Common Mistakes When Hosting a Business Meal
No aspect of a professional presence is as highly visible as when you host a business dining event.

By Mercedes Alfaro
President and Founder
First Impression Management, Inc.

The classic power lunch or dinner is much more than the experience of the food - consider it an opportunity to get to know your guest better by building rapport and establishing a relationship.

Let's review some of the most common mistakes to ensure you always appear as the savvy hostess. As the host or hostess, it is your duty to handle every detail of the dining event, from extending the invitation, making the reservations, handling the tips and paying for the valet parking. In addition:

• It is customary for the host to select the restaurant, unless you are from out of town.
  
  
• Make sure you know what your guest's food preferences are and what to avoid.
  
  
• It is your responsibility to indicate to your guest where they should sit and offer them the best seat.
  
  
• The guest with the highest rank sits to the right of the host or hostess.
  
  
• The host allows the guest to order first.
  
  
• Give the guest an indication of what is appropriate to order, say "I'm having iced tea, but the wine selection is excellent."
  
  
• If your guest's order was not properly filled, call the waiter and ask them to correct it.

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