SUCCEED WITH STYLE: How to Rock Your Next Business Lunch
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Your professional image doesn’t stop at the office door. You need to be aware of the way you represent yourself professionally during business lunches and dinner meetings. Keep in mind it’s not just about how you look. It’s about the total experience people have in your presence. Step up your professional presence and be a stand out with your clients. Take them to a lunch or dinner they won’t forget. (With Valentine’s Day around the corner, these tips work well for dates too!)
2. Make a reservation a few days before and ask for the best seating possible. If you haven’t eaten at the restaurant before, visit the venue and introduce yourself to the hostess or Maitre d.
3. Share with the hostess or Maitre d that you have a special client lunch or dinner and you want to make sure you get the best service. Inquire about the best dishes so you can make excellent recommendations to your client.
4. Check and see if your client has any allergies.
5. Make sure you are up to speed with your table manners. There is nothing worse than eating with someone who has poor manners.
* Remember to put your napkin in your lap as soon as you are seated
* Bread plate is on the left and water and wine glasses are on the right
* Start with the outside utensils and work your way into the plate
* Never talk with food in your mouth
* Don’t talk business until after you have ordered your meal
6. Men, be gentlemen. Offer to drop off female clients at the front of the restaurant and then park the car. (Especially in bad weather).
7. Men, if you are hosting a female client, offer to take her coat if the maitre de doesn’t ask and then ask if the restaurant has a coat check. If not, take the coat to your table and drape it on one of the open chairs if there is one available. Otherwise, drape it on the back of the client’s chair. Yes, ladies, we can do this ourselves, but it is proper etiquette for a man to offer.
8. Help a female client with her chair if the Maitre de does not.
9. Take care of the check before the waiter delivers it to the table. It's a nice touch and doesn't break the flow of conversation.
10. If your client is a female, retrieve her coat from the Maitre de and help her put it on.
11. Tip the Maitre de for his assistance.
12. Offer to get the car and pick up your client at the entrance.
If you are hosting a male client, then yes, you can skip Tips 6 -12, but you still need to mind your professional presence!
{image_2Margaret Batting is the Corporate Style expert for GoLocalProv.com. Margaret is the owner and president of Elevé Image Consulting and the only certified image consultant and personal brand strategist in Rhode Island. She travels the country as the national corporate image consultant for CareerBuilder and serves as the style advisor liaison for Dress for Success Rhode Island, which was involved in Styleweek Providence and will host a fashion show at the Biltmore in April. For more information, visit www.eleve-style.com
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