How Do You Ask a Client to Lunch?
A Gift Bag - Always a Great Attention-getter!
You are ready to invite a really BIG client out to lunch. You have the perfect “power lunch” spot picked out. You have your corporate expense account ready to roll. You just can’t figure out the best way to invite a client to lunch. You are not alone!
Seems many executives choke a bit when it comes to inviting a client out to lunch … and the bigger the client, the more anxiety about lunch. It’s really easy to invite a client to a business lunch – and you are only limited by your own creativity. I’m saving the VERY best method till the end – but don’t skip ahead. If you do, you’ll miss some great ways to get creative!
Imagine an executive’s secretary walks into his or her office around 11AM,
You call THIS lunch?!
and sets a shiny gift bag on the exec’s desk. “This came for you just now.” Inside the shiny bag, the executive finds a brown paper bag. In the bag is a square, sandwich-sized container with a VERY dull sandwich inside – perhaps two slices of plain white bread with a single piece of American cheese between them or a classic PBJ, and an apple.
Written on the outside of the lunch bag in black marker, a note reads: “You call THIS lunch? Meet me at The Palm next week for a steak! ~ Robin Jay.” Your business card is stapled to the top of the bag. Really … who could resist an invitation like THAT?!
A stunt like this is over-the-top – but wouldn’t YOU love it if someone went to that much trouble to invite YOU to lunch? I know I would!
If you want a more subdued method for asking a client to lunch, a written invitation can work, though be careful you don’t come across as desperate! Sometimes, in today’s fast-paced business world, catering to old-fashioned methods might make you seem out-of-date; send a quick text message invitation – “When can I take you out to lunch?” – and you might seem insincere or uncaring. It can be challenging, indeed!
You can always just pick up the phone ~
There is always the phone call. Be direct … and be friendly. Now that I’m an entrepreneur, one of my pet peeves is people calling who 1. Don’t identify themselves IMMEDIATELY, and 2. Don’t get to the purpose of their call directly. If I don’t know you, why would I want to go to lunch with you?
Remember W.I.I.F.M.!!! What Is In It For ME?! I don’t get to socialize with my dear friends as much as I would like – so for me to make the time to have a lunch with a stranger, there had better be a good reason.
“Breakfast is the New Lunch”! …or shall I say, “Coffee is Quicker”!
A coffee date can be "Outta This World!"
If you want to BUILD a relationship with someone by asking them to break bread with you, you might have an easier time getting them to say “yes” by making it easy FOR THEM. Coffee is fast. Meet them near their office.
BEST OF ALL: The VERY BEST way to invite a client to a business lunch is to find someone who PERSONALLY KNOWS YOUR PROSPECT. Ask THEM if they wouldn’t mind setting up a lunch date. Tell them lunch is on you. This “Middle Man” of sorts knows both of you. They will probably be delighted to help you arrange a meeting. And – of course – they will get to enjoy a wonderful free lunch!
WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS: Network, network, network! EVERY time you attend a networking event, you will meet at least 10 people who each know at least 10 people … and so on. Ask around. Find someone who knows the people you want to get to know.
Remember: An INTRODUCTION is the VERY best way to meet someone new. If you can arrange an introduction, asking clients to lunch will be the easiest thing you’ve ever done.
“The Queen of the Business Lunch” – There is Only One!
"The Queen of the Business Lunch" Gets Trademarked!
Well, it is about time! “The Queen of the Business Lunch™” is FINALLY trademarked! Robin Jay is the OFFICIAL “Queen of the Business Lunch”! You may be wondering what it takes to earn such a title. I’m here to answer your questions!
I hosted more than 3,000 client lunches during my years in advertising sales – though I’m quite sure that is a conservative estimate. My guess today would lean more toward 4,000. During that time, I saw my sales increase by more than 2,000%! That told me that I was doing SOMETHING right. I was compelled to share my tips and techniques with the world … and so I wrote “The Art of the Business Lunch.”
A lot has happened since I began this journey of sharing ways to build better relationships in business. First, most people are actually AFRAID to have lunch with me! Can you imagine? As a Business Relationship Expert, I can see why. But relax! There is no need to fear. The book has been printed. I am no longer looking for extreme examples to write about (Oh – except for my BLOG – where you may just get a mention or two if you misbehave during a business lunch with me!)
The Art of the Business Lunch - A MUST-READ for Business Owners & Sales Professionals
Seriously, the book is a fine example of the BEST behavior you can exhibit. Unfortunately, many of the anecdotes came from MY own MISTAKES! Sure, I’ve said the wrong thing at a business lunch. Of COURSE I’ve spilled my drink at a client lunch. And those times when I got back into my car only to discover food in my teeth? OMG! I hate that! Why didn’t someone TELL ME? But why make all those mistakes yourself when I’ve already made them FOR YOU!!! We don’t need to reinvent the wheel.
The secret to an outstanding, successful “power lunch” is to be prepared. Visit my video channel on YouTube to view some of my tips. Here’s one of my favorite videos that explains WHY the business lunch is SO IMPORTANT!
What to Order at a Business Lunch
Eat Right: It's the Fuel You Run On!
I really don’t eat HALF of what I’d like to! I could eat molten lava chocolate cake with vanilla bean ice cream after EVERY meal…even breakfast. On those rare occasions when I’m out and the ice cream is real, I can’t believe how delicious and creamy it is. Maybe that’s because the only ice cream I keep in my house is either low-fat or sugar free; no wonder “real” ice cream tastes amazing!
When I’m speaking about how I have hosted more than 3,000 client lunches, I often hear, “How come you don’t weigh 300 pounds?!” As you can see in my interview with MSNBC-TV, I told Chris Jansen that while I was taking clients out to eat several times a week, I had FOUR gym memberships all over town and I worked out A LOT! But what I didn’t get to mention was that I also ordered smart food and I ate my biggest meals during my BUSINESS LUNCHES.
There are so many reasons for ordering a more healthy lunchtime meal – to watch your weight and eat healthy, to have food that is easy to eat (it’s a LOT easier to get small bites of a piece of fish in your mouth than it is to down ribs or an over-sized burger!), and to focus more on the meeting that the eating. But there is another reason why you might want to order salads, fish, or lean meat – especially when out with clients.
Eating smart makes you sharp. Sure, you’ll look successful….but you’ll also be able to THINK like a winner. I spoke with one of my coaching clients today. She sounded tired, worn out, beaten up, frustrated, and down. She was angry at certain things going on in her life and was having trouble remaining optimistic.
About an hour into our session, I realized she had not been eating right. She’s had a kidney transplant and is on more meds than the average person. If she doesn’t eat, the meds mess up her stomach. If there isn’t healthy food prepared, easy to prepare, or ready to eat, she’ll eat what she can. Sound familiar? Of course it does…we ALL do that!
My client has an extra challenge, though. She is blind. She can’t just jump in her car and run to the store or Whole Foods to pick up a healthy meal or snack! A few bus transfers and an hour later, she MAY find something decent to eat.
It’s funny…she came to me to help her with her speaking and writing career. She is getting her Masters in Interactive Design so she can help other people by developing user-friendly software or by designing buildings for optimal accessibility. I am not a nutritionist. But if this woman is not able to think clearly or function, then before I can help her to write or speak professionally, we have to put some of the best fuel in her tank….(her THINK TANK!)
Failing to eat healthy food is a lot like trying to run a car on corn syrup instead of gasoline. Sure, it might get down the road a bit before it conks out, but it will eventually kill the engine. Cars need fresh oil, gasoline, spark plugs (ENERGY) and healthy tires. Why can’t we view our bodies the same way? Let’s put the right fuel in so we can perform at our best! A business lunch is no exception – eat smart to stay sharp!
Client Lunch? Happy Hour? Try My Favz!
The best drinks in Las Vegas are here...
I haven’t written a dining review in a while and I’m well overdue – since it seems I’ve been out socializing…drinking and eating a LOT lately…for business AND with friends! When I’m out and about and just loving a place, I want to share it with my readers. I have a few places in Las Vegas that I absolutely adore. They are consistent, the service is outstanding, and they are perfect for what I want at the time.
Whether I’m meeting a client for happy hour, taking clients or friends to a business lunch, or just building relationships, having a list of the best restaurants in Las Vegas handy makes scheduling networking and socializing events much easier.
I had dinner recenly with Mitchell Davis, owner of ExpertClick.com and the Yearbook of Experts. I use Expert Click to send press releases. Mitchell was visiting Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show and was staying at the Rio. He suggested we have dinner at Gaylord’s Indian Restaurant. When I saw a list of specialty drinks that featured a cardamom martini, a black raspberry martini, and an elder fizz, I couldn’t resist. I love Indian food and especially the exotic flavor of cardamom.
I ordered a cardamom martini, which was masterfully blended by Jozef. Jozef is an artist; he keeps fresh ginger and cucumber, cardamom pods which he grinds up on the spot, fresh nutmeg…and many more special ingredients lined up at the back of the bar.
Gaylord's @ The Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas
For weeks, I thought about that delicious martini. I craved another one and talked about it so much that within a few weeks, my friends and I were at the small (REALLY small – just six seats!) bar, ready to see if it was as amazing as I remembered.
Phil Robertson, president of Common Sense Consulting, and Mike McGettigan from Langan had grown tired of hearing me boast about this heavenly cocktail. They soon concurred, however; this martini is heaven on a stem. Jozef went all out and – knowing he had some aficionados – created several amazing drinks for us.
With his incredible array of fresh ingredients, Jozef was ready to make whatever we wanted. He put some “secret” ingredients into our first martini; watching him work was better than watching a television cooking show! He took extra care and worked hard, and finally presented us with the much anticipated blends.
We drank them slowly, savoring their fresh, unique flavors and some lively conversation. I can’t recommend this little treasure enough – but make sure you go when Jozef is working. The food at Gaylord’s is the best Indian food in Las Vegas, but why not go when you can have a cardamom martini, too?!
Another consistent, delicious getaway is Grape Vegas at Town Square. It’s a fun, cozy spot with a great happy hour. Their wine list is impressive. General Manager Jennifer Gaydeski and Manager Kevin Mahony each stopped by to make sure everything was wonderful…and it was.
One of the aspects I really like about Grape is that it’s a kid-free zone, which is as it should be. Even though the space can get noisy – especially during a Friday night happy hour – it’s nice to know that it’s adults only. Kids, BTW, are allowed on the patio. The restaurant displays the somewhat exotic artwork of Las Vegas artist A.D. Cook on the walls, and it is not necessarily anything you’d want to explain to a child. It’s subtle and beautiful, but naked breasts abound.
I recommend you sample their menu of treats while you enjoy your happy hour. One of my favorites is a flatbread with fig, prosciutto, and brie – outstanding! And Grape also has some great hummus and sliders – always yummy. I think, however, charging 50 cents for sauce for the sliders seems silly; I’d like to see the management change that. I’d rather pay 50 cents more and have the sauce come with – agree? It’s like paying $50 for a prix fixe dinner, roquefort dressing, 50 cents extra!
Bottom line? I wish we had more fab places like these two gems in my neighborhood of Henderson. So far, my favorite place in Henderson is my own kitchen! Enjoying your own home, cooking, and atmosphere makes finding a great venue out that much harder. But, wherever you go, don’t forget the most important ingredient: Great FRIENDS and stimulating conversation!
Hybra Bluetooth ORB: Captain Kirk – Eat Your Heart Out!
MUST HAVE!!! I want an O.R.B. NOW!!!
My friend Phil Robertson, owner of Common Sense Consulting (Phil@PJRobertson.com), turned me on to this company whose new bluetooth product captivated him at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Phil has great taste, as this product won the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2010 Best of Innovation winner in the wireless handsets accessories category.
If you believe in synchronicities, this story won’t surprise you. Phil heard from a friend today, Trish, who lives in Michigan. She asked him some questions about marketing. So, what was she up to? She works for this incredible company that is manufacturing the Bluetooth ORB – or “Orbital Ring Bluetooth,” pictured above. Yes…this is the exact same product that had Phil drooling last month.
Imagine this scene: I’m out to lunch with an important client. The ring on my finger actually starts to ring. I can view an “EInk” display that tells me who’s calling. I slip the ring off my finger and with a slight twist, the ring opens to an “S” shape and I set it on my ear and start talking. Okay – I admit I’m the one who said never talk on the phone during a business lunch….but C’mon!!! This is wild!!! What a conversation piece! I would love to get a call while at a networking event!
So – want to know more? According to the company’s site at www.Hybratech.com, here are some key details on the ORB:
The ORB with Digital Read Out - MUST HAVE NOW!!
- Harnesses bone conducting technology from NXT Sound to deliver high-quality sound without the discomfort of placing a device inside the ear.
- Delivers Class 2 Bluetooth (~30-ft range) in multiple ring sizes.
- Offers vibratory alerts of incoming calls and messages.
- The base model features an E Ink display that shows caller ID, text messages and calendar reminders.
- The deluxe edition features a FOLED (Flexible Organic Light Emitting Diode) screen for full-color display of caller ID, text messages and calendar reminders.
Hybra plans to start selling its first base model ORBs in early 2010, at a suggested retail price of $129 USD. (I’ll wait until I get MINE before telling them they are CRAZY! That is a DEAL!!!)
A deluxe edition is planned for launch later in 2010, at a suggested retail price of $175 USD. Limited edition models featuring decorative gemstones, to be priced based on the value of the gemstones, will also follow. Oh – this goes well beyond WANT – this is entering NEED!!! One of these gems with gemstones is better than Botox to put a happy glaze on your face!
Voice activation? Gemstones? Chic as all get out? Fitted to your finger? RING, RING, RING! I swear, I may start having myself paged. Kudos to Hybra – it’s about time someone invented something from the ground up. This Bluetooth device is innovative, chic, sexy, and will decimate the competition. We are used to paying $100 and up for a great Bluetooth product. Seriously, what’s a few more dollars?
I want one in EVERY color to match my wardrobe. But I’ll start with the silver. Holy smoke – what an era we live in! Do the toys get any better than this? Wii, GPS, smartphones, iPads…there is so much help to be had! The only thing I can’t figure out is why I’m STILL blogging at 9PM! Time for dinner. It’s a shame, though – I could go on about these ORBS for hours!!!
Thanks, Phil…you not only know marketing – but you know an amazing product when you see it! How exciting!
Is Breakfast the New Lunch?
Coffee & Muffins: Faster & More Affordable than Lunch
Is breakfast the new lunch? ABSOLUTELY!
As “The Queen of the Business Lunch,” I ought to know; I personally hosted more than 3,000 client lunches while I was an advertising account executive and saw my sales increase by more than 2,000%. As many of you know, my tips and techniques for building business over meals was chronicled in my award-winning book, “The Art of the Business Lunch: Building Relationships Between 12 and 2″ which is currently in twelve languages. There is nothing as effective as breaking bread for getting to know a client, to learn more about their business, understand their needs, and find better ways to help them achieve their goals. Something magical happens when you are in a social setting, sharing food. But budgets have been busted, expense accounts annihilated, and time to savor sandwiches and conversation is at a premium!
I am recommending breakfast meetings as an effective way to break bread in this “new economy”!
There have been so many changes in business over the past few years that even though a business lunch would still be ideal, many professionals just don’t have the time for it anymore. Working mothers can’t spare an hour and a half out of their day since they have to pick up their kids at five o’clock. And executives with billable hours – like attorneys – have always had a hard time getting away for any length of time during the work day.
Getting a lot done over coffee
Meeting someone for coffee or breakfast at eight o’clock in the morning is a wonderful way to accomplish your relationship-building goals while saving time and money. It’s not apparent that you may be suggesting breakfast as a way of saving on your expense account. Instead, it will simply seem like a more efficient way to get together.
The pace of business has picked up incredibly over the past few years. Today people just don’t have time for long, languishing lunches. The 3-martini business lunch of the late ’60′s and early ’70′s – where lunch rolled right on into happy hour – is long gone. But most of us used to be able to get away long enough for a decent lunch.
In today’s business environment, however, people just have too much work to do. If the professionals with whom you do business still have time for lunch, I urge you to seize those precious hours in the middle of the day to take those clients out. The mid-day hours can become the most productive time of your day. But for those who either don’t have time themselves or whose clients don’t have any time to spare, breakfast done right can help you to achieve your traditional business lunch goals.
Traditional lunchtime goals are primarily about building relationships – and trust me….something absolutely magical happens over a meal. People let their guard down and they open up. You’ll discover information about their business that you would never learn in an office setting. And the more you know, the better you will be able to help your clients achieve their goals…and that is really what it’s all about. People prefer to do business with people they like, and there is no better way to get to know someone than by sharing a meal with them. And if you don’t have time or the budget for a high-end lunch, then breakfast is the next best way to build relationships.
I recommend meeting at a Starbucks or neighborhood coffee shop for morning meetings. Meeting over lattes and muffins doesn’t just help you to save a bundle on meals, but it also assures that you’ll get that quality “face time” that is essential to business success. It’s a lot like working out. A lot can happen during your day to sabotage a planned after-work visit to the gym. Your friends might want to meet for happy hour or you might end up having to work late. Anyone who works out regularly will tell you that getting their workout done and out of the way first thing in the morning is the best way to succeed.
Scheduling breakfast meetings can have the same advantage; by getting together with clients before their regular day begins, you have little chance of things coming up that might interfere or cause them to reschedule. Just because you’re busy doesn’t mean you can drop the ball on connecting with clients. Networking breakfasts are also an outstanding way to get in front of many people at once. Mornings have never been better for building profitable, productive business relationships.”
What do you think? Have you tried substituting breakfast meetings for long lunch meetings? Are you saving a bundle? And have you been able to accomplish the same goals?
The "REAL" Reason a Marketing Plan Fails
Casinos Work to Attract Players
I had a business lunch this past week with my friend, Phil Robertson (Phil@PJRobertson.com), who is an incredible marketing consultant. I always learn SO MUCH at a business lunch – especially when I’m talking to an expert in their field!
Phil and I were talking about a recent casino promotion. As a marketing expert, Phil could easily see why this particular promotion was a failure. As a former advertising sales executive I, too, could see the obvious flaw. Had I sold this casino their advertising to promote this event, I would have been mortified – as I’m sure the “Monday Morning Reconciliation” would have indicted the promotion was a failure. So, what caused the failure of what SHOULD HAVE BEEN an incredible promotion? My guess is it all came down to one employee with bad judgment.
Phil joined a slot club at a casino near his home. If you’ve ever joined a slot club, you know that the casinos in Nevada offer gifts as incentives to get you into their casino in the hopes that you will play. If a gift costs them a dollar or two – or even twenty dollars, and the average player drops $10, $20, or $200 on their way to pick up their “Free” gift, then guess who the REAL winner is! The casino – of COURSE!
It wasn’t long before Phil discovered that this particular casino’s slot club offered some incredible, upscale gifts to their members. And, while those of us who live in Las Vegas are less enamored with casino-logo’d casual wear, t-shirts, six-pack coolers and such, our friends and family from across the country are MUCH LESS jaded about such items. As it turns out, my friends and family, as well as Phil’s, absolutely ADORE watches that say “Boyd Gaming,” T-shirts from Stations Casinos, golf shirts from local courses, and baseball caps that feature casino logos.
Phil got a notice this past week that this slot club was giving away CROCK POTS on Friday night at 6PM. Smart – as they were looking to create some traffic and excitement in their casino on a Friday evening. He didn’t have a crock pot so he thought it would be worth it to swing by on Friday night to pick up his free gift.
Since Phil knows a lot about marketing, it was easy for him to see the situation (and what was wrong with it!) clearly. Rather than have the customers walk through the casino to claim their gifts – and hopefully gamble a bit while they were there – the casino had the big boxes of crock pots set up in a room right at the Valet entrance.
Phil said people were coming in, getting their crock pots, and promptly leaving – with their gifts. The valet is not even on the same floor as the casino! NO ONE WAS STOPPING TO GAMBLE! Why would they – when it would take extra effort to even visit the casino? Apparently, the casino employees in charge of this promotion were offering to hold your crock pot while you went to the casino; they could give you a claim check to assure you your crock pot would still be there when you were ready to leave…but none of the “players” were interested. This casino made it SO EASY for the players to pick up their gift and be home in time to watch Jeopardy! 
They should have had the crock pot giveaway on the casino floor. People would then be more likely to gamble, thereby making the casino’s cost for the crock pots justified. The gambling wins would outweigh the expense of the promotion. So – where did this promotion break down?
My guess is that ONE executive at the resort probably balked at the thought of schlepping all those heavy crock pots down to the casino, and thought how easy it would be to hand them out from the valet location. The whole purpose of the giveaway was to drive traffic to the casino – and it failed miserably!
Look at your business closely and make sure that whatever you decide to do to promote it will be executed perfectly. Don’t waste your precious resources by allowing one bad decision to ruin your well-laid plans. Where was the management? Where was the marketing genius who thought up this promotion? Poor executive – he or she will have to defend the expense and might never know WHY the promotion failed to generate casino revenue.
What Matters Now eBook FREE!
Need to know “What Matters Now”? Just click on the title and enjoy!
Whether you work as an entrepreneur, small business owner, or for corporate America, you will gain great benefit from this gem. Oh – and as a bonus – you’ll have LOTS to discuss over a business lunch after reading this incredible, insightful book.