The Definitive Book of Body Languagelet's consider the dynamics of going to a restaurant for a meal,
but where your objective is to get a favourable response to a
proposition.
If you are going to do business over dinner, it's a wise strat-
egy to complete most of the conversation before the food
arrives. Once everyone starts eating the conversation can come
to a standstill and alcohol dulls the brain. After you've eaten,
the stomach takes blood away from the brain to help digestion,
making it harder for people to think clearly. While some men
hope to achieve these types of effects with a woman on a date,
it can be disastrous in business. Present your proposals while
everyone is mentally alert.
No one ever makes a decision with their mouth full.A hundred thousand years ago, ancestral man would return
with his kill at the end of a hunting day and he and his group
would share it inside a communal cave. A fire was lit at the
entrance to the cave to ward off predators and to provide
warmth. Each caveman sat with his back against the wall of
the cave to avoid the possibility of being attacked from behind
while he was engrossed in eating his meal. The only sounds
that were heard were the gnashing and gnawing of teeth and
the crackle of the fire. This ancient process of food sharing
around an open fire at dusk was the beginning of a social event
that modern man re-enacts at barbecues, cookouts and dinner
parties. Modern man also reacts and behaves at these events in
much the same way as he did over a hundred thousand years
ago.
Now to our restaurant or dinner party: getting a decision in
your favour is easier when the other person is relaxed and his
defensive barriers have been lowered. To achieve this end, and
keeping in mind what has already been said about our ances-
tors, a few simple rules need to be followed.
First, whether you are dining at home or at a restaurant,
have the other person sitting with his back to a solid wall or