Business lunch: how to hold a business lunch?

For business lunch, lunch is considered the best time. Less common are business dinners. Where to hold a business lunch? Of course, the best option is a restaurant. However, it is acceptable to invite partners to a business lunch also to your office.

If you plan to hold a business lunch in a restaurant, then carefully approach the choice of this institution. It's best to rely on your experience, yours or your friends. You need to be in full confidence that the chosen restaurant will not spoil the impression of you and your company.

You will show respect to your interlocutor if you choosea restaurant near his office. If there is no such opportunity, try to choose a restaurant, in which it is convenient for both parties to get there - on the "neutral" territory.

You should take care of the table in advance and order it on the phone. You can also immediately choose a suitable place in the hall - away from noise and crush, away from the passage. Order a larger table if you plan to sign the papers.

If there are at least one non-smoker among those invited to a business lunch, Choose a non-smoking room in the restaurant. Your guests will be able to satisfy their need for nicotine in the smoking room, so you should pay attention to how comfortable this room is in the chosen restaurant.

A little about menu. It is desirable to take into account the tastes of yourinterlocutors and make sure that the menu of the restaurant is sufficient for both meat and vegetable dishes. If you do not know how to use this or that dish, or are not sure what is hidden under the exotic name - do not order this dish, otherwise you can hit your face in the mud.

If you decide hold a business lunch in the officefor this purpose a conference hall orroom for negotiations. You should try to bring the table closer to the restaurant: do not forget about the tablecloth and decent dishes. It is better to order dishes, again, in a checked place - you should be sure of their quality. Try to keep your menu diverse.

It is better if Serving your business lunch in the office will be specially invited staff. Why can not the company's employees use the role of waiters? First, it looks insolently. And, secondly, the presence of ordinary employees in negotiations can be undesirable.

Remember the rules of etiquette. You, as the initiator of the meeting, should come minutes onten to fifteen than guests invited by you. Do not forget about the rules of using cutlery: the fork is in the left hand, the knife is in the right hand. Do not put your fingers on the teeth of the fork or the blade of the knife.

During a pause in the meal, fold up the appliancescriss-cross: fork-convex part up, knife - sharpened side to the left. The fork handle "looks" for 5 hours, the knife - for 7. When you finish the meal, the appliances are folded parallel to each other, the handles "look" for 5 hours.

The paper napkin does not wipe the lips, they should only get wet. Tissue napkin can be put on his knee, but in no case do not lay the collar in the manner of a bib.

At the table, you should not use a toothpick, you can go to the restroom for this purpose.

Still, the main thing in a business lunch is business talk. Your task - gradually in conversation to move on the necessary topic. Start with a few common phrases, and the information about the company, which your interlocutors represent, will help you to keep the conversation going.

At a business lunch, one should not mention his gastronomic predilections or problems with his health, even if it seems that the situation is suitable for this.

Do not talk with your mouth full and do not askquestions interlocutor while he chews food. The meal in this case is just a background, so try to eat in small portions to be able to maintain the conversation.

Negotiations during a business lunch are informal, therefore easy jokes are appropriate. However, extreme caution is necessary: ​​an unsuccessful joke can override the mutual understanding reached.

When you invite partners or clients to a business lunch for negotiations, remember that you represent the whole company - behave calmly, with restraint, with dignity. Let success accompany you!