If I were a business man, I probably would never think about this. I would walk into a room to network and build business relationships and shake everyone’s hands to greet them. But, as a business woman, even if I met the person once, I am greeted by folks both men and women compelled to kiss me.

Isn’t it a little condescending? I mean why can’t men kiss men that they met once? Why do men seemed to feel that it’s okay to kiss a woman they met once?  I can understand if you have a relationship with someone but to kiss someone the first time you see them again after getting introduced?

A business man gets a handshake and a business woman gets a kiss. Isn’t there something wrong with this picture?

Thoughts?

I meet with a lot of people. I attend networking events, fund raisers, galas and lots of committee meetings. The other day, I was invited by a business friend to attend the Networking Magazine “David Awards.” I had never attended this event before and was amazed at how many people actually attended!

When I walked into the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, I could barely get through the door. There were so many people and everyone was practically on top of each other. After feeling totally claustrophobic and shaking hands and kissing practically everyone in the room, we were ushered up the stairs like cattle getting reading for a feeding!

After we sat down, we were inundated with speeches. I didn’t really listen to most, but I was intrigued when I heard the President and CEO of Infosys. He talked about his life and how he got to where he is today. I heard him and I knew I wanted to meet him….

So I did. Today. I met him today. I’m not sure why. I had no agenda. I just wanted to meet him and talk with him. He told me he believed in reincarnation and was from India. I was interested in him. He told me that his marriage was prearranged and had to go back to India to meet his bride. He told me he had a daughter and had been happily married for 26 years. He talked about his hard work and how he continued to push forward when obstacles where in his way. He is someone I want to know for a time to come.

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in business and with our families that we forget that there are certain people we are meant to meet. Certain people who are supposed to come into our lives for one reason or another…. This person was supposed to come into my life. I’m not sure why, but I guess as time goes by, I’ll find out!

Hey, does anyone out there know what the proper etiquette is for picking up the tab when you have a business lunch?

I ask because I attend business lunches almost every day. I meet with clients. I meet with prospects. I meet with business friends.

I always thought the rule of thumb was, if I’m “pitching” something, I should pay. If the other party is trying to “pitch” me, they pay. If no one is selling, you split the tab.
Sound right?

Well, recently I went to breakfast with someone who’s been trying to get together for a long time. We talked a bit about his business and about mine. He tried to sell me a sponsorship for one of his upcoming endeavors.

When the waitress came by, he ordered an egg omelet. I ordered a single egg. I didn’t think about who would pay for what until the bill came. It was $22 for breakfast. He quickly took the bill and put it on his side. I politely asked him how much I owe, and he told me $11. I started to think should I have not said anything and let him pick up the tab? Should I grab the bill and insist on paying?

I made the conscience decision to split the bill. But all I kept thinking was “Why should I pay $11 for a single egg?”

Later in the day, I went for lunch with a retired client. Since she no longer works, my thought was I was paying for lunch. When the bill came, she quickly grabbed it and when I asked how much, she said it was on her. That surprised me since I invited her and she’s no longer employed. I graciously accepted the lunch and thought, whoever pays, it all evens out at the end.

HJMT celebrated their 16th Anniversary on March 13th with a fabulous Sweet 16 Party at the Bridgeview Yacht Club in Island Park. HJMT celebrated with clients, friends, family, coworkers, vendors and more. There was food, drinks, dancing, and a candle ceremony complete with an HJMT cake made by the Oheka Castle. Guests had a great time and left the party with a slice of cake to remember the fun night! Thanks to everyone for 16 great years and the many more to come!

When you hire HJMT COMMUNICATIONS, LLC, you don’t just hire a PR firm, you hire a firm that becomes part of your marketing department. A firm that is totally committed to you and seeing that your business gets maximum exposure and visibility.

Our PR department has an excellent group of writers, publicists and marketers who are available to perform a wide range of services. We are not only reactive, we are very much proactive! Led by Lisa Gordon, the group is dynamic and attentive to the client’s every needs.

We recently established a new media division. In that division, our clients range from authors to new products and they have already reaped the benefits. Allie Herzog is heading it up and she’s already placed clients on blogs, social media sites and online publications that really help get the big results! One of our clients had more than 30 orders as a result of her efforts.

The event department is very active as well. We are organizing and promoting events from golf outings to black tie galas! We have an event almost every month and we’re right there for our clients! Today, we met with the folks at SBPLI. What a wonderful group! They are organizing a 60 Over 60 event (celebrating the accomplishments of 60 people over the age of 60). And our team, headed up by Lori Alexy is right there with them — every step of the way!

I’m proud to say that our design department is fully functional and doing some amazing designs! They just pumped out two newsletters for the schools we represent and I am very proud of them. Not only was the copy right on target but the design made you want to read the publication! Jillian Beroza is doing an amazing job! She is such a welcomed addition to our dedicated staff.

So, if you are looking to hire a PR firm that really cares about your business and becomes your external marketing department, then consider HJMT COMMUNICATIONS. We really do get our clients big results!