During your career, you may be asked to a business breakfast, lunch, or dinner. When dining in a professional setting, it is essential that proper dining etiquette is followed. The following tips will help you impress your boss, coworkers, or potential clients while dining.
When You Arrive
Always show up to a business meal on time or early, it is considered careless and rude to show up late. If you arrive before the host, it is proper etiquette to wait in the lobby area until the host arrives. You should not go ahead to the table. If you are hosting the meal, it is proper to wait in the lobby area while your guests arrive until the actual planned time of the meal, then you may join your guests at the table. Any late guests should be escorted to the table by the restaurant staff. If all guests are escorted to the table as a group, you should not sit until the host or senior person has done so.
The Table Set-up
As soon as you are seated for the meal, your napkin should be folded in half once and placed in your lap with the open end facing away from you. If you need to step out during any portion of the meal, your napkin should be placed on your seat to let the server know that you will return. As for silverware, you should start on the outside and work your way in, so the utensils furthest from you are for the first course. You may have up to four glasses for the meal, arranged in a square pattern. The top left glass is for red wine, below it is a smaller white wine glass, at the top right is the champagne glass, and the bottom right is the water glass.
Ordering
When ordering your meal, it is best to follow the host’s lead. For example, if the host orders a simple dinner like a sandwich or burger, you should order something similar. Likewise, if the host orders a desert then you should do the same. It is distasteful to order alcohol at a business outing, and you should only do so if the host and other guests are drinking. If you must follow the host in ordering alcohol, drink in extreme moderation as to avoid clouding your professional judgment.
During the Meal
Basic table manners should be adhered to during a business meal. This means that you should not talk with your mouth full or rest your elbows on the table. Take small bites so that you can easily participate in conversation, and always chew with your mouth closed. When you are done with a knife, fork, or spoon, it should be placed on your plate, not on the table or resting off the side of the plate. You should not use your cell phone or tablet during a meal, and if you must make or receive a call, you should excuse yourself from the table to do so.
Follow-up
You should always thank your host after the meal has completed and offer a warm handshake. However, it is also necessary to thank your host again by means of a phone call or thank you note. A thank you note is more personal and doesn’t pose the threat of interrupting the recipient’s work day. In a thank you note, you should let your host know that you appreciate and enjoyed the meal, and also briefly recap on any business decisions that were made. For example, if you gained a new business partner during a meal, your thank you note may say, “I look forward to our new partnership!”
Business meals are a great way to meet with potential clients, gain new partners, or share business ideas. As a worker striving for success in a company, a business meal also provides a way for you to impress your superiors with your professional etiquette outside the workplace.
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Business Dining Etiquette Tips |
When You Arrive
Always show up to a business meal on time or early, it is considered careless and rude to show up late. If you arrive before the host, it is proper etiquette to wait in the lobby area until the host arrives. You should not go ahead to the table. If you are hosting the meal, it is proper to wait in the lobby area while your guests arrive until the actual planned time of the meal, then you may join your guests at the table. Any late guests should be escorted to the table by the restaurant staff. If all guests are escorted to the table as a group, you should not sit until the host or senior person has done so.
The Table Set-up
As soon as you are seated for the meal, your napkin should be folded in half once and placed in your lap with the open end facing away from you. If you need to step out during any portion of the meal, your napkin should be placed on your seat to let the server know that you will return. As for silverware, you should start on the outside and work your way in, so the utensils furthest from you are for the first course. You may have up to four glasses for the meal, arranged in a square pattern. The top left glass is for red wine, below it is a smaller white wine glass, at the top right is the champagne glass, and the bottom right is the water glass.
Ordering
When ordering your meal, it is best to follow the host’s lead. For example, if the host orders a simple dinner like a sandwich or burger, you should order something similar. Likewise, if the host orders a desert then you should do the same. It is distasteful to order alcohol at a business outing, and you should only do so if the host and other guests are drinking. If you must follow the host in ordering alcohol, drink in extreme moderation as to avoid clouding your professional judgment.
During the Meal
Basic table manners should be adhered to during a business meal. This means that you should not talk with your mouth full or rest your elbows on the table. Take small bites so that you can easily participate in conversation, and always chew with your mouth closed. When you are done with a knife, fork, or spoon, it should be placed on your plate, not on the table or resting off the side of the plate. You should not use your cell phone or tablet during a meal, and if you must make or receive a call, you should excuse yourself from the table to do so.
Follow-up
You should always thank your host after the meal has completed and offer a warm handshake. However, it is also necessary to thank your host again by means of a phone call or thank you note. A thank you note is more personal and doesn’t pose the threat of interrupting the recipient’s work day. In a thank you note, you should let your host know that you appreciate and enjoyed the meal, and also briefly recap on any business decisions that were made. For example, if you gained a new business partner during a meal, your thank you note may say, “I look forward to our new partnership!”
Business meals are a great way to meet with potential clients, gain new partners, or share business ideas. As a worker striving for success in a company, a business meal also provides a way for you to impress your superiors with your professional etiquette outside the workplace.