Business Dining Etiquette – 10 Tips To Make A
Great Impression At The Table
Author: Lynda Goldman

Businss dining etiquette is a vital part of conducting business
today. The most common place to conduct business today may not
be at the office, or even on your cell phone. About fifty
percent of business is conducted over food. The business lunch
or dinner is more than a meal - it's an important way to build
relationships with your clients.

Imagine the potential for making a good impression – or a poor
one, during a meal. We meet, order, eat and drink various kinds
of foods and beverages, exchange business cards, and part
company. Not the least of these details is conducting business –
while trying not to talk with your mouth full!

If you unconsciously grab the breadbasket without offering it
to your client, or gobble down your food because you're
famished, your client may conclude that you are insensitive or
aggressive. A potential client may wonder how you will act if
you do business together.

1.As with any other business meeting, plan ahead to ensure that
your meal is a success. The person who issues the invitation is
the host, and is expected to pay for the meal.

2. As the host, you are responsible for choosing the
restaurant, and making sure the meals goes smoothly. Consider
the time of the meal, and the location of the restaurant. You
want a restaurant that is convenient for your client, where
parking is available. You may want to schedule a meal earlier in
the week, to avoid the Friday lunchtime crowd, where the
restaurant can be so noisy that it's impossible to conduct
business.

3. Consider your guests' food preferences. If you're not sure,
ask what your guest prefers. Inviting a vegetarian client to a
steak house will probably not get you a sale!

4. As the host, arrive at the restaurant ten minutes early, and
wait for the guests at the entrance. The maitre d' may lead you
to the table with the guests preceding the host. The guest
always gets the preferred seat, which may be the one facing
towards the room, or the one facing a window with a scenic view.
Enter your chair from the left, and exit from the right. If you
are waiting for other guests to arrive you can order drinks, but
don't touch anything else at the table. Keep the table pristine
until everyone has arrived.

5. Coordinate your courses. Have you ever had a business meal
where everyone is doing something different? Some people have
soup or salad while others don't order anything. When this
happens, some people are eating while others watch, and feel
awkward. Everyone at the table should order as a group to be
sure that everyone eats the same number of courses and finishes
at the same time.

6. Offer suggestions. As the host, you can offer suggestions
from the more expensive items on the menu so that the guests
feel free to order anything they like. Then ask the guest to
order first, and follow suite. If the guest orders a salad,
order a salad as well, even if you just eat a few bites.

7. Order carefully. For the main course, be careful of foods
that can sabotage you. You don't want to be wrestling with a
lobster claw instead of talking with your client, and a grown
person wearing a lobster bib doesn't look very impressive. Avoid
anything that is difficult to eat with a knife and fork, or
foods like spaghetti, where splattered sauce can end up on your
tie or shirt.

8. Know your objectives. Your objective for the meal may be to
discuss a specific issue with your client, or to introduce your
services to a potential client, so the time you start talking
business may vary. If you are meeting a client for lunch or even
for breakfast, your time will be more limited, and you may start
talking business after you order. At dinner, the pace will be
more leisurely, and you may not talk business until after the
main course is cleared away.

9. Build relationships. In some cases you may not talk business
at all, but spend time getting to know the client, and having
him or her get to know you. An important point is that if you
are entertaining clients and their spouses, don't ignore the
spouse. He or she may not buy your products or services, but
this person will nevertheless have a big influence on your
potential client. Treat the spouse as well as you treat your
future client.

10. Keep it in perspective. To make sure your next business
meal gives you positive results, remember that the purpose of a
business meal is to build relationships with your client, not
with the food!


About The Author: Do you know the biggest business image
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