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Kudos About Kaye’s
Coaching and Speaking
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For Immediate
Release: “The
Secret to a Power Business Lunch is the Same as Real Estate—Location,
Location, Location” Reveals About Every
day, millions of business people engage in millions of power lunches. They
are building relationships, closing deals, hammering out merger details and
accomplishing countless other tasks that are more enjoyably conducted in the
setting of a meal rather than an office. But not
all of those lunches are a success. Many end up in non-decisions or
stalemates and sometimes they end up with no business discussed at all. The
reason: a poorly-selected venue. “Regardless of how impeccably you behave,
how sparkling your conversation is or whether you use the right fork every
time, your deal could go south if you don’t choose wisely when you select
your location,” warns 1. Go to the client. Choose a restaurant close to the
client’s or guest’s office. You go to them; don’t make your client come to
you. If he has to sit in mid-day traffic for an hour to get to you, he’ll be
annoyed and frustrated by the time he shows up – not the frame of mind you
want him in to make a sale. 2. Stick with what you know. Choose a restaurant you have
been to before. A business lunch with a big prospect is not the time to try
that hot new place you read about in the paper last week. If that new hotspot
winds up being too loud or the tables are too close together, says 3. Verify the offering is
agreeable. You
may think raw fish is the most delectable meal on the planet, but face it:
not everyone agrees. So before inviting a guest to a restaurant that serves
anything unusually spicy, unusually exotic or just plain unusual, check with
him to make sure the fare is agreeable. 4. Call the restaurant, then call your client. Make lunch reservations before you pick up the
phone to call your client. 5. Consider an alternative venue. When you want to close the deal
over lunch, but don’t want a been-there-done-that feel to your meal, Executive dining room. The executive dining room is an
exclusive restaurant located in company headquarters and executive offices.
If your client works nearby or will be at your headquarters for the day
(remember, you don’t want to break the “you go to your client” rule), the
executive dining room might be an option for lunch. Usually only important
customers and high-level executives are invited to this room. In some
companies, when you are finally invited to dine here, you have arrived. Company cafeteria. Before you pooh-pooh this
option, think about the benefits: you can get food in a hurry, which is
useful if you’re hammering out a deal in your office and want just a short
break for lunch; your guest will feel welcomed and get greater insight into
your company’s culture; you can create a “down-home” feel to the meeting; and
your guest has the opportunity to mingle with associates from all levels of
the company. If your aim is none of these, then skip the cafeteria. Your office. If you have the room, the décor,
a need for privacy or a lack of time, a power lunch in your own office is not
out of the question. Ideally, have an assistant deliver lunch right to your
desk and you’ll be able to continue your business negotiations uninterrupted.
Remember to stay away from the keyboard and eat neatly. Just because you’re
in your office doesn’t mean you can abandon your manners. Finally, be
considerate of your office colleagues by keeping odors to a minimum. Private clubs. Private clubs are known for
their service, personal attention, high-quality food and private meeting
rooms. They can be an ideal location to impress a client. The simple act of
being a member of an exclusive club can boost your reputation in the eyes of
a customer. Since there are various types of private clubs, including dining
clubs, business clubs, social clubs and so on, be sure to indicate to your
guest the type of club to which you are inviting him and the appropriate
attire. -------- The
cardinal rule of real estate has always been “location, location, location;”
the same can be said of business lunches. “The choice of a power lunch site
is as important as knowing what to order, when to tip and when to close the
deal,” says To read ### We would
be delighted to have you reprint any of this article provided you include the
following byline: About ____________________________ Books
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