The
perils
of
the
business
lunch
Many
stories
on
the
internet
concerning
the
hazards
associated
with
the
business
lunch
.
The
best
?
in
my
opinion
?
is
told
by
Jonathon
Mildenhall
,
an
advertising
agency
director
.
He
talks
about
the
first
time
he
accompanied
a
new
client
to
The
Ivy
?
a
restaurant
famous
for
its
celebrity
customers
.
Jonathon
recalls
that
on
that
particular
day
the
diners
included
models
Naomi
Campbell
and
Linda
Evangelista
,
along
with
the
singer
George
Michael
.
The
lunch
was
accompanied
by
a
fair
amount
of
alcohol
and
everyone
was
except
the
client
.
He
had
driven
to
the
restaurant
and
parked
his
car
on
the
street
outside
.
Jonathon
had
been
given
the
task
of
regularly
feeding
the
client's
parking
meter
,
which
he
did
at
regular
intervals
.
Anyway
,
the
long
meal
ended
and
the
group
went
out
with
the
client
back
to
his
car
.
Only
it
wasn't
there
!
It
turned
out
that
Jonathon
had
been
putting
money
in
the
wrong
meter
.
The
car
had
been
towed
away
!
There
followed
a
very
embarrassing
trip
to
the
car
pound
to
retrieve
the
client's
expensive
car
.
Of
course
,
not
all
of
us
entertain
clients
in
restaurants
by
the
rich
and
famous
.
However
,
the
lesson
is
clear
:
don't
get
distracted
by
famous
people
or
alcohol
while
entertaining
!
So
what
is
a
business
lunch
?
Can
we
all
agree
that
socializing
with
colleagues
in
the
middle
of
the
day
is
not
a
business
lunch
?
It
is
rather
a
business
meeting
,
usually
in
a
restaurant
and
typically
with
someone
from
another
organization
.
The
conversation
will
include
business
matters
?
be
it
talk
about
a
sale
,
an
agreement
,
or
an
understanding
that
benefits
both
parties
.
You
might
think
that
this
is
quite
a
simple
affair
,
but
it
is
not
.
There
is
a
whole
range
of
and
to
think
about
.
These
range
from
the
choice
of
restaurant
,
to
who
will
pay
the
bill
;
and
from
the
decision
to
order
alcohol
or
not
,
to
the
topic
of
conversation
.
For
example
,
one
young
lady
decided
to
combine
several
glasses
of
wine
with
lunch
on
a
boat
.
The
was
that
her
lunch
ended
up
in
the
bathroom
.
Not
the
best
way
to
impress
a
client
!
So
let's
assume
that
these
two
stories
have
made
you
a
little
more
cautious
in
your
approach
to
the
next
invitation
.
What
advice
can
we
offer
here
?
Well
,
the
first
thing
that
most
experts
agree
on
is
that
you
should
try
to
avoid
food
.
Trying
to
answer
a
question
while
trailing
a
long
piece
of
spaghetti
from
your
mouth
takes
a
lot
of
effort
.
It
is
best
to
choose
food
that
can
be
consumed
easily
so
that
you
can
concentrate
on
the
client
,
not
on
the
dish
.
Which
leads
us
to
the
next
point
:
you
want
to
hear
what
your
client
says
.
So
choose
a
place
without
loud
music
,
but
not
so
quiet
that
they
are
reluctant
to
speak
.
Opinions
on
alcohol
vary
,
even
without
the
issue
of
cultural
differences
.
Some
say
that
it
helps
to
lubricate
the
wheels
of
business
,
others
maintain
that
it
should
be
avoided
if
you
want
to
stay
professional
.
Good
conversation
is
an
important
ingredient
,
and
it
is
a
question
of
experience
and
judgement
.
There
has
to
be
a
mix
of
general
interest
and
business
;
it's
not
a
problem
introducing
or
even
controversial
subjects
,
but
try
not
to
express
extreme
personal
opinions
.
And
never
,
ever
,
talk
in
a
negative
way
about
your
own
company
or
your
guest's
company
,
even
if
it
were
true
.
Of
course
,
at
the
end
of
the
meal
,
there
is
the
bill
to
deal
with
.
Who
should
pay
?
Again
,
there
is
some
disagreement
among
the
experts
;
some
think
that
the
bill
should
always
be
shared
,
others
think
that
the
person
who
invited
the
other
should
pay
.
Whichever
you
choose
,
try
to
reach
an
agreement
at
an
early
stage
and
avoid
any
at
the
cash
desk
.
There
you
have
it
.
Follow
these
guidelines
and
hopefully
you'll
come
away
from
your
next
business
lunch
with
the
right
deal
.
Now
check
your
understanding
!
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