Business meetings are not confined to offices and conference rooms. Often, business meetings take place during meals, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner. Job seekers can also find themselves having a business meal with a potential employer over lunch. Because of this, it is essential to understand and display proper business meal etiquette. Your table etiquette may make or break your chances of scoring that big client or coveted job.
Preparation
If you are the one planning the meeting, present the other party with a list of restaurants and ask him to choose where he would like to meet. Once you have his choice, make reservations and email the other party all of the pertinent information about the restaurant, including parking information and directions.
Arrival
Be on time. If you planned the business meeting, make sure to show up 10 to 15 minutes in advance. You can use this time to inform the server or host that you will be paying the bill, if you are doing so. Wait for your guest in the foyer and allow him to follow directly behind the host on the walk to the table. Once the other party arrives, turn your cell phone off or put it on a silent ring.
Ordering
If you planned the business meeting, make sure to know the menu well. That way, you can offer your guest suggestions on what to order and what to avoid. Don't order anything that is complicated, messy or requires eating with your fingers; in other words, don't order anything you wouldn't order on a first date. Allow the other party to order first.
Table Manners
As soon as you intend on eating something, including bread and appetizers, place a napkin on your lap. Failing to do so will give off the impression that you lack knowledge of rudimentary table etiquette, which may not leave a good taste in the mouth of the other people at your table. Do not, under any circumstances, take phone calls during the meal.
Wait until everyone is served before you start eating. Do not talk with food in your mouth. Make sure you know which fork is for salad, which spoon is for soup and so on. If the other party is unhappy with their meal, ask the server to take their meal back for adjustments. Ask the server if it would be possible to take your meal back and keep it heated while they fix the other party's meal; that way, you will both eat at the same time.
Cocktails and Smoking
When it comes to alcohol and smoking, mimic the other parties at the table. Don't be the first to order an alcoholic drink or light up. If someone else orders an alcoholic drink, feel free to order a light drink. Don't order more than two light alcoholic beverages. Do not light a cigarette until the meal is complete, plates are cleared and you have the OK from the other parties at the table. If you can help it, refrain from smoking if no one else at the table is doing so.
Table Talk
Keep conversation light during the meal. Don't go straight into a sales pitch. Avoid volatile topics such as politics and religion. Begin broaching business topics toward the end of the meal. Order coffee or dessert to give yourself more time to discuss business topics. Documents and, if necessary, laptops are the only meeting materials that can go on the table. Bags and briefcases belong on a chair or the floor. Documents and laptops should not be put on the table while food is being served or eaten.
Paying the Bill
Traditionally, the person who plans the meeting pays the bill. Nonetheless, be prepared to pay for your portion of the bill regardless of whether or not you planned the meeting. Be generous when it comes to tipping the server, unless the service was awful.
Be sure to thank the other party for his time. If he paid for the meal, thank him for doing so. Follow up with a thank-you email the next day, regardless of how well you think the meeting may have gone.
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