I've been thinking a lot lately about the bad experiences I've had in business lunches throughout my career. I'm sure I'll get some comments on the bad, the ugly, and the nasty...
As always in business, it's very important to do some research when you have to meet a client for a business lunch. You need to know about the culture of the people your going to be meeting. Do they drink during lunch? What about dress code? Are they a shirt & tie bunch, or just a jeans and polo type of crowd?
It's always find to dress up a notch, but you don't want to be in a tux when they are wearing t-shirts & shorts. Nor do you want to be in the opposite position.
Back to research, now that you know the culture of the folks your meeting, you also have to do some recon. If you have to choose the place for the meeting, you'll need to follow some general rules:
Nothing too loud.
A general mix of food anyone will enjoy. (No, Everyone does NOT like Thai.)
Your cultural "background check" will tell you whether they need to serve alcohol.
Somewhere close to their office is typically a good choice.
If you've never been there before, make sure you have time to check it out in advance.
So you've picked out a great a place for your meeting with the whale? Great! Surely you set the time up for at least 30 minutes after the place opens? You'll need a few minutes to get in early and get yourself situated of course.
Arrive 15-20 minutes early. Like a professional always does.
Speak with the host and let them know who you are (by name), and who will be joining you (by name). You did call in advance to make sure adequate (good) seating would be available, right?
If you are meeting only one person, you should wait in the reception. If meeting multiple people, it's permissible to be seated once at least one other person has arrived. Make sure the host knows who to expect and that you are comfortable they will direct them properly.
If you don't know the person you are meeting by face, it's acceptable to ask the host to direct them to the table when they arrive. In this instance you can be seated by yourself. Of course you'll order nothing other than a drink before they arrive.
After your guests arrive and everyone is situated, has drinks, etc... It's important to order food which will help you hold the conversation. (A professional always controls the conversation, even if they are not talking). So a heavy meal is definitely not a good choice, also not a good choice to choose something that will make a mess. There is nothing more distracting that a host with a tomato stain over their pocket. You do want them to pay attention to what you're saying, right?
I always try to lead the conversation, but let my guests do most of the talking. If you can listen effectively then you have won the battle. I won't go into negotiation tactics in this topic, but it's important to keep control of the conversation.
Who pays? You pay! Ignore all this hogwash of who did the inviting, who has the expense account, who spent more money. You pay! Sometimes I don't end up paying, but I do put up a good fight. The times I don't pay, I do try to setup a time when I can pay. It's important for your networking goals to maintain a good relationship. Before you leave make certain that you decide when would be a good time to visit again.
Always be sure to show your appreciation to the staff that helped you pull off your lunch without any hitches. They will remember it the next time you come for sure.
0 ความคิดเห็น:
Post a Comment