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The Successful Business Lunch - Perk or Purgatory?
Written by: Lee ListerArticle Overview: A business lunch for a client is a devise to make your client feel valued, comfortable and wanted. It is often looked as a status symbol. A few things to remember are:
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The Successful Business Lunch - Perk or Purgatory?
A business lunch for a client is a devise to make your client feel valued, comfortable and wanted. It is often looked as a status symbol. A few things to remember are:
• The lunch is seen as a social event – don’t jump into your sales pitch too soon. Both parties know what the aim is – so enjoy yourselves.
• Make the client feel special and be polite.
How to set up your business lunch:
• Choose a restaurant that you are familiar with and have preferably been to before.
• If you have not been to the restaurant before e.g. it has been chosen by your company – introduce the restaurant to your guest as one that you have heard good things about.
• Always book – there is nothing worse than pleading with the maitre d’ for a table whilst your guest stands by looking embarrassed.
• If you do arrive to an empty restaurant at lunch time – you’ve not done your homework.
• Choose an appropriate restaurant that will make your client feel comfortable. If he is a hard bitten manufacturer – fusion food may not be what he is comfortable with. Similarly if your client is female – they will not appreciate a restaurant where what they see in the bathroom mirror each morning is on full display in the restaurant! Similarly your male client may be uncomfortable. You should aim for a mid range restaurant with good service and an atmosphere. Remember you need to be able to talk over dinner as well.
• Have a couple of names of medium price wines that you enjoy and know about. This makes you knowledgeable and removes the embarrassing wait if you are asked to recommend a wine.
• Ask the maitre d’ for a table where you can talk business. Most good restaurants understand this need. Preferably do this when you book or just as you arrive.
• Let your guest order first, unless they show hesitation, in which case you can suggest a good dish they may like. The hesitation may be because they are not aware of your budget.
• When ordering your meal– don’t embarrass everyone by ordering more or less food or a more expensive course than they are
• Do not order difficult food such as spaghetti or crabs legs that require careful handling, unless your client does.
• They may suggest you order the wine – otherwise let them order for you both.
• Ensure that you do not drink too much – just wine is a good idea, followed by an aperitif. Stay sober and professional at all times. Similarly do not encourage your client to drink too much.
• You should be doing everything possible to make your client feel valued, comfortable and special.
• Never forget that you are working and representing your company. Now is not the time for personal details, gossip or revelations.
• Do not talk inappropriately about your competitors or their products.
• Be polite with your restaurant staff – running the waiting staff around or unnecessary complaints is not a good atmosphere and reflects badly.
• The best time for the sales pitch is just after desert as you sit-back to enjoy coffee etc. Wait until desert is complete and then suggest that you discuss business over coffee or aperitif. You client understands that you are there to discuss business and should be mellow and feeling good about your company now. The period in between can be used for small talk and general discussions about the market you are in.
• Give a quick review of your company’s offering. Please make sure that the waiter is not listening. This should be a relatively private matter. Don’t discuss money unless your guest brings it up. Have all the relevant details to hand in your brief case – but in manageable amounts – this is a restaurant after all. You can answer the money questions tactfully by offering your proposal in writing.
• Don’t pressurize your client. Let them read the details and ask the relevant questions and have the answers at hand.
• Offer gentle discussions ensuring that your client is aware that you would prefer some decisions now. Remember your client is not obligated just because you have given them dinner, but they should be feeling mellow and on good terms with your company.
• Have a good pen to hand for any signatures that have to be made and a good quality folder so that your client can take the documents away without the remnants of dinner attached to them. Include your business card and contact details.
• When it is time to pay, your guest will probably hesitate allowing you to pick up the check. Don’t be too slow as this will embarrass both of you. It is possible with some restaurants, particularly if your company uses it often, to leave a credit car with the maitre d’ of pay later. This creates a very good impression.
• Lastly shake hands with your client, thank them for an engaging time, get their coat and ensure they know how to get back to the office. Confirm that you will be contacting them very soon and that you look forward to your two businesses working together in the future.
• When you get back to the office, drop them an email or letter thanking them for their time and confirming what you have discussed at dinner as well as what will happen next.
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Article Tags: aim, atmosphere, bathroom mirror, budget, business lunch, dish, empty restaurant, fusion food, hesitation, homework, lunch time, medium price, mid range, restaurants, status symbol, wine, wines
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About the Author: Lee Lister RSS for Lee's articles - Visit Lee's website  From an early age she began an unparalleled journey through business consulting that continues to span across the UK, USA, Europe and Asia. She has consulted for a considerable number of companies all over the world. Specialising in business change management, start up consultancy and trouble shooting. Lee's experience in marketing and internet marketing is also keenly sought after. She is a prolific published writer of books, ebooks and articles and can easily be found on major search engine and Amazon. Her books include: FastTrack Bid Management, Proposal Writing For Smaller Businesses, How Much Does It Cost To Start A Business, Entrepreneur's Apprentice and a series of Start My New Business books that do as they say in the title! Her major web sites are: Click here to visit Lee's website   Article Writing Arghh Cant Someone Else Write Them For Me Entrepreneurs Do You Need More Financing But Not Sure How To Ask For It Entrepreneurs What Happens When No One Loves Your Products I Know My Business And Dont Need A Loan So Why Do I Need A Business Plan Up Sell you way to a Better Turnover |
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Educational workshops and information gathering
Invaluable exchanges, introductions, business contacts and referrals
Exclusive discounts, free consultations and access to original products and services
Lunch and spa services
An opportunity to become a "Featured Lady" on Ladies Who Launch
Valuable GIFT BAG guaranteed with pre-registration
Books for Women Entrepreneurs
- There's a thread for good books in the Resources folder, but it doesn't target books for businesswomen particularly, so I figured I'd start such a thread here.
It doesn't matter how successful you are in your business - it's always possible to learn something new.
In subsequent posts I give Table of Contents and brief descriptions for various titles - most of them devoted to the businesswoman - and sometimes a review. If anyone else has read a review, or has read the book and found it useful, please comment!
1. The Old Girl's Network
2. Mother's Work
3. The 7 Greatest Truths About Successful Women
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6. Treasure Hunt: Inside the Mind of the Modern Consumer
7. Contingency Planning & Disaster Recovery
8. She Wins, You Win
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10. Why Good Girls Dont' Get Ahead, But Gutsy Girls Do
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22. Rewired, Rehired or Retired: A Global Guide for the Experienced Worker
23. The Martha Rules: 10 essentials for achieving success as you start, build or manage a business
24. The Essentials of Entrepreneurship: What it takes to create Successful Enterprises
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26. The Promotable Woman
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28. The Work At Home Balancing Act: The professional resource guide for managing yourself, your work, and your family at home
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My entry
- 1. The Best Business Books Ever: The 100 Most Influential Business Books You'll Never Have Time to Read
- this is a fascinating book about the history of Business theory, and I'd recommend it to anybody.
2. The Big Book of Small Business: You Don't Have to Run Your Business by the Seat of Your Pants, by Tom Gegax. Ditto.
3. PADI: The Business of Diving Book
Okay, so this book won't be of use to anyone who doesn't want to start a scuba store, but I did, and this book was of course invaluable to me in reaching that goal.
Re: What's 1 word to describe what your business will be in 2012
- Successful.
Re: Ideas For Business
- Lucy,
Visit ttc.ca for info on the Vendor license to operate on TTC Property only. If you plan on not operating on TTC property you will not need this.
I would recommend Nathan Philips on Friday afternoons to catch the Lunch time crowd - Tell me when you plan on performing - I will attend as i work right beside Nathan Philips.
I forgot about Yonge/Dundas Square - This place is packed everyday during lunch and after work hours.
I can attend to watch you there 'cos I work close to that area as well.
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