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Lesson 3.2.3. Business DinnerEx 1. You are going to hear a conversation between two friends about where they are planning to go for dinner. Decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F). 1. They are going out on Friday night. 2. They don’t choose the Chinese restaurant because the food is greasy and very spicy. 3. Steve has been to the Ethiopian restaurant before. 4. The main dish at the Ethiopian restaurant consists of various kinds of food. 5. Bouillabaisses is made with fish and vegetables. 6. The French bistro closed down last Monday. 7. Steve is going to make the reservation. Ex 2. Read the article and answer the following questions. 1. What is the main function of the business dinner? 2. What are three tips about getting the most out of the business dinner? The business dinner is one of the most important functions I attend. Sometimes these dinners happen following a long day of meetings, sometimes they happen the day before the important meetings, and other times they are stand-alone events.
Of course, there are some tips for setting up a good business dinner. Things like – if you’re booking the restaurant, only go somewhere that you’ve been before and that has a wide range of types of food and a quiet enough atmosphere to allow for conversation to happen easily. And other suggestions such as – pick a place that has parking because you don’t want to frustrate people by making them drive around one-way streets looking for a meter spot for a half hour (I live in Boston, this is VERY important!) But these three tips are about getting the most out of the business dinner. Listen first, ask questions and keep it brief. People love to talk. And they particularly love to talk about themselves. If you’re at a business dinner, this also applies to people loving to talk about their work, the company that they work for or the business that they started. Before you start talking, let them tell you about themselves. If they don’t do it naturally, ask them some questions. If question-asking doesn’t come easily to you, plan the questions ahead of time. “Tell me about what you do” is a good starting point. Ask questions about the history of the company, the role that they play there, big contracts, their areas of growth and their plans for the future. Ask questions about their family, where they live, when they mention their hobbies, ask about those. Be interested in the people who you are dining with – that will go a long way. On the other hand, don’t talk too much. If there are two of you, you should talk less than 30% of the time. If there are more than two of you, the percentage should drop to less than 15%. And most of that time should be asking questions and talking about topics that your dining companions bring up first. Find common ground (aka don’t get on your soapbox & don’t take offense). When you do talk, make sure that your topics are neutral or related to something that they brought up first. It’s totally OK to talk about your business (you’re at a work dinner, after all) and anything related to work that you are passionate about, but you don’t want to offend your dining companion. You’re not out to dinner with friends, so you don’t know what these people think – about anything. It’s better to leave the debate for conversations between friends – you are trying to find commonalities, not differences. If someone that you’re dining with says something with which you would normally take offense, let it go. A business dinner is not the place to correct or educate your dining companion on the places that they are wrong or that their opinions differ from yours. Of course, you should take everything that is said into consideration when you’re trying to decide whether to do business going forward – but getting your guard up is not going to help anything in the middle of a social dinner. Be likeable. This is probably the most important point of all. Even if you violate the first and second tips here, and talk too much and about controversial topics, but people like you, you’re going to be OK. Being likeable is a challenging thing to quantify, though, because everyone thinks that they are likeable. So to be sure that you can accomplish this, you’ll probably have to enlist the help of a partner, co-worker or trustworthy friend. Ask them to help you. Find out from your co-workers what part of your job that you talk about too much. Ask them what aspects of the job they think are most interesting – focus on those things. Check with your friends – the ones that you think are the most likeable – and ask them what stories you tell that are their favorites. What stories do you tell that make people laugh? What are some interesting things about you? What are some pieces of trivia about the place that you’re visiting (you can look these things up ahead of time!) What’s a quirky but interesting story that you read in the news recently? What’s something interesting about the town that you’re from? These types of stories are things that you can think of ahead of time – so when there is a lull in the conversation, you can pull them out and be likeable with your good stories, your interesting anecdotes and your fun tales. At the end of the day, the business dinner is all about relationships. And they are often the difference between signing the contract across the conference table when the meeting moves from dinner to the board room. Ex 3. In pairs, act out similar dialogues on the topic “How To Choose a Restaurant” Use phrases from the list below. How To Choose a Restaurant The big event! The proposal....a business deal closer.....Mother's Day.....Spouse's Birthday....How do you pick a restaurant? Well, the occasion itself will shape your choice even though most of the time you are not conscious of this. Food is one factor, but the environment and location are important too. And that is what makes the difference. Location / Amenities Sometimes, when you want to have a great time and driving afterwards will pose a problem, find a place close by where you can easily walk or where it's easy to get a cab. Paying another fifty bucks to talk to Habib or Willy the driver just adds unnecessary expense. Of course, it is different when the location is the key factor, like on a lake, seaside, riverside or a spectacular view of a mountain or an architectural gem. Sometimes, you want to go to a place where you can eat outside without being sun-scorched. So you check for places where you need to discuss serious matters or go for restaurants that have private rooms for a small group with a good working table. Hotels are really good at this. Cuisine / Chef Of course, you will easily put out fifty dollars for a cab if the menu is the first priority of the event and you are going for taste bud titillation. You will even drive five hours or hop on a plane just to have dinner in a restaurant because the food is truly memorable and the word Michelin does not relate to your tires. If you can, check out the wine list first. In some restaurants, the wine list consists of six highly priced bottles of very good but very pricy wines all from France. The Chef may have tried to match wines with menu and you need to weigh this up before you go. When the chef has a great reputation, it is worth checking out the place. At times, you just want to eat a particular cuisine and if that restaurant is the only one available of that style where you live, there is really not much choice. But often, there are two or three choices for a particular cuisine. Check out if their chef comes from the country where that cuisine is from. You are more likely to get the real thing and not the stylized version of it. If you are really into ethnic originals, find out where folks from the country of that cuisines origin eat. It may be the best. Price /Value for money When you are bringing your whole family or a big group, you would look for one that will give you value for your money. This does not mean being cheap but getting a good meal that you feel happy about paying. You are satisfied for what you get. For heaven's sake sort out who is paying or how to share the bill BEFORE you go into the restaurant. Nothing leaves the taste of ashes rather than food than the pulling at the bill by everyone at the table! Service, service, service Many times, this involves you too. When you find a restaurant you like, befriend the waiters and waitresses. Treat them warmly as you would treat your own friends and you will find that you will get great service again and again. Be helpful. Sometimes, they are so busy and you demand a hundred things. When you see them carrying many things to your table, arrange your table to give them space to put things down or just take some of the things that are hard for them to place on some sides of your table. These may be little things but when they see you helping them, they will go out of their way next time you come to make sure you are served properly. Over and beyond this, of course, are those few restaurants with impeccable "3 star service" no matter who you are. However, such restaurants are often remote and a bit formal....even intimidating. Build a good relationship with the staff and it becomes fun to be a regular. Hygiene /Ambience If the occasion you are planning is serious, you may just want to check out the restaurant before you decide to book an evening there. Go and have a drink and check out the place. Go use the washroom. This often gives you the standard of hygiene followed in the restaurant. Sometimes, the restaurant may be beautiful but the decor is not to your taste. It jars your senses. Go to a place where you enjoy the general atmosphere and it fits you and the occasion. Do they play music? How loudly? Check out the people who go to the restaurant. If you find it pleasant to be around these people as you eat your dinner, then go book a table. May be, a specific table away from the kitchen doors and not under the air conditioner. Recommendations: Word of mouth or reviews are important to consider. They give you an idea of what the restaurant is like. Take this from people who know what they are talking about. Ask workmates for recommendations (you'll learn a bit about them from their answers as well!) However, for big events it is always helpful to go to places you have tried and tested. You are better able to focus on the evening when the place is familiar and where the staff know you. You can make recommendations, you know the wine list, and you are familiar with the way things are done. You don't have many things to worry about...just enjoy the meal and the experience of good service and a happy environment. Ex 4. Compare and contrast the pictures. Thinks of what each place looks like, what type and quality of food is served in these restaurants, what kind of service you would expect and what prices they charge.
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