THE ART OF THE BUSINESS LUNCH

Title of Book: “The Art of the Business Lunch ~ Building Relationships Between 12 and 2”
Genre: Non-Fiction, Business, Business Relationships/Sales
Author: Robin Jay
Website: http://www.robinjay.com/
Publisher: Career Press
Date of Release: Feb. 2006
ISBN: 1564148513

You can purchase The Art of the Business Lunch here!

The Art of the Business Lunch Excerpt:

Deciding where to take a client for your business lunch is more important than you might think, especially when you consider how much is communicated by your choice. If you’ve ever dined at a restaurant with patio seating near a fountain or a parking lot, then you can i ma gine what it must be like to try to discuss business at a rock concert! The noise from a fountain will have you shouting your business and any hope of bonding or inti ma cy will be lost.

The restaurant you choose reflects not only your character and personality, but also shows your client how much regard you have for them. If it is the first time you are taking a particular client to lunch, play it safe. Choose a restaurant that offers consistent quality, is moderately priced, and fairly quiet. My first choice would be a restaurant like The Palm or The Capital Grille. If you’ve never been to one of these, (there are several in ma jor cities across the United States ), let me describe it for you…you ma y know of something similar in your city. These restaurants are a business mecca, where waiters wear clean, white jackets. There is a lot of wood – on the walls, the floor, the booths and the chairs. There are crisp, white tablecloths at lunchtime, which identifies it as a high-end restaurant. The service is top-notch. Waiters are aware of guests conducting business and don’t intrude to ask how everything is if it is apparent that things at the table are fine. They accept reservations, so you know you will have a table waiting for you and your client. They also accept credit cards. These are first-class restaurants. The Palm even offers an affordable prix-fixe, or fixed-price luncheon menu. There are no surprises, which is exactly what you want for a first-time business lunch.

I recently took a client to a southwestern-style restaurant and the difference in service between this restaurant and one that I would choose for business was staggering. I had suggested taking her to The Palm, since we had a lot of business to discuss, but she insisted on going to this other restaurant because she needed to stay closer to her office at The Riviera. It helped that I had known Cammie for a couple of years, but she had just changed jobs and become my client, so this was our first business lunch together. I had a media kit at the table and was getting her up to date on her account. Our waiter was very nice and friendly, but was oblivious to the fact that we were trying to conduct a business lunch. H e interrupted us to inform us of their “exciting happy hour with half-priced appetizers.” H e stopped by frequently to ask how everything was going. Later in the meal, he interrupted again and handed us some 3” x 5” cards to fill out so that we could join the restaurant’s birthday club! We kept looking at each other through each of his “presentations,” and laughed when he finally left us alone. Thank goodness I am friends with Cammie! If this had been a new client that I didn’t know, it could have been incredibly awkward.
You should always give careful consideration to how expensive the restaurant is that you choose. If your client is on a budget at home and the lunch check for two of you is $80.00, you might put them ill at ease. On the other hand, if your client is well-off, and they spend a great part of their budget with you and you take them to an $8.99 buffet, the chances are good that they will be offended or, worse yet, perceive you as cheap. You want to find not just the right price, but also the best combination of great service, food quality and ambiance, especially for a first-time meeting.

*****

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