In this day and age, business is being conducted outside the four walls of your company office. Business deals and transactions are occurring at golf courses, entertainment events, social venues and restaurants. There are many dynamics to building business relations, partnerships and associations. In order to maneuver through situations with grace and diplomacy, we suggest learning the right etiquette for successful and pleasant business meetings.
Listed below are five helpful tips for business dinning etiquette:
Clock Works
If you are scheduled to have a business breakfast, lunch or dinner it is important to arrive early to the location. Arriving early is a subtle form of etiquette and courtesy. You are basically respecting everyone’s time by not arriving late. By arriving early, you have the opportunity to use the restroom, check your messages, turn off your electronics and reduce any distractions during the business meal.
Deja-Vu
If the date, location and time for your business event have already been determined, we suggest you visit the restaurant website to view the menu and get directions. Previewing the menu early, gives you adequate time to select what you would like to eat. You can even select one or two dishes in case they are out of a particular order. This is very helpful for the day of the business event, because you are able to make a quicker decision on your meal without wasting time or prolonging the order status for the entire table.
99 Bottles of Beer
You should determine before the business meal if you will be ordering alcohol. You can ask the host of the event, fellow colleagues or your boss, if it is ok to order wine, a cocktail, beer or other alcoholic beverages. Also, keep the client or nature of the business meal in mind if you decide to order alcohol. If this is the first meeting, we strongly suggest that you refrain from consuming alcohol. If you are comfortable with your business counterparts and have good business relations, then ordering alcohol might not be a bad decision. Make sure that you are familiar with your tolerance level and drink responsibly.
Talk the Talk
Before the business event, take some time to think about topics to discuss during the meal. This would be a great time to brush up on current events, sports, business trends, entertainment, travel, technology etc. You can also visit the company sites of your business counterparts to learn about their business culture, objectives, missions or current projects that may be national or international. Try to refrain from controversial topics that may not be appropriate during the business meeting.
Green Backs
Make sure to bring extra cash with you whenever you attend business events such as these. Although you may not be paying for the meal, you may have to pay cash for transportation, parking, valet or any other activities after the business event. ATM machines may be difficult or inconvenient to find, depending on the location of the business event. And not all restaurants/venue expect every credit card or personal/business checks.
By: Chi Chi Okezie
Posts Tagged ‘Business Deals’
Vested Business Brokers
November 12th, 2009
Hiring the expertise of a vested business broker is a good strategy, especially when doing business. If you are thinking of buying or selling your business, the foremost thought on your mind is, of course, how you will be able to optimize your sale or purchase. Getting the services of a reliable and knowledgeable vested business broker can make a huge difference.
Vested business brokers act as the middlemen between buyers and sellers. They may have ready resources, such as a long list of clientele who are ready to make purchases or people who are itching to sell businesses or properties. Vested business brokers may also be in contact with a wider network that, in turn, can put you in touch with more possible buyers and sellers.
Aside from these perks, the services of vested business brokers usually include some form of promotion, like advertisements and publicity, which can speed up the sale or purchase of your item.
Business deals, such as the buying and selling of a business or property, usually includes a fair amount of paper work and can take up a lot of your time. If you do not want to be bothered by the technical details, then you can hire a professional to address your needs. Vested business brokers can take care of everything from setting up meetings, making credit inquiries and even doing your paperwork. With these people at the helm, all you need to worry about is getting a fair deal.
The buying and selling process can be complicated. Many of the business dealings involving buying and selling can be taxing. That is why you need someone reliable who will take care of your assets and your money. You want someone who is smart enough to know a good deal when he stumbles upon one and turns away from a bad deal as soon as the warning signs flash.
By: Steve Valentino
