Mastering the Business Lunch or Dinner

Mastering the Business Lunch or Dinner

By Emily Faye on Mar 24, 2015 at 01:14 PM in Santa Barbara Limousine Service

Many of you corporate warriors have been to your fair share of business lunches and dinners. Some of them have ended in a signed deal and laughs, while others have concluded with a handshake and the “we’ll think about it,” phrase. In the end, you are always striving for the signed deal, and mastering the business lunch or dinner is one of the keys to reinforcing your business integrity.

Mastering the Business Lunch or Dinner

Picking the Restaurant

Reading reviews when you pick a restaurant is incredibly important. You want to know what other people’s experiences have been with the food, atmosphere and customer service. Picking a restaurant that has consistently positive customer service reviews is the tip-off that restaurant is well managed and a great place to take a client. It will instill a sense of confidence in you and it will also make the client feel taken care of, not only in the dining room but also by you. Don’t pick a new restaurant to take a client. The last thing you want is your client ending up with soup instead of salmon, because a waiter wasn’t attentive. That could reflect negatively on you and the client may assume your attention to detail isn’t strong enough to handle the million-dollar deal on the table.

 Check Out the Menu

In a possible new partnership, the first meeting may be a dinner. The likelihood you have had the time to ask your client if he/she has any food allergies is slim. Take the pressure out of guessing, and check out the menu of the restaurant before making your final decision. Choosing a restaurant with plenty of options is ideal. This will make the client feel comfortable and taken care of. Plus, it will decrease the sometimes-uncomfortable discussion of dietary restrictions your client probably isn’t willing to share with you on the first meeting.

Mastering the Business Lunch or Dinner

Seating is Key

Seating is key to creating a positive atmosphere for your business lunch or dinner. From 11 AM- 2 PM and 5 PM- 8 PM are the peak busy times for restaurants. Coincidentally, that is when the majority of people want to eat. If you’re seated in the middle of a restaurant with little to no barriers between yourself and the noise, it could be difficult for you to conduct the business you want to if you’re shouting. If you are at the meeting to sign a contract, you want to make sure your client understands the guidelines and benefits described in the contract clearly. Sitting more in the back of the restaurant, but not near the kitchen, is beneficial in controlling the noise level during your business meal, and it will also create a space for positive business interaction. If you are discussing confidential business, being seated farther away from the other guests in the restaurant is important. If the client can meet later in those peak busy times, it will make this seating arrangement more possible.

SB Executive Transportation’s concierge service is well-equipped and highly trained in business ethics. They can take all the busy work out of picking the right restaurant, researching the menu, making reservations and even ensuring you are seated in a section of the restaurant with the least noise distractions, so you can focus on the moneymaker opportunities at hand. We also offer black car service to get you and your client to your business meal and back safely, on time and with your utmost customer service needs handled. Our chauffeured transportation has preplanned routes from the time they pick you and your client up all the way to the drop off locations, creating no distractions or hassle. When it comes to doing business, we’re here to get you there.

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