Matthew T. Grant, PhD Minister of Enlightenment
AQUENT
Question What are the do's and don't's for attending a business luncheon?
Answer
I think the biggest “Do” of attending a business luncheon is preparing and start with asking yourself, “Why am I attending this luncheon?” If you can clearly articulate a goal for attending, then you can probably come up with some way of measuring if you actually achieved that goal. The goal can be as simple as, “I want to get 50 cards from people I’ve never met,” or “I want to give away 50 cards,” or it can be as specific as, “I want to meet these 5 people and set up phone calls with them.” Of course, you may also want to attend the luncheon because you hope to form an alliance with the promoters/organization or would like to be featured as a speaker at a future luncheon. In other words, the possible goals are endless!
On the “Don’t” front, I think there are some pretty obvious ones. Be an active listener and engaging conversation partner; ask people a lot of questions; have a good “elevator pitch” ready to describe who you are and what you do; don’t talk about yourself too much or sell too intensely; avoid alcohol if it’s available; and, though this might sound odd, bring a toothbrush and toothpaste so you can freshen your breath right after!