There
are many ways to conduct a lunch with a potential new client or someone
you’re looking to impress. We get asked the question time and time
again here at Late Night London. Safe to say that sitting in the corner
of a restaurant wedged in-between the coat rack and the toilet door
isn’t one of the routes to go down. As with anything, planning is
essential.
Find out what your guest really enjoys eating and
match the restaurant to that. Don’t go over the top and simply try and
win their attention with extravagance. Anyone can book up a restaurant
with two Michelin stars. So go one better. If they like wine, find out
what their favourite bottle is and find a place that has it on their
wine list. Call ahead to the restaurant to find out what their best
table is or even visit it yourself if you’ve never been and see what
would be most appropriate; then ask the front of house if you can
reserve the spot.
Natural light is important for a meeting as it
makes people more receptive and relaxed. Think about location as well.
Dragging someone all the way over from the other side of the city is
hardly conducive to winning them over. Meet halfway, or choose somewhere
they can reach easily in a taxi or via public transport.
If the
meeting goes well then it would be helpful to have somewhere to retire
to for a post-lunch drink or coffee so think about booking somewhere
with a separate bar/lounge to continue your chat. When it comes to
sitting down at the table and starting conversation, think about a
commonality between the two of you or something that has happened in the
press that day. Conversation starters are key but remember, when trying
to make an impression, the standard “How was your journey?” doesn’t
quite cut the mustard.
Don’t order the cheapest thing on the
menu or go for the house bottle of wine. Kick things off with an
aperitif and, despite most people being happy with tap water these days,
ask if they prefer still or sparkling and choose what they want. Now
that doesn’t mean you have to plump for foie gras and lobster for a main
course but resist going with homemade soup of the day and a bread roll.
Once you have set the precedent, your guest will feel more comfortable
ordering the fillet of steak with all the accompaniments along with the
scallops with truffle shavings and lobster bisque as a starter.
Most
of all, be relaxed. Take off your jacket and try to mirror the body
language of your guest. Show that you’re good at listening and offer
counter words to extend the conversation in to new areas. If it’s a
meeting for new business, try to find out a little more about the
individual on a personal level. As soon as something crops up that you
feel comfortable talking about further, go with it. But remember, as
soon as you feel yourself getting out of your depth, change the focus.
However, make them feel intelligent by admitting that you’ve learnt
something from them, even if you haven’t. A small ego boost goes a long
way. As long as it’s not too obvious.
So engage openly with the
person across the other side of the table, show the areas that you are a
master of in business. Secure their interest by developing areas of
thought in their mind that they may have thought about before but never
really followed up on. Make sure you’ve researched everything about them
and their business so you can congratulate them on the pockets of
success they already have but also how you can develop those further
through the introduction of new strategies.
As long as you’re
comfortable and relaxed, there shouldn’t be the need for awkwardness. If
that’s the case from the start, they’re probably not the type of person
you want to be conducting business with as they don’t fit in with your
company’s tone of voice or plans for expansion. As the lunch draws to an
end, ask if they would like to retire for a coffee or a drink and round
off the meeting with some light hearted conversation about what you
both do outside of work, music, sport, film, history. Whatever it takes
to make them sign on the dotted line. If they love tennis and haven’t
got tickets to Wimbledon, find a way of getting hold of a pair and drop
them an email asking them along. A small amount of effort goes a long
way in the business world and people will remember those efforts for
years to come.
Any comments? Email sarah@mashmedia.net
