“Melenie Broyles, through her wealth of experience and professional connections, brings an interactive, lively, and essential program to our students and educates them on the skills they need to achieve success as aspiring business professionals. With her wit, charm and down to earth demeanor, students learn what they need to know and how to act in the professional world while still in college!”
- Norris Manning Director Academic Services School of Business Southern Illinois University Edwardsville“We researched a number of employee/customer engagement programs, and ultimately, Experience 360 Partner and Etiquette St. Louis was able to provide us with a level of customization that was simply unmatched. Melenie’s ability to develop a unique program, addressing our specific goals, and deliver it in a professional and engaging way has transformed our culture and empowered us to enhance our customer relations across our entire institution.”
- Louis B. “Buzz” Eckelkamp, III President Bank of Washington“Sarah Broyles instructed our cotillion and the kids hung on her every word. As a young professional Sarah was engaging and really connected with the class. I cannot say enough about the cotillion program that Etiquette Saint Louis provides.”
- Kirsten Mulvaney Assumption Parent“Etiquette Impact has done a fantastic job delivering relevant content in a virtual format to our employees. Everyone seems to be busier than ever, but we’re still hearing how much they enjoy and appreciate the change of pace to attend virtual training. It’s important to us to continue providing development opportunities for our employees and Melenie is just as engaging online as she is in person.”
- Natalia Mueller Director of Global Learning RGA |
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Manners for Girls Manners for Young Ladies teaches young girls the social etiquette, table manners and personal style that inspire self-confidence. Manners for Boys Manners for Young Men teaches the social skills and table manners. Manners for Teens Manners for Teens can help your teenager meet life's challenges with confidence by teaching them social skills, etiquette and personal style. |
Corporate Seminars Etiquette Saint Louis will customize a business etiquette seminar or workshop for your company. Our seminars can help your company to improve teamwork, polish your corporate image and improve the quality of your work environment. Consultant Training Melenie Broyles, of Etiquette Saint Louis, created a training organization called The Manners Partnership. The Manners Partnership offers training to individuals who desire to be the crème de la crème of the manners industry.
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The Lost Art of Written Correspondence (And How to Write a Letter Like a Pro) By: Caroline Williams March 2023 We live in a digital age, where communication is seemingly easier than ever before. Cell phones and social media allow us to contact with people quickly and efficiently, sometimes warranting an immediate response. Instant correspondence can be a blessing, but what if we have lost one of life’s simplest pleasures somewhere in the mix? Indeed, it seems rather antiquated to send someone physical mail these days. Gone are the times of anxiously awaiting a letter from your significant other who lives in another city, a distant relative whom you cherish, or a parent on a long trip in a distant country. The act of letter writing has been thrown completely to the wayside because it is an incredibly slow method of communication compared to what we have today. Furthermore, the act of owning a bunch of stationary, then sitting down and taking the time to write out thoughtful words, seems out of place and out of touch when a text message is easier and timelier. Not to mention, it takes time to wait for a letter to reach someone, but a text message is delivered instantly. While this is all true, there is still a need for letters and notes written by hand. It is important that people do not let this practice disappear. In fact, written mail is arguably more important now than ever before. In this post-pandemic world, people feel increasingly disconnected from those around them. In fact, the threat for long-lasting mental health issues is already apparent, according to an article from CNBC. While this is a problem that cannot be solved by one simple solution, it is evident that there is a need for human connection and a sense of belonging. By writing someone a letter, people could show others that they care about them enough to take the time to send them a card, a thank you note, or even a letter with the intent of catching up. At first, it may feel uncomfortable. Furthermore, it may seem like an unimportant and meaningless gesture. However, mail is a simple pleasure a large group of people enjoy receiving. An article from Lob.com states, “40 percent of people enjoy checking their mailbox every day.” Therefore, people clearly like the idea of physical mail. While the importance of written mail has been established, writing a letter can be daunting at times. However, these tips will help to ensure that letter writing can be just as simple as constructing a text message. Tip #1: Treat it like a conversation. It is highly likely that you are writing to a close friend or a relative. Would you hold a conversation with them with pomp and circumstance? Would you text them with flowery language? Of course not! You would talk to them as someone you love and someone you have known for a long time. Therefore, write to them as you speak to them. Remember, this is not for a grade. You won’t have a teacher looking over your shoulder to make sure your letter has a strong argument with perfect grammar. Say what you would like to say and have fun with it. Tip #2: Buy some fun stationary. To boost the personality in your correspondence, purchase some stationary that represents you. You can order some online or shop for it in person. Stocking up on stationary will ensure that you always have something to write on at hand. What’s more, it will make the process fun and exciting. Who doesn’t like to write on pretty paper goods? Tip #3: Put yourself in your grandmother’s shoes. In the days before social media, we actually didn’t know what everyone’s every move was every second of the day. Pretend like you are living in the days of your grandparents and act like the person whom you are writing to does not know every detail of your life. Even if you already posted about it on social media, tell them about it. Even if you sent them a quick text about it days ago, go into further detail. Share with them the good, the bad, the ugly: the behind the scenes that the whole world does not know about. After all, this is someone you love. Don’t they deserve to know more than the basic details that all your followers get to see? Tip #4: Take your time. Block out time in your day to write your letter. Timing is different for everyone, but a thoughtful letter could take up to an hour, depending on the length. We all have busy schedules, but building in a designated time to write letters will give you plenty of time to complete the task and help you avoid putting it off until the next day. Block out as much time as you need so that you can think through what you would like to say. Again, when this is part of your routine in any given day, you will be sure to not feel rushed while writing a letter. This will ultimately make the letter more thoughtful and impactful for the person who receives it. Tip #5: Don’t think too much. Writing a letter should not be intimidating. Again, you are basically just having a delayed one-sided conversation with someone else. Don’t overthink it! Use the space to write whatever comes to your mind and whatever is deemed important to share in your eyes. While letters seem old and fancy, they are just another way to communicate. Don’t let the fear of not knowing what to say keep you from brightening up someone else’s mailbox. You are now equipped with everything you need to write stellar letters to those you love. Don’t let this lost art be forgotten any longer. Human connection is a must, and you could bridge even the smallest bit of the ever-growing gap with a simple pen and a piece of stationary. |