appropriate? Are you worried that your client might get turned off? Dining with a client

normally happens if you work in the corporate world. Gone were the days when business

dealings were typically conducted inside the office premises.

Dining out to meet a client is but normal in today’s society. More so, it is likely to

happen in whatever field of business you find yourself in. To ensure that you know of the

proper diplomacy and grace, it is best to handle these situations with all the proper

business dining etiquette. If you know your manners, you increase your chances of

maneuvering successful business meetings.

Don’t be led away from the real purpose on why you are at the table. You are there to

discuss business matters only that you also have to make use of the tableware. Therefore,

you have two goals—to focus on what your client needs and wants and to behave yourself

accordingly as you deal with the food. You might never know it but the way that you handle

the tableware can influence the reaction of your customer towards your business proposal.

Here is what you should do for a successful business meal and an impressed client.

Determine the venue depending on the type of customer that you have, the restaurant’s

accessibility, and your client’s availability as well.

Take note of the restaurant’s parking space, noise level, and your client’s dietary

preference.

Plan your meal ahead of time. Be sure that your preferred dishes are not potentially messy

to consume.

Being the host, you should arrive at least 30 minutes early. Check the table arrangement,

the menu, and the payment of the bill. You are the one who is expected to pay the bill if

you invited your client.

Don’t eat bread or anything unless your guest has arrived. The table should be as pristine

as ever.

Ask your guests to order first not unless you have ordered the entire meal beforehand. When

your guest prefers appetizers, order yours too.

If you are not hungry, order something light. Don’t let your guest eat alone.

Avoid ordering any exotic food. Prefer those that are familiar and easy to eat using fork

and knife.

Eat only when everyone has been served. If the food of your client has been served earlier,

encourage him to start with his meal before it gets cold.

Chew your food gently and silently.

Don’t slurp.

Don’t stab or saw your food.

Put bite-size food into your mouth. In times like these, it is expected that you will talk

once in a while so never put too much food into your mouth.

Turn off your phone. Don’t accept any calls when you face your client.

Keep the unnecessary documents, keys, cellular phones, and the likes off the table.

Start with the business discussion after the meal. This time you may take out the papers

that you need.

Proper business dining etiquette leads to more business. It is by dining with your clients

that you open the portal to connect with them away from the usual hassles that the office

atmosphere provides. When you behave yourself well, clients are sure to get impressed!

all times. It is, for example, polite to wait for the hostess to serve you first rather than

you serving your own plate before everyone else. It is also polite to position your

silverware at 4:00 once you’re done with your meal. Furthermore, it is polite not to make

unnecessary noise when eating. However, things are a bit different with other cultures.

Check out the differences below:

China
In China, it is polite not to finish a meal, regardless if it’s rice, noodle or other

Chinese cuisines. It is because when you leave nothing on your plate or bowl, you are

sending them the signal that you want more and the hostess has not served you enough.

Japan
The case is different if you are in Japan. If you eat there, it is in your best interest to

finish everything in your plate. The bonus? You get to have another serving. But what if you

don’t like the food? You finish the plate anyway. Otherwise, you would be considered

impolite.

Iran
Spoons and forks are not as popular in Iran as they are here in the Western world. So even

if you don’t feel comfortable using your hands on your food, you should respect the custom

and chow with it. So the next time you go there and you are expecting to eat with other

people, try to wash your hands in advance. You will be thankful that you did.

Spain
While it is impolite to leave a messy table in most parts of the world, not to mention a

cluttered floor once you’re done eating, it is somewhat expected of you in Spain. In Spain,

especially in snack bars, you can throw your mess (used napkins, bread crumbs, food

wrappings, etc.) on the floor. This is because they sweep the debris after you or before

they close their shops and it is just expected that you leave something behind. Otherwise,

you did not eat anything in the bar.

England
We Americans are fond of diving into our foods using our fingers, especially fried treats.

But English people have a slightly different opinion about that. For them, it is necessary

ONLY when there are no utensils around.

France
Should you or should you not ask a French chef extra ketchup? No, a big no. When in France,

you MUST NEVER ask a chef to give you more ketchup, this is insulting and totally

unacceptable.

Germany
If you find yourself in a high-class German restaurant and you ordered something that has

chunks of potato in it, what is the proper way of slicing the potato into convenient pieces?

The answer: with your fork. Knives are too smooth, they spoil the texture of the potatoes.

Australia
We all know that in some cultures, it is rude to stare direct to the eyes. However in

Australia, it is rude to miss the eyes of the person you are clinking a toast with. Not

looking a person in the eyes signifies that you don’t acknowledge the person’s presence.

Canada
You would usually get stares when you burp vigorously after a meal in most parts of the

world but the Inuit people of Canada think otherwise. For them, it is a sign of gratitude

for the meal.