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Welcome To “Business Dining Etiquette:

Where Business and Social

Skills Meet”

In our rapidly growing economy, doing business over a meal is an essential part of doing business. It’s in this type of setting that our table manners show off our level of polish, sophistication, and education. Business dining is a chance for you to have face-to-face interactions with other business entities and clients. Your lack of professionalism at the table will reflect poorly on your company's reputation as well as your own reputation. The impression you create in this environment will create more business, close the deal, or break the deal.

Critical mistakes in business dining like discussing business matters at an inappropriate time, holding flatware improperly and inappropriate dinner banter will leave a bad taste in the mouth of a professional. Also, if your table manners say, “Barbarian,” people will wonder what other part of your education is lacking. We may not like it, but people do judge us by our table manners. Let’s make sure you only make a great impression in any dining experience.

Dining etiquette training is becoming very common in the business world. At one time, all college graduates entering the business world were expected to have good table manners and to know how to appropriately maneuver their way through a business meal. Unfortunately, that is not the case anymore.

How did we get to this point, where bad table manners are the norm - not the exception? With the ever-growing number of families with two working parents, dining etiquette training is one of the things that falls through the cracks. The family that sits down to their dinner meal together, like in the days of the Leave it to Beaver TV show, is a rare event indeed. We are now a society of fast food, fast talk, fast everything.

The rules for dining etiquette are simple and easy to follow, because some of the rules have not changed in hundreds of years. As you will see in the next section, some of the dining etiquette rules were designed for your safety (to stop people from killing each other at the table), while others were designed to make eating more efficient.

My goal for this book is to review the basic dining elements with a focus on the rules you must be aware of in the business environment. The rules included in this book are for fine dining, but once you know how to behave in a fine restaurant, you can dine anywhere. To feel comfortable using the rules of dining etiquette, I encourage you to use them every day and teach your children; otherwise, you will not feel at ease when you really do have to follow the rules.

Proper dining etiquette is an important business tool, and when you are trained in the art of fine dining, you will exude confidence and class. Before we begin, let’s examine your current skills by taking the following quick quiz.

Dining Etiquette Quiz

1.After my guest accepts my invitation to dinner, to select the restaurant I

a.ask my guest where they want to eat.

b.call all their friends to find out what their favorite restaurant is.

c.contact their secretary if I don’t already know.

d.none of the above.

2.I’m in a business meeting with my clients and I suggest to everyone, “Let’s go to lunch.” Who picks up the check?

a.the person who has the most to gain from the business association.

b.everyone pays for their own food.

c.the person who is closest to the check when it’s delivered at the table.

d.None of the above

3.I’m attending a business lunch and I have a briefcase with me. I place my briefcase and/or handbag (if I’m a woman)

a.on the table.

b.on the floor.

c.on the chair that is empty.

d.on the back of my chair.

4.When I’m the host, I should try to sit my guest of honor

a.across the table from where I sit.

b.to my left.

c.to my right.

d.None of the above.

5.I’m the host, and the server asks me for my order first. I

a.motion to my guest and have them place their order first.

b.its not important, I go ahead and place my order.

c.ask my guest if they want to order.

d.None of the above.

6.I’m the guest and my host does not make any suggestions as to what I should order. I

a.order the least expensive item on the menu.

b.order the most expensive item on the menu.

c.order user friendly food.

d.None of the above.

7.I’m hosting a dinner event at my house, I sit the guest of honor

a.at the head of the table.

b.closes to the entrance.

c.to my right while I sit at the head of the table.

d.None of the above.

8.I’m the host, to indicate the end of the meal. I

a.push my chair back and leave.

b.place my napkin on the chair and leave.

c.place my napkin to the left of my plate.

d.None of the above.

9.I’m attending a business meal and I’m wearing a suit, as I sit down I want to take my jacket off. I

a.take it off and drape it on the back of my chair.

b.keep it on.

c.to my right while I sit at the head of the table.

d.None of the above.

10.I usually eat my largest meal at midday. I’m invited to a business lunch, I

a.pay attention to your host’s suggestions, and select my entrée accordingly.

b.order the largest meal on the menu and proceed to scarf it down as fast as I can.

c.None of the above.

11.I don’t drink alcoholic beverages, but I’m hosting a dinner event for my client who does. I

a.don’t order any wine for anyone.

b.make several suggestions to my client as to what they can order.

c.order for the client.

d.None of the above.

12.I’m the host and I’m anxious to talk business at the dinner event. I bring up the business discussion

a.at the end of the meal.

b.as soon as we sit down.

c.when desert is served.

d.None of the above.

13.I order soup and it arrives very hot. I

a.take a spoonful of soup and blow on it until it cools enough for me to eat it.

b.wait until the soup cools off enough for me to eat it.

c.ask for another bowl of soup that is not so hot.

d.None of the above.

14.I notice that the person sitting next to me has food stuck between their teeth. I

a.ignore it and continue eating my food.

b.tell the other person next to me so we can enjoy a good laugh.

c.quietly tell the person so they can excuse themselves and take care of business privately.

d.None of the above.

15.I’m in the middle of my meal and my napkin falls on the floor. I

a.bend down, pick it up and put it on my lap.

b.ask the server to bring me a new one.

c.take a napkin off the table that is closes to me.

d.None of the above.

16.During my meal, I feel my nose running. I

a.excuse myself, go to the rest room and take care of business.

b.proceed to clean myself with my napkin.

c.clean myself with the napkin and ask the wait staff for a new one.

d.None of the above.

17.At the end of my meal I love to pick up the sauce with my bread. To properly do this, I

a.take a piece of bread with my fingers and proceed to clean the plate with the bread.

b.tear a piece of bread with my fingers, pick up the bread with my fork and proceed to absorb the sauce with the bread and bring it to my mouth.

c.None of the above.

18.My guest orders desert but I don’t want one. I

a.tell him/her not to order because I don’t want one.

b.offer to split the desert with them.

c.order a desert any way just to compliment my guest’s order.

d.None of the above.

19.I’m at a business meal and I eat only half my serving. I

a.leave the food on the plate and don’t ask for a doggy bag.

b.ask for a doggy bag to save the food.

c.ask for my companion’s permission to take the food home.

d.None of the above.

20.We’re finished with our meal and the check is placed in front of my guest. I

a.wait to see if they will pay the check and save myself some money.

b.offer to split the check with my client.

c.discretely as possible take the check and pay.

d.None of the above.

Etiquette Quiz Answers:

1. C	6. C	11. B	16. A
2. A	7. C	12. C	17. C
3. B	8. C	13. B	18. C
4.C	9. B	14. C	19. A
5. A	10. A	15. B	20. C

Calculate 5 points for every correct answer.

100 – 90	Excellent, I’m proud of you.
90 – 80	Wonderful, you are on your way to being etiquette savvy.
80 – 70	There is always room for improvement.
70 – 60	You need a bit more practice.
60 – 0	My goal is to help you with this book.