In your professional life, you will be attending a lot of business dinners. Business dinner meetings can be an excellent way to strengthen the bond between your team members, meet with a client in a comfortable environment, and even conduct an interview before you take someone on board for your company. To leave a good impression on your company or clients, displaying your best manners is essential during dinner meetings.
This article discusses seven essential business dinner meeting etiquette that can impress everyone at the table.
Dress According To the Occasion
Your dressing for dinner meetings will depend on the occasion and type of restaurant you will be having dinner at. An initial interview meeting with the recruiters or a networking get-together calls for a business casual. When meeting with a client, it would be better to dress formally.
Before the business dinner, look up the dinner venue and check what vibes you get. If you have doubts, it is better to be a bit overdressed rather than underdressed.
Keep Your Phone on Silent Mode
Before you enter the dinner venue, do not forget to enable ‘silence’ mode on your phone. Keep your phone in your pocket, and do not use it in front of your host or guest.
If you get an emergency phone call, politely say, “excuse me,” walk away from the table, and attend to the phone call.
Eat Something Before You Reach the Venue
If you feel super hungry, eat something light before going out for your business dinner. You will focus more on food than the conversation if you reach the venue starving.
Be Seated Properly
It is considered polite to keep standing until your boss or other senior members have been seated. After you have sat at the table, maintain a good posture throughout the meal. It is advisable to keep your elbows off the table and not lift your feet off the ground. Some other tips to keep in mind during dinner meetings are:
- Your wine glass should be to the right of your water glass.
- Start with the food close to you on the table, and then move to other courses.
- Only start eating when everyone at the dinner table has received their meals.
Cover Your Lap with Your Napkin
As soon as you are seated, take the napkin off the table, unfold it, and place it in your lap. Remember to keep the open end of the fold opposite to yourself. It looks unclean if you tuck the napkin into the front of your shirt. So, avoid doing it.
P.S – If you leave the table, do not place the napkin on the table. Leave it on your empty chair. A napkin on an empty chair tells the server that you will return to the dinner.
Do Not Order the Alcohol First
Unless you are the host, do not order alcohol during dinner meetings. It is better if the host places an order for the alcohol. When the wine does arrive, do not get carried away. Limit yourself to a glass or two.
Place Your Order Carefully
It is recommended to leave it to the host to place the order. If they ask for your suggestion, do not order something expensive. Also, never order more courses than your host. It gives a message that you are exploiting the generosity of your host.
Always order something you can eat with a knife and a spoon. You do not want to look messy in front of other guests.
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