Today, business is conducted outside the four walls of your company’s office. Business deals and transactions take place at golf courses, entertainment events, social venues, and restaurants. There are many dynamics to building business relationships, partnerships and associations. To handle situations with grace and diplomacy, we suggest learning the correct etiquette for successful and enjoyable business meetings.
Here are five helpful tips for business dinner etiquette:
the clock works
If you have a business breakfast, lunch or dinner scheduled, it is important to arrive at the venue early. Arriving early is a subtle form of etiquette and courtesy. You’re basically respecting everyone’s time by not being late. By arriving early, you have the opportunity to use the restroom, check your messages, turn off your electronic devices, and reduce distractions during the business lunch.
Already seen
If the date, location and time of your business event have already been determined, we suggest you visit the restaurant’s website to view the menu and get directions. Previewing the menu ahead of time gives you adequate time to select what you’d like to eat. You can even select one or two dishes in case they are out of a particular order. This is very useful for the day of the business event, because you can make a quicker decision on your food without wasting time or prolonging the order status for the whole table.
99 bottles of beer
You should determine in advance of the business lunch whether you will order alcohol. You can ask the host of the event, your coworkers, or your boss if it’s okay to order wine, a cocktail, beer, or other alcoholic beverages. Also, keep the customer or nature of the business meal in mind if you decide to order alcohol. If this is the first meeting, we suggest that you refrain from consuming alcohol. If you are comfortable with your business counterparts and have good business relationships, then ordering alcohol may not be a bad decision. Make sure you are familiar with your tolerance level and drink responsibly.
Lead by example
Before the business event, take some time to think of topics to discuss over the meal. This would be a good time to go over current events, sports, business trends, entertainment, travel, technology, etc. You can also visit the company sites of your business counterparts to learn about their business culture, goals, missions, or current projects that may be national or international. Try to refrain from controversial topics that may not be appropriate during the business meeting.
greenbacks
Be sure to bring extra money whenever you attend business events like these. Although you may not pay for the meal, you may have to pay cash for transportation, parking, valet service, or any other activities after the business event. ATMs can be difficult or inconvenient to find, depending on the location of the business event. And not all restaurants/venues expect all credit cards or personal/business checks.