The business lunch is an important part of relationship building. It’s an opportunity to get to know someone in a relaxed, personal setting. Lunch comes in many guises, from a formal five-course meal to hot dogs from the street vendor. Lunch happens with a variety of people including colleagues, bosses, employees, clients, prospects, and suppliers.
The key to a successful business lunch is having confidence in your dining etiquette skills so you can focus on the person.
Here are 15 tips:
# Arrive on time, even a few minutes early.
# If your host isn’t there yet, wait in the lobby rather than sitting at the table.
# Wait for your host to indicate where you should sit at the table.
# If you get up from the table during the meal, fold your napkin loosely to hide any food stains, then place it to the left of your place setting.
# Order alcohol only if others at the table do.
# Save yourself from embarrassment, or worse, by sticking to the one-drink rule.
# When ordering, pick items that are moderate in price, familiar to you, and easy to eat with utensils.
# Know which items are yours and which are your neighbors’. Think BMW when looking at your place setting: Your bread plate (B) is on the left, your meal plate (M) is in the middle, and water and drink glasses (W) are on the right.
# Wait until your host begins eating before starting yourself.
# Eat at a measured pace so you finish at about the same time as others.
# Avoid the temptation to “share” a bite.
# Use your best table manners, including not speaking with food in your mouth.
# Participate in the conversation without over-asserting yourself. Also, take time to talk to the people on either side of you.
# It’s up to the host to decide if conversation includes business, so as the guest, don’t talk business unless the host starts it. At a lunch, business talk can take place after the food is ordered; at a dinner, business talk occurs after the main course is completed.
# As the invited guest, let the host take care of the check. If you did the inviting, then you should be prepared to pay the bill, including a 20 percent tip.
# Send a handwritten thank-you when hosted by a client or prospect. An e-mail suffices for a colleague.
source: By Peter Post, Etiquette at Work, May 04, 2014 “For best business lunch, start on time”