Make a good impression with clients, prospects and centres of influence by making the right choices at your next lunch meeting.
If your table manners are very polished, says Joanne Blake, owner of Style for Success Inc. in Edmonton, clients and prospects will think you will handle their portfolios with confidence and expertise, too.
But choosing potentially hazardous dishes could put guests off their meals. Here are some items to avoid as you peruse the menu:
> Finger foods
Skip food that requires skill — or a bib — to eat.
For example, foods such as crab or ribs should be avoided, says Blake. Or, if you are expected to fillet the trout yourself, go with something else.
“It’s probably best to order things that are presented ready to eat,” she says.
> Challenging pastas
Be careful when considering the menu’s pasta options.
“Spaghetti tends to fall off the fork at the worst times” says Terry Pithers a partner at Style for Success, “and the sauce can get on a white shirt or blouse.”
Instead, order a smaller-sized pasta, like penne, that you can easily skewer with a fork.
> Spillable soups
Be picky about the soups you order at a lunch meeting. And know how to consume it.
When eating soup, you should fill up only three-quarters of the spoon with liquid, says Blake, in order to avoid mishaps. Stay away from overly thick or thin soups that are particularly likely to spill.
French onion soup, which comes with a baked-on layer of cheese, for example, should be avoided.
> Unfamiliar foods
If you do not recognize a term or a dish on the menu, Pithers says, it’s best not to order it.
However, if many of the items are new to you, ask the server to explain about how a dish is prepared. That will give you a better sense of what it is and whether or not you would enjoy it.
> “Insensitive” items
Show respect by reflecting your guest’s preferences.
For example, if your guest is a vegetarian, Blake says, don’t order a blue-rare steak. That might be off-putting to him or her.