With so much digital communication overwhelming our in-boxes, the old-fashioned face-to-face meeting is back in fashion, and with it is the business lunch.  This is good news to the typical business professional, but it comes with a few challenges.

 We all know not to order sloppy food.  Pasta in a red sauce could turn your shirt into something embarrassing.  The same can be said for a spicy dish lasting on your breath hours after the meal is over.    But sloppy food is only a start, and there are strategies to turn a typical lunch into a fruitful affair.

 Start by picking up your prospect and going to the restaurant together.  If your car is clean and not embarrassing, you will gain some valuable time before the meal to get to know your prospect, and equally valuable time after the meal closing the deal on the ride back to the office. 

 The drive to lunch starts the sales process.  Take some time to learn about each other on a personal and professional level.  People tend to do business with people they know, like and trust.  The lunch is an informal occasion to establish yourself as a good person.

 At the restaurant be sure to treat the waiter with warmth and respect.  Being difficult with the waiter could demonstrate how challenging you could be to work with.  When the waiter takes your order, not only should you avoid the sloppy foods, but also all alcohol.  The time to drink is after traditional office hours.

 Lunch is informal, but when it’s time to talk business, don’t vacillate between business and pleasure.  How do you know when that time comes?  Your guest will turn the conversation in that direction; usually with a question or opening statement.  “Tell me about your business.”

Take the lunch to the next level by bringing an existing client who is vocal about his experiences with your company.    Now you are giving valuable face time to a valuable client who is also providing some third party validation.

 Most people cherish the opportunity to spend an hour or two with a prospect.  The business lunch accomplishes that  goal.  It’s how you spend those two hours that determines success or failure.