There are many ways to conduct a business meeting, and one of the most effective one is a business dining. In a business dining, we can talk with a prospective business partner in the less informal setting than our office, and the chance of successful agreement is just as big as in the office. However, there are some rules and etiquettes that we must conduct to make a successful business dining.
Here are some tips to conduct successful business dining and avoid blunders:
1. If you are the one who invite your client or prospective partner, make sure you have taken care of everything from the beginning until the end, such as the perfect venue, valet, until the tipping.
2. Do the ice-breaking by giving suggestions of what your guest may want to order. Familiarize yourself with items in the menu, and show your knowledge about them with those suggestions. Give useful tips about special menu items (“may I suggest fettucini Alfredo? That’s this restaurant’s specialty”).
3. Familiarize yourself with the spelling of difficult dish names such as Hours d’ Ovre or Quiche Lorraine; being able to pronounce the names of menu items correctly can give positive impression to the guest.
4. Do not order something that is potentially messy. Order something that can ensure a ‘neat’ process of eating, and avoid dish like prime ribs or lobster.
5. Do not let yourself accidentally drink from the glass of the person seated next to you. This is one of the blunders that can heavily negate your whole performance.
6. If you get a foreign object such as a chunk of bone or ginger piece on your mouth, cover it with a napkin and remove the object with index finger and thumb. Or, you can excuse yourself and do that in somewhere private.
7. Salt and pepper are inseparable in each dining venue, so if your guest asks you to pass one of them, give both.
8. Avoid monopizing the conversation; show some interests in your guest’s stories. Ask thoughtful questions in safe, common topics like sport, recent news, hobbies, movies, or other general interests. Avoid personal questions or anything that clearly make your guest feels uncomfortable.
9. If you need to go somewhere during the meal, just say “excuse me for a moment,” put your napkin on your chair and draw back your seat before you stand up. It is not important to announce where you are going, especially to the restroom.
Remember, in a business dining, closing a deal must not become your primary goal solely. Use this time to promote good will rather than attempting to make a sale. Remember, your focus is on building the relationship, and that is why you should also follow up in writing with a quick thank you note that thanks your prospect or client for his or her time.
