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8 Business Meal Blunders That Can Hurt Your Career!
Cherry Hill, NJ
Thursday, July 12, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Joyce Hoff
856) 751-6141 (NJ)
www.pachter.com
It's your second interview. Two managers take you to lunch and you order a big, juicy hamburger. Even the extra napkin you tuck into the top of your shirt
doesn't save you from a very large stain…
8 BUSINESS MEAL BLUNDERS THAT CAN HURT YOUR CAREER!
The worst outcome of many business meals isn't just indigestion. Jobs have been lost, careers have been stalled, and clients have gone south because people don't understand what their dining etiquette really says about them.
According to Cherry Hill, NJ-based etiquette expert, Barbara Pachter, today's business professionals will often find themselves entertaining more and eating more business meals as they move up the corporate ladder. And let's face it, if you can't handle yourself at lunch or dinner, why should the higher-ups think you could handle the big account or the bigger job.
Pachter, author of "NewRules@Work: 79 Etiquette Tips, Tools, and Techniques to Get Ahead and Stay Ahead" ($13.95 Prentice Hall Press), has taught hundreds of business professionals how to handle business meals successfully. Bad manners, Pachter reminds, are bad habits. "The problem some people have is that they're not aware of how they're behaving," Pachter says. "Do you think people who chew with their mouths open are purposely trying to be offensive? No, they just don't realize they have this gross habit"
Here are Pachter's Top 8 Picks for the Business Meal Blunders Every Business Professional Should Avoid:
1. Holding up the order because you can't decide. Decide quickly or at least by the time everyone else is ready. Don't ask the waiter to explain everything on the menu. You'll come across as indecisive and annoying.
2. Ordering messy meals. Don't even think about that big, juicy hamburger. There isn't a person alive who can look professional when wrestling with one. Stick to manageable meals you can eat with your fork. Some pasta dishes, such as linguini or angel hair are also bad choices. They have "splash" potential. And, if you don't know how to eat something, don't order it!
3. Taking someone else's bread or drinking out of another person's glass. In most place settings, your bread plate is on the left and your water glass is on the right. Remember the rule this way: food has four letters and so does the word "left" Drink has five letters and so does the word "right"
4. Putting your napkin inside your shirt or belt. Remember, you're not at a family picnic! Your napkin goes on your lap when everyone has been seated. Etiquette dictates that you wait for your host to do so first. When leaving the table temporarily, put it on your seat. When you're finished eating, place the napkin to the left of your plate.
5. Holding your fork as if it were a pitchfork. You'll look like you just came out of a cave. Also, when you're speaking, keep your utensils down. Don't wave your fork or knife in the air.
6. Licking your utensils or fingers. Never use your hand to clear crumbs off the table, either.
7. Drinking too much alcohol. It's always better and safer to abstain. If you do choose to drink alcohol, limit yourself to one glass.
8. Fighting over the check. The host is the person who did the inviting, and that person pays the bill—regardless of gender. Be gracious. Do not fight about the bill or offer to pay the tip.
And yes, Pachter says, "it really is important to send a written thank you note to your host within two days"
# # #
Barbara Pachter is the author of numerous books, including "The Power of Positive Confrontation" ($14.95, paperback, Marlowe & Co.) and "When the Little Things Count...And They Always Count" ($13.95, paperback, Marlowe & Co.) second edition.
Pachter is a speaker and coach specializing in business etiquette and communication. Her client list features major organizations worldwide, including Microsoft, Pfizer, DaimlerChrysler, and Genentech.
For a review copy of "NewRules@Work: 79 Etiquette Tips, Tools, and Techniques to Get Ahead and Stay Ahead" contact Catherine Milne, 212-366-2149, or Catherine.Milne@us.penguingroup.com
For a free copy of Pachter's communication newsletter, "Competitive Edge", your readers can call (856) 751-6141 (NJ) or go to www.pachter.com.
856) 751-6141 (NJ)
www.pachter.com
It's your second interview. Two managers take you to lunch and you order a big, juicy hamburger. Even the extra napkin you tuck into the top of your shirt
doesn't save you from a very large stain…
8 BUSINESS MEAL BLUNDERS THAT CAN HURT YOUR CAREER!
The worst outcome of many business meals isn't just indigestion. Jobs have been lost, careers have been stalled, and clients have gone south because people don't understand what their dining etiquette really says about them.
According to Cherry Hill, NJ-based etiquette expert, Barbara Pachter, today's business professionals will often find themselves entertaining more and eating more business meals as they move up the corporate ladder. And let's face it, if you can't handle yourself at lunch or dinner, why should the higher-ups think you could handle the big account or the bigger job.
Pachter, author of "NewRules@Work: 79 Etiquette Tips, Tools, and Techniques to Get Ahead and Stay Ahead" ($13.95 Prentice Hall Press), has taught hundreds of business professionals how to handle business meals successfully. Bad manners, Pachter reminds, are bad habits. "The problem some people have is that they're not aware of how they're behaving," Pachter says. "Do you think people who chew with their mouths open are purposely trying to be offensive? No, they just don't realize they have this gross habit"
Here are Pachter's Top 8 Picks for the Business Meal Blunders Every Business Professional Should Avoid:
1. Holding up the order because you can't decide. Decide quickly or at least by the time everyone else is ready. Don't ask the waiter to explain everything on the menu. You'll come across as indecisive and annoying.
2. Ordering messy meals. Don't even think about that big, juicy hamburger. There isn't a person alive who can look professional when wrestling with one. Stick to manageable meals you can eat with your fork. Some pasta dishes, such as linguini or angel hair are also bad choices. They have "splash" potential. And, if you don't know how to eat something, don't order it!
3. Taking someone else's bread or drinking out of another person's glass. In most place settings, your bread plate is on the left and your water glass is on the right. Remember the rule this way: food has four letters and so does the word "left" Drink has five letters and so does the word "right"
4. Putting your napkin inside your shirt or belt. Remember, you're not at a family picnic! Your napkin goes on your lap when everyone has been seated. Etiquette dictates that you wait for your host to do so first. When leaving the table temporarily, put it on your seat. When you're finished eating, place the napkin to the left of your plate.
5. Holding your fork as if it were a pitchfork. You'll look like you just came out of a cave. Also, when you're speaking, keep your utensils down. Don't wave your fork or knife in the air.
6. Licking your utensils or fingers. Never use your hand to clear crumbs off the table, either.
7. Drinking too much alcohol. It's always better and safer to abstain. If you do choose to drink alcohol, limit yourself to one glass.
8. Fighting over the check. The host is the person who did the inviting, and that person pays the bill—regardless of gender. Be gracious. Do not fight about the bill or offer to pay the tip.
And yes, Pachter says, "it really is important to send a written thank you note to your host within two days"
# # #
Barbara Pachter is the author of numerous books, including "The Power of Positive Confrontation" ($14.95, paperback, Marlowe & Co.) and "When the Little Things Count...And They Always Count" ($13.95, paperback, Marlowe & Co.) second edition.
Pachter is a speaker and coach specializing in business etiquette and communication. Her client list features major organizations worldwide, including Microsoft, Pfizer, DaimlerChrysler, and Genentech.
For a review copy of "NewRules@Work: 79 Etiquette Tips, Tools, and Techniques to Get Ahead and Stay Ahead" contact Catherine Milne, 212-366-2149, or Catherine.Milne@us.penguingroup.com
For a free copy of Pachter's communication newsletter, "Competitive Edge", your readers can call (856) 751-6141 (NJ) or go to www.pachter.com.
Barbara Pachter
President
Pachter and Associates
Cherry Hill, NJ
856-751-6141
856-751-6857
