Making a good impression on a client or prospect requires the best in social skills.

If you are advising someone financially, says Terry Pithers, a partner at Edmonton-based Style for Success Inc., that client will also want you to be confident in your social skills.

Here are few tips to keep in mind when at a lunch meeting with clients or prospects:

> Go where you know
Avoid surprises by choosing a restaurant you are familiar with.

You should have a few restaurants that you frequent fairly regularly, says Pithers. That way you might have a favourite table and you will know the service will be up to the level your clients expect.

> Make a suggestion
Set the tone for the meal by making a menu suggestion.

A subtle suggestion does two things, Pithers says. It lets your guest know what’s good and it subconsciously indicates a reference point for a price range.

For example, if the sky is the limit, suggest a high-priced item like the New York strip loin.

Remember, you will always cover the bill when inviting a client to lunch, Pithers says. So make sure the invitation is clear that it’s your treat.

> Follow the lead
Let your guest order first so that you can gauge how much to order.

You should order the same progression of food as your guest, says Joanne Blake, owner of Style for Success. If he or she orders soup, then you should order a soup or a salad to accompany them.

“There’s nothing worse then watching someone eat when you’ve got nothing in front of you,” she says. “That’s when a person’s table manners are really on display.”

> Keep pace
Make sure you and your guest finish eating at roughly the same time.

If your guest orders something difficult to eat, such as crab, or uses the “American style” of switching hands with the knife and fork, they might be a slow eater, Pithers says. If that’s the case, slow down, regardless of what you’ve ordered.

> Keep smiling
Always remain calm, no matter what happens during the meal.

Mistakes on the part of the wait staff occur occasionally when you are dining out, Blake says. When something goes awry, don’t make a big deal out of it.

“If things are not going according to plan, you can excuse yourself and deal with it away from the guest,” Blake says. Be tactful. Treat serving staff in the same way as you would treat any of your guests.