Excerpted from the Executive Report: Business Etiquette: 95 Dos and Don’ts for Managers and Executives
While a lot of business is conducted over lunch and dinner, it’s also a place you can lose business. Here are six things you shouldn’t do:
- Don’t talk about diets. No one likes to hear a lecture about food at the table. If you’re on a diet, keep it to yourself and just say, “No thank you,” when offered something you’ve decided not to eat. Never ask other diners why they aren’t eating a particular food.
- Don’t drink to excess, if at all. Mixing booze and business is tricky. Err on the side of caution. If you decide not to drink alcohol at business meals, don’t make a big show of your abstinence.
- Don’t flaunt picking up the check. If you invite a business associate to share a meal, you’re responsible for paying the tab. Don’t flaunt your generosity.
- Don’t use your cell phone. Never answer your phone at the table, unless you’re a physician whose calls are a matter of life and death. It’s also extraordinarily rude to text, instant message or consult email while dining. Only 14-year-olds fail to realize this, and nobody wants to eat with them either.
- Don’t eat or order food until your guest arrives. If you arrive at the restaurant before your dining companion, don’t order any food or drink until the entire party has arrived. You should look as if you just got there when they show up.
- Don’t complain. If the food is lousy, you can’t fix it. Just keep quiet about it and vow (silently) never to return.
DIGGING DEEPER
Not always sure what’s proper in business? You definitely aren’t alone. It can be like navigating a minefield. One mistake and you’ve made an idiot of yourself. Need help? Read the Executive Report: Business Etiquette: 95 Dos and Don’ts for Managers and Executives

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