Diana McMeekin learned a seemingly simple but important lesson early in her career: politeness counts.
In the early 1970s, McMeekin was working in London at Columbia Pictures.
“My boss was the head of European production, a rather large, cigar-smoking American gentleman,” she said. “He was quite powerful and influential at that time.”
McMeekin was his executive assistant and fielded all telephone calls. While many of the famous actors and actresses who wanted to get through to McMeekin's boss had a “completely fictitious sense of their importance” – with attitudes to match – others were pleasant and polite.
“Ingrid Bergman was one of those,” McMeekin said. “She was remarkable, because early on she first asked what my name was, and then whenever she would call she would say ‘Hello, Diana,' and use my first name.
“She didn't just remember your name, she would ask you a question and wait for the answer. Only then would she ask whether she could speak to my boss, and as you can imagine, she got through to him within a nanosecond.”
It's a lesson in courtesy that has stuck with McMeekin: to this day, she continues to consciously follow the example of the Swedish screen legend to grease the wheels of her business.
“I always make a note of who [my client's] current assistant is because sometimes you're dealing with extremely busy people, and you want to be able to speak to them as quickly as possible,” she said.
“I remember their name and I ask them how they are and, by the way, I usually send them a Christmas card.”
on connecting with the people in the know: “The minute I find a new client, I'm waiting to speak with the president of the company and I chat with the receptionist and I quickly realize – it's not that big of a company – that the person who staffs the front desk is the glue that holds them together. She's been with the company for 25 years, not only is a great ambassador but knows who works when and where and how and knows how to get things done.”
