4 Steps Lunch Business Meeting Tips for Success
Whether you’re dining out or hosting an office lunch meeting, here are four steps to making sure you have successful business
lunch clients and business lunch meeting participants. Here are the 4 steps to having successful lunch meetings:
Send Out the Invitations
Writing a meeting agenda is necessary for any great business meeting. Use your company’s email to send requested attendees
an invitation that links to their calendars. Your RSVP list will be easier to track, and those who accept your invitation can have
the lunch immediately added to the calendar. The email should also include a time, the location of the lunch, and a relevant
agenda.
If possible, be sure that in-person follow-ups happen, and always double-check over the phone on attendance and any needs
for clarification. This helps to reduce the chances of people forgetting or being left out. You also must make sure that all
responses to the invitation by everyone are captured.
Planning and Ordering Lunch
Along with your invitation or shortly thereafter start planning the meal. Most restaurants and catering services can pull
something together on short notice, but as with everything, it is always best to plan ahead. Build even more excitement by
announcing the menu choices as soon as possible. Most everyone gets excited about food, right?
Be sure that you have options that meet restrictive diets. Make sure vegetarians have options and also try to have gluten-free
choices. Make sure that condiments, ice, plates, cups, and cutlery are covered, too. Have a list of what everyone ordered. To
limit confusion on the day of the event, have names written on orders or positioned at people’s seats.
Follow Proper Business Lunch Etiquette
Business lunch meetings will be more productive if certain business lunch etiquette tips are followed. Some of those tips
include:
•Presenting An Outline of the Meeting
•Following the Outline for the Meeting
•Regulating Time and Ground Covered
•Making Sure Every One Present Can Chime In
•Leaving Time for Questions and Clarification
•Finalizing Strategies and Follow-Up
Any successful business lunch you hold for clients follows a certain level of business lunch etiquette. Make sure to have a grasp
on each of the five aforementioned business lunch etiquette tips.
Send Follow-Ups and Include Meeting Notes
After your successful business lunch has concluded, you must make all efforts possible to make sure clients remember the
experience. Keep them excited and engaged in moving forward. Immediately follow up with a hand-written thank you
addressed to the entire group. Send an additional hand-written note to the point of contact on their end, that helped you make
it happen. Along these lines, if there are any next steps from the meeting, assign tasks to whoever is the person responsible for
that task.
You should also be sure to call their main point of contact to thank them. The ongoing relationship with this main contact
person must be coddled to be sure any assignments and follow-ups happen. Let them know you appreciate the opportunity to
gather everyone for lunch. Thank them for their work in making it happen, and be certain they or someone with the company
is tasked with any and all follow-up.
Dining Out: Business Lunch Etiquette Tips at Restaurants
1. Hold and use your Cutlery, Glassware, and Napkin Correctly
It’s important to know basic dining etiquette so you can focus on the goals of the meeting and not worry if you’re using your
utensils and other dining items properly.
1. Napkins: should be placed on your lap as soon as you are seated at the table.
2. Silverware Placement: You will find the forks on the left side of the plate and the knives and spoons on the right. A fork and
spoon placed above the dining plate are always for dessert.
3. Bread & Butter Knife: Your bread plate and butter knife will always be to the left of your setting, and your glassware will
always be to the right, above the knives and spoons.
Knowing what a place setting looks like will ensure that you don’t pick up someone else’s glass or another item by mistake.
2. Be The Host
As the person who scheduled or called for the business lunch meeting, it’s important that you play the part of the host, ensuring
that the guest, whether it’s a client or a prospective client, has everything he or she needs.
4. Arrive Early: Arrive a few minutes earlier to confirm that the table is ready and notify the restaurant staff of anything they
need to know, such as giving you the bill or giving them your credit card to charge the bill at the end of the meal.
5. Offer the Guests The Seat: Give your guest a better seat, which is often the banquette side of the table or one that faces the
room.
6. Ordering Drinks: While you can order wine for the table if it’s a group dining, you should let everyone order meals before
you do so you match the number of courses your client is eating.
