In the bygone era of the free 3-hour ‘business lunch’, in effect a high-powered 'non-business' meeting that appeared to have no fixed agenda, a new NAM tended to be thrown in unprepared, with no training on the basics…
Some precautionary pointers may help
In one of my first business lunches, my Dutch MD rescued me from the confusion of the French menu by suggesting I might like Tournedos Rossini, which until that moment I had taken to be part of the restaurant’s musical accompaniment… The resulting combination of rare filet mignon with warm foie gras on a bed of wet toast proved very satisfactory and apart from raising the bar on expenses, from that moment I have found an assured request for ‘Tornado Rossini’ was always a safe bet when confronted with a ‘foreign language’ menu.
Unfortunately, I have been less successful with my choice of a standard starter in Pate Maison, finding it tasted different in every restaurant…
For these reasons, I found it useful to conduct a dry run on a new venue in preparation for really important lunches. It obviously raises the cost, but pays off in terms of ability to focus on the hidden agenda in real time…
Following the menu-choice lead of the main guest can aid the bonding, but can also have its pitfalls…
I still blush in recollection of an introductory meal with a newly promoted buyer where I pre-warned the team to follow his lead regardless..
This appeared to work well with his choice of starters, a generous portion of fresh Dublin Bay prawns, dutifully followed by the rest of us. However, when he proceeded to eat them complete with shells, I sensed some loss of my personal franchise as the team crunched their way through their portions… Looking back, I now realise that he was one of the best leg-pullers I have ever met… beware the hidden agenda
When it comes to wine, it pays to keep it simple and stick with what you know. To this day, nothing beats the embarrassment I experienced having sent back a bottle of ‘corked’ Hirondelle, without realising it was one of the first plastic-capped wines in the UK…
Excessive alcohol consumption can also have its downside in terms stage-management of the occasion. A long-standing MD pal with a hard-earned reputation for being able to hold his drink tended to give himself away by leaning forward towards the end of a lunch and whispering ‘ I would like to give you some infidential confirmation..’ This was always a signal for his NAM to announce some emergency ‘at the office’ that only his MD could handle…
In other words, high quality and moderation, with a silent-mobile primed to divert when all else fails…
All other egg-sucking precautions can probably be handled very adequately by well-intentioned grandchildren….
Some precautionary pointers may help
In one of my first business lunches, my Dutch MD rescued me from the confusion of the French menu by suggesting I might like Tournedos Rossini, which until that moment I had taken to be part of the restaurant’s musical accompaniment… The resulting combination of rare filet mignon with warm foie gras on a bed of wet toast proved very satisfactory and apart from raising the bar on expenses, from that moment I have found an assured request for ‘Tornado Rossini’ was always a safe bet when confronted with a ‘foreign language’ menu.
Unfortunately, I have been less successful with my choice of a standard starter in Pate Maison, finding it tasted different in every restaurant…
For these reasons, I found it useful to conduct a dry run on a new venue in preparation for really important lunches. It obviously raises the cost, but pays off in terms of ability to focus on the hidden agenda in real time…
Following the menu-choice lead of the main guest can aid the bonding, but can also have its pitfalls…
I still blush in recollection of an introductory meal with a newly promoted buyer where I pre-warned the team to follow his lead regardless..
This appeared to work well with his choice of starters, a generous portion of fresh Dublin Bay prawns, dutifully followed by the rest of us. However, when he proceeded to eat them complete with shells, I sensed some loss of my personal franchise as the team crunched their way through their portions… Looking back, I now realise that he was one of the best leg-pullers I have ever met… beware the hidden agenda
When it comes to wine, it pays to keep it simple and stick with what you know. To this day, nothing beats the embarrassment I experienced having sent back a bottle of ‘corked’ Hirondelle, without realising it was one of the first plastic-capped wines in the UK…
Excessive alcohol consumption can also have its downside in terms stage-management of the occasion. A long-standing MD pal with a hard-earned reputation for being able to hold his drink tended to give himself away by leaning forward towards the end of a lunch and whispering ‘ I would like to give you some infidential confirmation..’ This was always a signal for his NAM to announce some emergency ‘at the office’ that only his MD could handle…
In other words, high quality and moderation, with a silent-mobile primed to divert when all else fails…
All other egg-sucking precautions can probably be handled very adequately by well-intentioned grandchildren….
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