Business Table Manners

Last time we talked about some amazing restaurants for doing business.

Today we are going to give you some tips about business table manners.


Business table manners can affect  business decisions. It is a great opportunity to leave a good impression and win people over. Maybe not everyone cares about your perfect table manner, but if you have an inappropriate behavior, they will remember that.

It's hard to take care of all the details, so let's just talk about something you definitely do not want to show it to your clients and potential employers.

1. Don't talk with food in your mouth and chew with you mouth closed. Not only because it's difficult to understand you, but also it is not a pleasant thing to see. Excuse yourself to the bathroom if you really need to get things out that are stuck in your teeth.

2. Be careful of what you order and try to avoid alcohol. Do not order something that is really hard to eat. You don't want to challenge and embarrass yourself at that important moment.

3. Never lift your soup bowl to drink the final drop. (I always do this. I am just very uncomfortable not to finish the whole bowl :( . BUT I never do this when I am in an important occasion.)

4. Use the napkin frequently. People do not want to see the food on your face, and they do not know whether they should tell you or not. You don't want to give a task to you clients right? And please don't lick your fingers too, otherwise your clients will not be happy to shake your hand after the mea.

5. Take small bites throughout the meal. Since the purpose of the meal is to talk about business, you will not want to waste time on food. Give yourself some breaks to talk. Don't let your clients wait for you because you are chewing!

There are still many details to learn for table manners, such as the place setting rules. If you want to be more professional, you should always check that out.

Good luck for your business!

---Di



Cited: http://www.modern-manners-and-etiquette.com/business-table-manners.html
          http://entertaining.about.com/cs/etiquette/a/tablemanners.htm