Simple rules for hosting a successful business lunch

(This was first published in 2012 in Toggle, Polaris FT's internal magazine)

Once upon a time, meetings were things that took place in offices, and bearers with white gloves would come in and serve tea. Lunch was in a staff dining room, where everyone pretty much had their designated place. Cut to present times, when meetings take place on WebEx, and tea, coffee or hot chocolate comes out of a vending machine. Lunch is a hurried affair with a sandwich, or for a lucky few, home cooked meals out of a Tupperware container, while staring into individual laptop screens. So what do you do when some quality time needs to be spent with a client or a colleague without interruption? You take them to lunch, or dinner.

When your guests are colleagues who work with you and you know each other’s habits well, this is a no-brainer.  In all other situations, however, a business lunch or dinner requires a little planning. It is also necessary to remember that a business meal is essentially a business meeting which also includes food, and to use this time wisely and well.

The first step is fixing the date, do this a week in advance if you are planning dinner, and at least three days in advance in case you prefer lunch, to allow your guests enough time to plan their day. Make sure of your own availability, last minute cancellations or postponements can leave a very bad impression on your guests. It is also a good idea to confirm the appointment the day before with your invitees.

The next step is choosing the venue. Choose a location that is convenient and accessible to both you and your invitee. Ask for dietary preferences or restrictions, if any. It is not advisable to take a strict vegetarian to a steak place, and vice versa. Do keep in mind that you want a certain degree of privacy, and this may not be available in the most popular restaurant in town on a Friday evening. It is also advisable to do important meetings in a restaurant which you have visited before and where the staff knows you well. Ensure that the property has ample parking space or valet parking.

If you are the host, you are in charge. You make the bookings, you oversee the arrangements, and you pay.  Make it clear at the time of booking that you are planning a business meeting, and you would like a quiet spot. Reach the venue at least ten minutes before the scheduled time, check the table arrangements, and if possible, arrange for your credit card to be charged for the meal in advance. Decide on the seating before your guests arrive. If you have one guest, sit at a right angle from him or her instead of sitting across, if possible;  if you have two, sit beside one and across the other. Sitting between them is not recommended. Do let your guests have the seats with the most desirable view, and take the less appealing ones yourself.

Don’t eat anything, even bread, till your guests arrive. Class shows in small things, like maintaining a pristine table for a business meeting till all guests are seated. Let your guests order first. You could recommend a few dishes if asked, do remember that this also indicates to them an acceptable price range. The rule of thumb is, you should ideally begin and end the meal together. So order appetizers, main course and dessert  for yourself too if your guests order them; even if you are not hungry, just nibble to keep them company. Choose a dish that is easy to eat with knife and fork, this is not a time to experiment with exotic dishes. Begin eating only when everyone is served. If your guests’ meals arrive before yours, encourage them to eat before their food gets cold.

You decide when the actual business discussions start. When you don’t know your guests well, spend a little time getting acquainted before talking shop. Use your judgment on when to switch to business, too late and your guests will start wondering why they were invited; too early will indicate that their money interests you more than them.

Turn off your cell phone or put it on silent mode, as you would normally do at important business meetings, a meal does not make a meeting any less formal. Keep your purse, wallet keys and any other belongings off the table. Do remember your table manners (make as less noise as possible while chewing or drinking, and take small bites of food to avoid talking with your mouth full), they go a long way in making a favorable impression. Keep an eye on the time without obviously checking your watch, a business dinner should not take more than a couple of hours at the most. Limit the amount of alcohol you consume at a business meal, do not take more than two drinks yourself, and discreetly ask the serving staff to hold back on offering refills in case one of your guests starts to over indulge.

Even if you plan every little detail carefully, there are chances that things can go wrong. In this situation, step aside and resolve the issues with the restaurant staff, do not get into a shouting match in front of your guests.

Your conduct over a business meal goes a long way in establishing your professional success. The key is to make your guests feel that if you could give them a pleasant experience over a meal, you can do the same with their business.

LinkedIn: 5 tips on how to “work” it!

   1. Have a complete profile. Complete all fields under the Profile tab.

This sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s surprising; the difference a complete profile makes to the eye of the beholder. When the punctuation and the grammar is correct, and information about the individual is available, it is the same effect as you would have in person by being immaculately groomed. People take a look and say, “Oh, this one’s a professional”. These days EVERYONE looks up potential employees, business partners and even random people they are about to meet on LinkedIn, so it’s better you make a good “first impression”.

Post a picture. Not in “groovy” threads, but in smart casuals, unless your profession warrants otherwise. You want people to be impressed, not scared or intimidated!

People will often not want to connect with you unless you show your face, in fact, I refuse a lot of connection requests for the same reason.

Your online existence is just a part and a shadow of your real one, so do NOT make up fake qualifications or certifications, you WILL be found out sooner or later. Keep it simple, keep it real, and most importantly, keep it truthful.

    2.   Connect. Connect with people you know. Answer mails that are written to you, even if it does not bring you any personal gain. Let people know you are responsive. Connecting with people you have no clue about is not such a good idea, at least check the profile and see that it is a bona fide person; else your own credibility will suffer.

When you send a connection request, if you know the person well, use the automated invitation, otherwise, write two lines on why you would like to connect. If you have a reason, good! Flattery works too, but don’t go overboard. If you’ve met before or interacted, mention it in one line, or two. Brief, to the point and precise, is the best way with connection requests.

    3.   If you saw the “Most Viewed” list for 2012, one thing stood out. All of these people were people others wanted to know, for whatever reason. It could be that they wrote interesting articles or blogs, they were responsible for Recruitment (sounds familiar?) or Procurement, or they would prove to be worthwhile contacts while soliciting business from their organizations. Everyone does things that will benefit them, in the short term, or long term. So seriously ask yourself, what do I have, and what am I willing to offer the people who interact with me?

    4.   This is not Facebook. Don’t write “Hi” or “How r u?” to people you don’t know. You’ll end up getting blocked, or rejected for your next interview if the concerned person has any say. In fact, avoid “cool” abbreviations. This is a professional networking platform, keep it formal.

     No strong political views or activism, please. Same with religion. We feel strongly about a lot of things, but don’t necessarily voice it in office, during a review meeting. Keep that distinction. What does not need to be said out loud at that moment, is best said on some other networking site. Everyone watches every step of yours on the net. Do not say anything out loud that you would not want your Chairman, or everyone in the staff cafeteria to hear.

5. Link your twitter account with your LinkedIn, you’ll be surprised at the results if you post interesting updates. I have never used Twitter on its own, but the number of followers I had when I last checked surprised me! Not bad for someone who’d never even visited Twitter once in the last year.

There is no guarantee that your profile views will go up if you do all this. This is just a way to ensure that you enhance visibility and credibility. The only way to be “popular” is to have a lot of connections in real life, those you interact with regularly, and to help them when they need it, even if only by referring them to someone who can help. So go on, be a great person, and let your LinkedIn profile reflect it!