Businss dining etiquette is a vital part of doing business today. The most common place to conduct business today may not be in office, or even on your mobile phone. Approximately fifty percent of business is conducted for food. Lunch or dinner is more than a meal - is an important tool for building relationships with customers.
Imagine the potential to make a good impression - or a poor man, during a meal. We meet, order, eat and drink different types of food and drink, exchange business cards, and the company. Not least of these details is conducting business - while trying not to talk with your mouth full!
If you unconsciously grab the barn without offering to your customer, or Gobble down your food because you're hungry, the client may conclude that you are insensitive or aggressive. A potential customer may be asked how you behave when doing business together.
1.As with any other business meeting, plan in advance to ensure that the 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 make sure that 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. It is advisable to plan a meal earlier this week, to avoid the crowds at lunchtime Friday, where the restaurant can be so loud that it is impossible to conduct business.
3. Consider the food preferences of your guests'. If you are not sure, ask what your guests prefer. Inviting a client to a vegetarian steak house will probably not get a sale!
4. As the host, arrives at the restaurant ten minutes early and wait for the guests at the entrance. The Maitre d 'can bring to the table with the guests prior to the host. The customer will always have your seat, that may be looking toward the camera, or the one in front of a window with a view. Enter your chair from the left, and exits from the right. If you are waiting for other guests to arrive, you can order drinks, but do not touch anything else at the table. Keep the table untouched until everyone has arrived.
5. Coordinate the courses. Have you ever had a working lunch where everyone is doing something different? Some people have soup or salad, while others do not at all. When this happens, some people are eating, watching others, and feel awkward. Everyone at the table should order as a group, to be sure that everyone eats the same number of classes and ends at the same time.
6. Offer suggestions. As the host, you can offer suggestions of more expensive items on the menu so that guests feel free to order whatever he wants. Then ask the customer to first order, and follow the suite. If the customer orders a salad, order a salad as well, although only eat a little.
7. Order carefully. For the main course, be careful of foods that can sabotage. You do not want to be dealing with a lobster claw instead of talking with your client, and an adult wearing a lobster bib does not look very impressive. Avoid anything that is difficult to eat with knife and fork, or foods like spaghetti sauce, which can end up splattered on your shirt or tie.
8. Know your objectives. Your goal for the meal may be to discuss a specific problem with your client, or to introduce their services to a potential customer, so the time you start talking business days. If you are a client meeting for lunch or even for breakfast, the time will be limited, and you can start talking about work after the order. At dinner, the pace will be more pleasant, and you can not talk business until after the main course is cleared away.
9. Building relationships. In some cases you can not talk business at all, but spend time getting to know the client, and having him or her to know you. An important point is that if you are entertaining clients and their spouses, do not ignore your spouse. He or she can not buy your products or services, but this person will nevertheless have a major influence on your potential customer. Treat your spouse, and to treat your prospective customers.
10. Keep it in perspective. To make sure your next business meal you succeed, remember that the purpose of a business lunch is to build relationships with customers, not the food!
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