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People often ask me how I plan for trips overseas that last for up to 2 months. Here are my 8 checklist items I do for every trip:

(Admittedly some information is from an American perspective as a U.S. citizen. For our international subscribers, please share your knowledge of how things work the same or differently in your country.)

1.  Create a travel folder. Put everything relevant to your trip in a folder, as you gather items. I like learning about the must-see historic places (museums, monuments), the best insider restaurants and bars, what holidays or special events may be happening while in town, whether there are any wineries nearby, and a bit about the history of the region, including forms of government and predominant religion. Most importantly, I look for information about local everyday practices to observe and display that will help me enjoy the visit like a local. It’s all great airplane reading if I didn’t get to it sooner.

2.  Research visa requirements. Investigate as far in advance as possible. I constantly hear stories about people who waited until the last minute before learning a visa was required and had to pay lots of money to have one expedited. Bookmark this site, which will show you every country’s requirements: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1765.html.

(For information on entry requirements for a specific country, please go to the Entry/Exit Requirements section in the Country Specific Information for the country in which you are interested. You may also contact the U.S. embassy or consulate of that country for further information.)

3.  Register yourself and the trip with the U.S. State Department. I first learned about this through the Protocol Association with which I am a member. I do it as soon as my itinerary is confirmed. As much as we all complain about “big brother” watching, when it comes to traveling to other countries, it has given me great comfort to know I am identified and what I must do to seek my government’s help should a situation arise.

Bookmark this site, https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/, to register your trip and learn the answers to the questions of why register, how to register, and how the embassy or consulate will assist you while abroad.

4.  Confirm all arrangements. Confirm all details in writing with the in-country contact, travel agency, hotel, and the like. Print copies of all correspondence that includes contact names and numbers. Do not pack this information in your suitcase, in case your luggage is delayed. Keep it in your carry-on bag.

5.  Make copies of important documents. Create a document checklist and make copies of each document to place in each piece of luggage. Leave a complete set of all documents in a folder marked “Travel Documents” on your dining table or top of your desk. Give a copy to the person you have designated as your “back home” contact in case of emergencies:
— Passport
— Personal contact information:
+ Full legal and nickname, home address, all telephone numbers
+ Other immediate family members who are in the same household, such as children and roommates
+ Place of employment, contact name, address, telephone number and email addresses
— Emergency contact: The person back home to reach, including name, home and office address,
all telephone numbers and email addresses.
— Travel Insurance
— Medical information:
+ Medical and health insurance company, including policy number and telephone number. Learn what your
policy will cover or will not cover when traveling outside your home country.
+ Primary care and specialized doctor names, addresses, all telephone numbers, and email addresses.
+ Medications: List all prescribed medications. I also include vitamins and supplements.
+ Allergies: Whatever you are allergic to, list them. I’m allergic to cats, avocados, most shellfish, most
fish, and most nuts.
+ Immunizations: Usually Immunization Cards are provided when you get shots. Take the cards with you
and have copies made as well.
+ Death instructions: List basic Living Will instructions, designated funeral home information, and the like.
— Complete Itinerary: A complete listing of all flights and hotel information for the entire trip.

Honestly, this may look like a great deal of work, yet if you take the time to do this once, it will be done forever… until updates are required.

6.  Figure out in-country transportation in advance. During the planning process, decide by what methods you will be traveling from place to place, whether by private car, taxi, or by what kind of local public transportation. Nowadays you can download maps that clearly show how to get from one place to the other. Especially in London, Paris, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, and Beijing, it is convenient and safe to use public transportation to many locations.

For arrival at the airport, compare the rates for hiring a car or taking a taxi to your hotel upon arrival, especially when arriving after dark. You may be surprised to learn a hired car may be less expensive than a taxi. There is nothing worse than to be scrambling for a taxi and dealing with luggage when you are exhausted. By hiring the car, they will pick you up, take care of carrying your luggage, and know how to get you to the hotel without getting lost.

When traveling by taxi, always have the name of the hotel or location, street address, driving directions, and most importantly the telephone number of the place (contact person) for the driver, written in their native language.

7.  Use hotel ID cards. Upon check-in at your hotel, ask the front desk for a few hotel cards. These cards have their full contact information written in the native language. Some even have a small map on the back to help a driver get you back home safely. As it is said: “Never leave home without it” (meaning the hotel card). Keep two or three cards with you at all times. If a driver doesn’t give one back to you, you’ll have spares for other trips, without having to hit the front desk each time it happens, or forget and get stuck. That happened to me… only once.

8.  Pack standard items for every trip: My international trips have been from 4 days to two months. Regardless of the duration of the trip or whether I am visiting for pleasure or business, here are the standard items I have for every trip:
— Put together a standard medical pouch once and you’ll have it for all future trips. I leave mine in the suitcase between trips. In this pouch I have cold remedies; extra vitamin C tablets; dental floss; Listerine packets; Tylenol, Advil, and aspirin; diarrhea pills (Imodium and Pepto Bismol); rubbing alcohol for sanitizing wounds; two sizes of Band-Aids; lint remover; small bottle of hand sanitizer and packets (Purell); a small sewing kit including scissors, nail clip, nail file, safety pins, insect repellent and hydrocortisone; small tube of Wine Out (in case of a spill); travel packets of sunscreen; dry eye drops; shoe shine buffer; and most of all, my Chinese Po Chi Yun pills for when I get an upset stomach from eating certain foods that are too rich for me. Whatever is important to you, this is where you keep them.
— An all-weather coat with a hood in case it rains, plus an umbrella when rain is more certain. On my last trip to China in May the weather was uncertain, and it did rain on a couple of days.
— A solid color, wide and long shawl to wear in lieu of a jacket or coat in the day or evening.
— For planned or unexpected nicer evening activities, I always pack at least one dressy outfit. For men I recommend packing at least one sports jacket and slacks, with one or more shirts and ties, depending on the length of the trip. Beyond this, who cares if people see you wearing the same outfit more than once? For women, you can change looks with different accessories. Men can change their look with ties, a small item to pack.
— A pair of shorts and a swimsuit for possible hotel spa activities.
— Sun hat for prolonged outdoor activities and sunglasses.
— A small flask of brandy to enjoy in the privacy of your room on certain nights.

Bonus: Pack a few small gifts of appreciation. For certain special people and services provided, small gifts from your country of origin is often more meaningful than any monetary gratuity… which in some countries and situations is not appropriate. One of my favorite gifts is a small box of See’s Candy, from an old-time San Francisco company.

QUESTION OF THE MONTH:  What are some of your standard checklist items when traveling internationally—no matter where you live in the world. I am most curious to learn if there are certain practices a person must/should do in other countries before traveling abroad. Post your comments below.

Happy Practicing!

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Name Tag Etiquette – Printing Name Tags

Providing well pre-printed name tags is one of the most effective investments you can make to the success of an event, especially a networking event. Yet many people waste this great opportunity to help guests meet and greet at an optimum level. Here are a few tips to insure your name tags not only look great but are also the most productive.

First and last name, please: I am not a believer in printing name tags with the first name larger than the last name or ones with only a first name. Obviously you will be drawn to seeing the person’s first name, yet when the last name is too small to be easily read, I often totally dismiss it and as a result never remember the person in their totality… especially when the person has a common first name. A person’s full identity is derived from knowing both a person’s first and last name. Always print both the first and last name on two separate lines, with additional information onto a third line, as helpful.

No honorifics and titles: Do not place honorifics such as Ph.D. or Dr. or titles such as President or Sales Manager on a name tag. You can learn this information as you converse. Only at special events will honorifics or titles be helpful, such as a doctor’s convention where the doctor’s specialty may be nice to know or a company wide conference to know in what city various participants work.

Affiliations only: In addition to a person’s first and last name, the only other information to print is a person’s company or organization name. This is a great way to begin conversations.

Positioning counts: While we should all be proud of the organizations with which we are affiliated, it is not as important to see the name at the top of the tag as it is to view the person’s name. Logos should be placed at the bottom of the tag in a font size that’s easy to read, yet not equal to or larger than the font size used for the person’s name. Again, what’s most important is a person’s name, not the organization. This is particularly true when I gaze across the room. I want to see the person’s name, not the logo I already recognize.

MOST IMPORTANT… Font size matters: Name tags must be printed in a font size that practically fills the tag. It is a total waste of printing space to print tags in small or 12 point type. I always begin printing tags using 40 point type. Depending on the length of the names, I will then adjust the font size to fit the names on each line. Some names are larger or shorter, so adjust the font size accordingly.

Question of the Month: Do you have pet peeves about name tags and how they are printed or used? Let us hear about them in the Reply section at the end of this article below.

Be sure to forward this newsletter to anyone who has the task of printing or creating name tags. Email me with any questions you have about how to best print your tags. I’d enjoy hearing from you.

Related articles:
—View Syndi’s You-tube video on Name Tag Etiquette here, or at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmDCb4neM64

— Read Syndi’s original Advanced Etiquette article on this topic here, or at:  http://www.advancedetiquette.com/newsletter/apr06_issue.htm

ANNOUNCEMENT: Summer series of seminars for pre-teens, teens, parents, and adults are about to take place in July.  See www.AdvancedEtiquette.com/schedule for complete details and registrations.  Early discount period ends soon.

Happy Practicing!

Indoors: So… how can I say this nicely without yelling in all capital letters: No man or woman, young or old, should ever, ever, ever, ever wear a sports hat — especially a baseball cap—indoors. Not in restaurants, in someone’s home, at the dining table, at church, a funeral, in a classroom, in a museum, at a movie or performance theatre… on and on. There is absolutely no purpose to keeping your hat on… not even when you are having a bad hair day or need to cover up a bald spot on your head.  It’s all about when it’s proper or not proper to wear a hat.  It’s purely out of laziness and a false sense of looking cool and in fashion… not! There is equally nothing cool about wearing your baseball cap backwards… again especially indoors.

Except In Public Places: You may wear a hat indoors (yeh… even a baseball cap if you absolutely must) in public buildings, such as airports, public lobbies, and crowded public elevators. However, historically a gentleman will always remove his hat when a lady enters or is in the same elevator. We don’t see this much anymore. When in an apartment building, even though somewhat public, gentlemen will take off their hats while in the company of ladies… another dying art.

[SIDE BAR:  A foreign visitor kept seeing Americans wearing their baseball caps indoors, and at times backwards. He determined this style indicated a direct correlation to the wearer’s apparent I.Q (intelligence quotient). Wearing a baseball cap indoors meant an I.Q. was reduced by 50%. Wearing the cap backwards meant an I.Q. was reduced by another 50%... so what’s left? These findings make total sense to me.]

During a Pledge or National Anthem: Another major peeve of mine is how men and women don’t take off their hats and caps during the playing of a national anthem. Regardless of which country’s anthem is played, hats must come off, period.  Parents… please train your kids!

During a Prayer at a Ceremony or Event: Display your respect and take off your hat.

In Places of Worship: Some places of worship require head coverings for both men and women, such as Muslim mosques and Sikh temples. Do your research or ask someone before entering such places of worship. Women should always pack one large scarf and one long skirt when traveling internationally for such a need to cover your head. I sure needed them in both Mexico and Greece.

At a Church: Historically churches required women to wear hats or scarves. Now, it is not as required. However, some churches encourage women to wear hats, and in some places it has become quite a lovely display across the entire sanctuary. It is considered disrespectful for men to wear hats in a Christian church.

At a Jewish Synagogue or Temple: Men are required to cover their heads with a “yarmulke,” a small round skullcap, also called a “kippah,” meaning dome or cupola. There is great symbolism and deep meaning behind wearing a yarmulke. Observant men wear theirs during all waking hours, except when bathing and swimming. Doing so bears witness to their faith. It’s a constant reminder of their humility before God and strong belief in something greater than themselves.

How to Take off a Hat: When taking off your hat, hold it so only the outside of the hat shows, not the inside and lining. Hold it in your right hand across your chest and heart, or place it on your seat while standing tall and respectfully.

Exceptions

People in Uniform: People in the military, Boy Scouts, police and people in other uniformed organizations keep their hats on during “full dress.” Many other interesting regulations about hat wearing in the military exist, so hat etiquette is a required course in the military.

Women’s Fashion Hats: Traditionally, women wearing fashion hats are not required to take them off. That said, unless they are small and tight around the head, they too should be removed when at a dining table or in a theatre, sporting event, or other places where they may hamper someone’s view or be disruptive to others. Large hats are generally for the outdoors, not indoors. Think hat civility!

Question of the month: Have you ever been the subject of or a witness to someone being disrespectful or rude by wearing their hat inappropriately? If so, I’d love to hear from you.  Enter your comments and questions below for me to reply.

Happy Practicing!

Please tell us…

Have you ever been invited to a wedding—especially a destination wedding—where you were upset over being expected to give an expensive wedding gift, after already spending on an engagement gift, a shower gift, and then spending lots more to travel and stay someplace to attend the wedding that was  far away?

In general, do you think it’s right to expect a guest to give an expensive wedding gift on top of already spending on travel to attend the wedding… especially in this economy?

What horror stories do you have about wedding gifts that happened to you, either as the bride or groom, or guest?

What other rants do you have about wedding gifts you’ve been eager to vent?  Here’s your chance.

We’d love to hear from you.

Thank you!

It’s not hard to be more considerate than that. To brush up on conversation etiquette, here are eight tips to think about and ask yourself each time you are on the telephone or in the company of another person, whether at a business meeting, event, a social party, talking to a friend or neighbor, or at home with family:

1. Begin conversations with a cordial question. Be the first to ask a pleasant question, including “How’s your day going?” “What’s new in your world?” or a question that gets the other person to answer with more than a yes or no. If the other person happens to ask a question first, answer it, but then ask a question in return.

2. Converse in equal time slots. Conversations are not meant to be one sided, where one person talks while the other person listens. There is a delicate balance between how much talking one person should do over the other. It should be relatively equal. If you are not hearing a balance in your conversations, something’s wrong!

3. Listen. It is said, “God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason.” Care more about listening to the other person than about what you want to say next. Here are two examples of sticky situations: The person you’re talking with moves to a new subject, and you want to stick to the old one. Or he or she asks a question and you want to continue the conversation that came before it.

In the first example, preface the comment with something like: “Oh, one more comment on the old subject is…” This shows the other person you were listening and paying attention, yet wanted to share your thoughts. In the second example, make every effort to answer questions before moving forward. Even to say, “Oh, let me answer that later,” then continue with your comments is better than ignoring it as though you didn’t hear the question at all.

A great exercise is what I call the “instant replay technique.” In your head, practice repeating what the other person just said. This will take your focus off what you are thinking and turn the focus back toward the other person. In some instances, repeat the comment or question aloud as a sign you heard what they said. This can also help to tie in your next comment. The more you practice the “instant replay technique,” the better listener you will become, able to participate in the flow of conversation at its optimum level.

4.  Make sure people are interested in what you have to say. Even though I thoroughly enjoy certain television shows and certain wines and foods, I don’t discuss these subjects with people who have little or no interest in them. Learn what interests other people before going on and on. Ask questions to determine a fit, such as: “Do you have a favorite television show?” “What kind of shows do you watch most often?”

Do not assume just because this person says they like opera or gardening they are into hearing every little detail. Gauge their level of interest first by how well they are hanging on your every word.  Be sensitive to whether the person is truly listening and engaged in what you are saying.  Be aware, if you notice the person breaking eye contact, shuffling their feet, yawning, or nodding or saying words that don’t sound genuine, you may be boring them to death.

5.  After asking a question, care about the answer. Do not be a person who asks questions for the sake of doing so as filler and not caring about the reply. Why ask the question in the first place if you’re not interested? A great conversationalist strives to achieve an evenly balanced conversation where all parties have opportunities to ask questions, answer questions, and then also to respond to answers. A training exercise is to ask at least 3 questions for every five minutes of conversation, and then care enough to remember what the questions and answers were.

6. Recap conversations. Train yourself to recap and debrief conversations. Do it the moment you hang up the telephone or leave the person. Ask yourself:  What information did I learn from this conversation? Was the focus or purpose of the conversation met? Did I allow or give equal time in speaking? Did it appear I did more of the talking than the other person? Was the conversation a pleasant experience for me? Did it appear to end well on both sides? Overall, did I enhance the life and my friendship with the other person in a meaningful way?

7. Respect people’s time. Especially when calling or entering someone’s office during business hours, ask the person if it is a good time to talk before getting into the point of the conversation.

8. Show appreciation. End conversations with cordial, uplifting words and phrases, such as:  “Great speaking with you,” “Thank you for your time” and “I enjoyed our chat.”

BONUS:  Do not take over other people’s conversations. When someone other than you is the primary focus of a conversation, do not take over the conversation by interjecting your own experiences. For instance, Joe says he recently visited Greece on vacation and how beautiful it was. You interject with “Wow! It is a great place. I went there for three weeks last year and it was this and that. We visited six cities, including blah, blah, blah, and yaddi, yaddi, yah.” Instead, allow Joe to discuss his trip to Greece as the focus of the conversation. Add brief comments to support and enhance Joe’s stories and perhaps ask Joe questions about his trip to find commonality or to learn something new. Most importantly, do not steal the conversation away from Joe.  Hold your tongue! Only when Joe has said he piece may you continue the conversation by taking the lead.

Question of the month: Do you know someone who hogs conversations?  Do you have stories to share about conversation hogs and how you’ve handled the situation?  Ask questions to gain more insights on how to avoid being a conversation hog or being around a conversation hog.

Happy Practicing!

One of the most-asked questions I get at this time of year is:

Should I continue to shake hands with people, especially now that we have the H1N1 virus and other diseases I might catch?

Shaking hands is a time-honored practice. It stems as far back as Roman times, where contrary to its current meaning of a cordial greeting, handshaking was born out of a fear of the other person hiding a weapon. By shaking hands it proved both people were friendly and not about to attack.

In 21st century terms, shaking hands is also a term used between two computer systems when negotiating whether each has proper permission to do the required tasks.

We must still shake hands. How would you feel if you extended your hand and it was not returned? On this You-Tube video, President Obama appears not to be well received. While some reports state he was simply making introductions and thus was not required to shake hands, there’s no doubt it was an awkward situation.

In both instances, the events have reflected poorly on each president. With cameras constantly following them around, they never know who’s taping them doing an action outside normal accepted practices.
Fortunately, you and I don’t have that problem, but we must still aspire to correct behavior.

So please continue to shake hands as the physical greeting that goes along with your words of greeting and farewell. Unless there is a pandemic and national and/or global alert outlawing handshaking, it is still the right thing to do when greeting people in most parts of the world. How you can protect yourself

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed that the single best way to prevent influenza is to get the flu vaccine every year. Protect yourself, your family, and your friends with these simple steps to help stop the spread of germs:

1. Avoid close contact with people who are sick, and when you are sick, avoid close contact with others to protect them.

When out and about and at work, consider wearing a mouth and nose mask to help confine your germs. I know it may appear awkward at first, yet once you get into the habit of using it you’ll quickly build your confidence in knowing you are doing the right thing.

2. If possible, stay home from work, school, day care, and errands when you are sick. You will help to prevent others from catching your illness.

Here’s what gets me. People will stay home from work and school, yet they go to parties. Then while at the party, they say, “I don’t want to shake hands because I’m sick.” If you are well enough to be out at a party, you should be well enough to shake someone’s hand.

3. Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing. Use a tissue and drop it in the trash.

Never sneeze into your hand. Rather, sneeze into your forearm and sleeve of your clothing. Your clothes help absorb the germs and leave your hands as germ free as possible.

4. Washing your hands often, especially after you cough or sneeze, will help stop germs from spreading.

Always carry a small bottle or packets of hand sanitizer. Use it as often as you like in discreet ways, out of sight of other people.

5. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Sickness is often spread when you touch something contaminated with germs, and then touch your face.

Always wash your hands or use a hand sanitizer after every ride in a taxi, airplane, on public transportation, and in a place where you are around lots of people.

Other ways to stay healthy during this flu season and all year round:

• Get plenty of sleep
• Exercise regularly
• Drink plenty of fluids
• Eat nutritious foods
• Manage your stress level

My hot tip to avoid getting sick: One of the best preventions I have found is taking mega doses of vitamin C and drinking ample water. Tests have shown if you take in more vitamin C than your body can absorb, it will not be harmful and will simply be dispelled from your body. Drinking water, more so than any other form of fluid, helps flush your body of toxins. No other fluids provide the same results. So, when living an active and/or stressful life, take vitamin C in both tablet form and drink several glasses of the great flavors of Emergen-C.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Preventing the flu: good health habits for prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/habits.htm

New Monthly Feature:

Question of the month: Do you have a good, bad, or ugly handshaking story? I’d love to hear it. All you need to do is simply post the story in the comments section below to share!

General Questions? I will personally reply to all your questions on international business and etiquette and protocol.

P.S. Have you been receiving these newsletters via a forward from a friend? Isn’t it about time you received your own subscription? You know they are filled with fun and practical information, and it sure will save your friend extra work each month. Click here to receive your own free subscription. I promise never to sell or give away your information. Your direct subscription will be most appreciated and helpful to attracting a major publisher for my next book.

Happy Practicing!