At some point in your career, you will more than likely have to attend a business meeting over dinner or lunch. And as a matter of fact, as more people are now working from home, it has grown increasingly common to meet up with a prospect to discuss business at a restaurant or cafe. Therefore, it is a good idea to know a thing or two about dining etiquette. The following are a few tips to help you create a positive, lasting impression on someone during a business meeting that takes place while eating.

Dining Etiquette

Table Settings- Depending on what restaurant you are going to, the table settings can vary from being quite simple to incredibly complex. Luckily, all you have to remember is the rule of working from the outside in. For example, in a more formal restaurant where you are served a salad or soup first, you would start with the outer-most fork or spoon on your table setting. If you are unsure, in a worst-case scenario, wait until someone else starts eating to see what utensil they use!

Napkin use- As soon as you are seated at your table, be sure to place your napkin in your lap. At a more formal restaurant, the waiter will do this for you. The main purpose of your napkin is to catch any stray food that falls. do not shake out your napkin, crumple it up or use it to blow your nose. When you are done with your meal, simply fold the napkin and place it on the table.

Ordering food- Look over the menu and choose a meal or item that is priced somewhere in the middle. If you are unsure of what to order, follow your host’s lead or ask what he or she recommends. Keep in mind that you are dining for business reasons. That said, choose a meal or menu item that is easy to eat (ie. something without bones or messy sauces). Also, be sure to be respectful to the person who is waiting on you.

Conversing- When speaking to a prospective client or business associate, avoid discussing religion and politics. Focus on the conversation, and make sure to not let your guard down even if or when the conversation takes on a more conversational, relaxed tone. Prior to meeting for lunch or dinner, be sure to know what is going on in the news for that day, this way you are informed should something be brought up. If you are eating, make sure to keep your mouth closed while you chew, and only speak once you have finished swallowing your food.

Times are tough as thousands of Americans are on the hunt for a new career due to being laid off. Still, thousands more are just graduating college and are new to the workforce. That said, it is important to know a thing or two about business etiquette as it may mean the difference between landing a job versus making it easier for the next person in line to land it. The following are some simple steps to help refresh your memory as to what is and isn’t acceptable to possible employers.

Business Etiquette 101

Prep- First impressions are lasting impressions. If you are attending a career fair or a job interview, make sure that you know what the attire is for the event. You can never go wrong by dressing more on the conservative side. Make sure that you hair is styled neatly and that you look presentable. Turn your cell phone off or to silent.

Punctuality-Invest in a watch and/or an alarm clock. Know what time the event or interview starts, and plan on arriving at least 10 to 15 minutes early. If, for some reason, you experience a delay in getting to your appointment on time, make sure that you call your contact to let them know that you will be arriving late. While it is not ideal to arrive late, alerting the other person will demonstrate responsibility.

Body language- When you speak to someone, make eye contact but don’t stare at them either. Smile, use good posture and carry yourself with confidence. If you smoke, avoid doing so before a first meeting with someone or an interview. Do not chew gum either, and avoid looking around too much as it will suggest a lack of interest.

Introductions- When you are first introduced, stand (if you are seated) and be sure to shake hands firmly while making eye contact. Also, if the other person introduced themselves, include his or her name in your greeting (i.e. “Nice to meet you, John.”)

Remembering these simple rules will most certainly help you regardless of  whether or not you are going to your first job interview or a business meeting.

In an article published by Alison Diana of Informationweek.com, the majority of consumers want to interact with businesses via social media outlets. However, less than one-third of companies actually have any type of social media strategy in place. Thus, we have a problem. So, then why aren’t businesses picking up on their consumers’ desire to connect?

This information on the many missed opportunities to use social media in business comes from a recent report put forth by Siemens Enterprise Communications in conjunction with leading research firm, Yankee Group. In the study, results showed that the average customer satisfaction with current business interactions via social media was just 65 percent while one third of businesses do not allow the use of social media at work or aren’t aware of their company’s participation in social networking.

Tsk. Tsk.

Overlooking social networking or merely passing social media off as a “waste of time” or boiling it down to goofing off on Facebook or Twitter is hardly the case. If used properly, social media can draw in tons of traffic to a website or help put a business that would have otherwise been an ‘unknown’ on the map for the first time.

All you have to do to see social media in action with a business is look at the recent ad campaign put forth by Old Spice. Old Spice found a clever and creative way to employ the use of several top social networking site: Twitter, Facebook and YouTube (all user-generated) in order to strengthen their brand. Some may view Twitter as pointless, but when you look at what Old Spice did with their Twitter page, they actually took the time to interact with their followers. It was the perfect example of listening to the consumer and then responding (in real time) to their demand.

Selected highlights from the study

• 70 percent of consumers want access to company experts and support via social media channels and trust company information provided to them via their social networks.
• Nearly 60 percent of customers feel company outreach via social media would improve their loyalty to that company.
• Most customers feel that companies should be monitoring social media for customer feedback.
• 50 percent of respondents use social media daily or several times a day.
• Nearly 70 percent of employees feel they need better tools to track and manage social media for business, and would like the ability to initiate a Web conference automatically from a chat discussion at work, inviting people from within their social and work networks.

To read more about the study, click here. In the meantime, consider what sorts of social media practices your business is employing at the moment. What could you be doing better? What sorts of demands do your customers/clients want? Perhaps the most important thing to consider is the power that social media has to leverage your business above the competition. Never underestimate this!

(Digital Journal via InformationWeek)