Jody White, Speaking Directly

Good manners and proper etiquette are at the very core of how we communicate with one another,” says Denise Dinyon, Lenox gift-giving and etiquette expert. “We need to develop and reinforce those essential courtesies that make our relationships strong, valuable and long-lasting.” She offers the following etiquette tips, which are easy to incorporate into everyday life: 1. Turn the cell phone off. -- completely -- during a luncheon meeting, social function, or on public transportation. 2. Hold the door -- whether male or female, hold open a door you have just passed through for the person behind you. 3. Bring a gift for the hostess -- preferably one that doesn’t require her to drop everything she is doing. 4. Keep to the right -- on the sidewalk, in stairwells. 5. Say please and thank you -- to waiters, flight attendants, store clerks, cab drivers -- the little things go a long way. 6. Circulate at a party or social gathering -- whether hostess or guest, the people...