiday Tipping and Gifting Guidelines The holiday season is the traditional time of the year to remember all the people who have made our lives more pleasant throughout the year, and without whom we would not have such a nice life. New York City is filled with service providers who cheerfully work throughout the year →

Entertaining at Home for the Holidays It is that time of the year when we will start planning our dinner parties at home with our family, friends, and colleagues. Although the food, wine, service, and setting are certainly the key ingredients of any successful dinner or cocktail party, just as important, if not more so, is an understanding on →

Wine Etiquette in a Restaurant: How to Look Like a Polished Host When Ordering Wine   When entertaining clients at a business meal or trying to impress a date, being able to order a bottle of wine with confidence is a must if you want to be viewed as a polished host; but wine etiquette in a upscale restaurant can be an →

  HOW TO CREATE A POLISHED, POWERFUL, PRESENCE FOR FALL  Polish: Improve, refine or add the finishing touches to. Power: Ability to act or produce an effect. Presence: A noteworthy quality of poise and effectiveness.   Would you like to make a new start this fall with a polished, powerful presence?    A polished, powerful →

It is vacation month! Were you a considerate houseguest last summer when you visited your friends or family in the Hamptons? If so, you have probably been invited back this year. If not, then you were probably not minding your manners, and that is the reason you didn’t receive an invitation to visit this summer. →

“Small talk isn’t just about being gregarious or entertaining, it is a gesture of respect.”   Brett Nelson, “Forbes”   There is nothing small about small talk. Small talk is an important people skill. It’s an important executive skill. It’s the first step in connecting with others and forging lasting and meaningful relationships in business. It →

THE ETIQUETTE SCHOOL OF NEW YORK’S  Top 10 Business Etiquette Tips for New College Graduates   “The greatest danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in settingour aim too low, and reaching it.”     -Michelangelo   It’s that time again! Thousands of young adults will soon be graduating →

“When it comes to selling either your personal charms or professional abilities, body language talks loudest of all.” -David Lewis, “The Secret Language of Success”   From the moment you walk in the door, step up to the podium, or sit down at a conference table, your body is busy telling people all about you. Do →

How to Be a Gentleman   “I love an old school gentleman. Picking me up for dates, sending flowers, holding the door open. I love it all.” –Mollie King   Nothing is more attractive to others than a gentleman or gentlemanly behavior. And nothing is more flattering to a date than being with a man →