Mastering the Art of Success(^)
- Send handwritten thank you notes whenever possible. Use
legible writing, good grammar, and correct spelling. This
shows you go the extra step and are thoughtful and
considerate.
WRIGHT
Would you explain to our readers why dining etiquette is so
es sential in a business climate?BALDRIDGE
The ability and confidence to dine anywhere with anyone is of
pa rticular importance in business, as many relationships are built over a
meal. Although this is meant to be a more relax ed way to meet, it is
often a more stressful situation for many people.
The ability t o project a professional and well- cultured image in
business-related dining situations again speaks to your executive
presence. Fortunately, there are a number of strategies you can adopt
th at will ultimately make you more comfortable in these situations and
take out some of the guess work that is likely causing you stress.
Planning ahead of time is the key to your com fort with the business
meal. You can check menus, determine the exact location and travel
time, and determine the seating arrangements all before you set the
date. Speak to the restaurant manager before the event to determine
your costs and who will be taking care of the bill. You may also want to
set an alcohol budget or determine the wine choices in advance.
Once when hosting a dining event with my husband, the wait staff
swooped in before w e were all seated and was suggesting champagne to
the women who were happily accepting the offer. Fortunately, I noticed
the bottle was Dom Perignon and called it to the attention of my dear
husband. We redeemed the situation by quickly o ffering wine to our
guests and avoided what could have been a very costly mistake.
Your Executive Image offers executive dining etiquette systems that
take you through real-time dining dilemmas and shows you how to
reach a new level of c onfidence and competency. You will be confident
with handling your knife and fork, napkin etiquette, how to eat
di ffi cult foods, seating arrangements, h ow t o offer a toast, and