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Let’s be honest. We are all human. Therefore, we are all imperfect. I make mistakes every single day. And, failures are okay as long as learn you learn from them. Issues only arise when you start to repeat the same errors of judgment over and over again.

You are going to screw up in life and in business but when it happens…what do you do? You are going to miss an order. You are going to forget a customer’s birthday. You are going to neglect to include the discount you promised. It happens, but here is how you fix it. You need to learn how to say “I’m sorry.”

And, here is some good news. There is a way to deliver an apology which works really well assuming you are genuine with your mistake. It not only works for your business relationships but your friends and family as well. This is what it looks like:

It’s a total of three phrases: “I’m sorry. I made a mistake. Will you please forgive me?”

Let’s break that down.

Part 1: “I’m sorry.”
You first want to admit that you did something wrong by starting with an apology. The offended just wants to hear that you messed up.

Part 2: “I made a mistake.”
You then want to acknowledge what you did wrong so the offended knows that you are fully aware of your mistake and what you actually screwed up. It’s always bad to say sorry when you don’t even know what you are sorry for so be sure to admit and point out the specific wrongdoing.

Part 3: “Will you please forgive me?”
This is where the apology becomes very powerful. You are giving the offended the opportunity to make a choice of forgiveness. You are submitting control to them which allows them to take ownership in the situation which is incredibly effective at helping mend the strained dynamic.

Mistakes happen all the time. How you handle the apology is completely up to you. Choose wisely.

The one thing our business landscape needs more of is etiquette. The folks I interact with inside and outside of this business have forgotten the importance of something so simple like a “thank you.” In addition, there are many emails that cross my inbox that lack basic professionalism.

It really is an ideal time to start rediscovering professionalism and it can start with your Rodan + Fields business. If you are a veteran of this operation or new to the family, I want to offer up a few business etiquette tips to embrace moving forward.

1. Gratitude is Everything
There have been many articles written on the topic of gratitude and how an optimistic spirit is great for mental health. It is not only good for your mind, but it is also good for your business. Get more intentional about using more “thank you” and “I appreciate you” in your emails and face-to-face interactions.

2. Pick Up the Phone
There are too many text based conversations these days. I love the convenience and speed of texting just as much as you do, but a phone call can go a long way especially with it being so rare. Call your customers and actually have a conversation. It will do good things for your relationships and your bottom line.

3. Send Thank You Cards
If we can agree phone calls are rare, then Thank You cards are even a rarer breed. It’s hard to beat the lost art of a solid handwritten note. Years ago, we used to complain about our mail and how we wished people would communicate electronically. Fast forward a decade and we don’t want to check the 256 emails in our inbox and would cherish a handwritten notel. The lesson for all of us: send more cards.

4. Always Have a Call to Action
Never leave your customer hanging. If you ask them to invest 10 minutes or 60 minutes to hear you share your R+F story, then make sure you tell them what they need to do with the new information they just heard. Give your pitch a sense of purpose by providing a call to action.

Basic etiquette is becoming a lost art so let’s acknowledge the importance of it, and make it part of how we conduct our ourselves and our businesses.