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Productive meals The Esquire Guy on navigating the tricky terrain of a business lunch By Ross McCammon
T
he business lunch exists so that two people may converse about business matters (which is a meeting), while doing something they had to do anyway (which is eating). It is formal, yet it is human. It is committal, yet it is noncommittal. It is awkward, yet it is tasty. The business lunch is a paradox. Lunch? Lunch.
We’ll assume you’re meeting your counterpart one-on-one. And we’ll assume the other person is, pretty much, a stranger. And we’ll assume you’re the one who is in need: of money, of a partnership, of a contract. You’re the one pitching, and you’ve made the invitation. The worst way to have a business lunch is to sit directly in front of the other person- all that eye contact is a little awkward, and you might have to talk loud enough that other people can hear you.
You should make the invitation, but it may be a bad idea: Because the business lunch is more lunch than business. The invitee can request a downgrade, like a meeting in their office. Or meeting for coffee. So, throw the lunch out there, but keep in mind: it’s a bold move. “My philosophy is that lunch is not the most productive place to do business,” says Eric Manlunas, cofounder and Managing Partner at Wavemaker Partners, an early-stage cross border venture capital firm dual headquartered in Los Angeles and Singapore. “I like to invite people in for a meeting in the office, in the conference room. If the idea is something we like and we believe we can get comfortable eventually investing in, then we may have lunch. Lunch means they’ve made it through the first filter.” The point is, whether at the first meeting or the second meeting, if you get someone to agree to lunch, you’re in. You might be out by the
KEY TECHNICAL MATTERS What you need to know before setting up a business lunch • No sandwiches. • No red sauce. • No sandwiches involving red sauce. • Always pay. • But never pay with a coupon or gift card. (Or change from the petty-cash drawer.) • Say “appetizers,” not “apps.” At a business lunch, it might not be immediately apparent which kind of “app” you’re referring to. • “Guac” presents no such confusion. • If your plate is at least one-third fuller than the other person’s, you are talking too much.
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• If your plate is at least one-third emptier than the other person’s, he or she is talking too much. • If your plate is at least one-third larger than the other person’s, you have (perhaps) ordered too much. • If the other person checks their watch, immediately ask for the check. • If the other person checks their drink, immediately order them another. • If the other person checks their pulse, immediately ask for an ambulance. And maybe refine your pitch a little.
time the flourless chocolate cake is served, but for at least the first hour or so, you’re in. Before your guest arrives
The choice of restaurant is crucial. The place should be clearly convenient for the other person. It should not be in some sort of middle ground- it should be a place the other person need not travel far to get to. The message should be clear: for the purposes of this meal, the other person is to be catered toeven before the lunch starts. It helps if you’ve been there before. Because if you’ve been there, you know how you’ll be treated. You want a place that understands service. And good service as it relates to the business lunch is a place where you’re seated immediately and tended to immediately. “If a guest needs a lot of peace and quiet and no attention, then I need to seat that person in an area that’s away from everyone else in the dining room, and I need to make sure my service person knows they don’t need to provide a lot of attention to the table in terms of social interac-