It Begins!

Today's Parent Show Move In is in the morning, so hopefully I am all set to go. If I stay quiet for a few days, don't worry, hopefully it's me drowning in a sea of orders!
But I can't leave you without one anecdote from this whole experience. A company that is providing me with something I am using in the show, let's call them companyX, has a funny thing going on. First let me say, they are great in terms of orders and deliverables, and I never want to openly speak badly of anyone by name, but I want us all to get the lesson down, because it's a good one.
DO NOT
UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES
DO ANY OF THE FOLLOWING
1.Call me honey.
2.Call me sweetie.
3.Call me baby.
4.Call me darlin'.

And I mean it, don't get so familiar with someone over the phone whom you've never met. I tend to reserve these names for my children. And even then, I don't say it 18 times in a 3 minute conversation. I'd love to return to a time of business where there were some protocols followed, the first one I'd like to return to is not using cutesy nicknames unless you actually know and have a relationship with the person.

Similarly, and I beg you. DO NOT call women who look to be under 70 Ma'am. Don't call me Ma'am. Let's get back to the language of business. Learn people's names and use them. If you must go with Sir, then do so, but I strongly suggest you make better use of Mr and Ms.
And now to bed, so I can further ponder how not to offend the general public!
Smicko Lady
www.smickoz.com
www.babytime.com (that's the show, visit the show site, there may be things you want to know for your own business, and I'll let you know how valuable I think the show was after it's all said and done)