“The Queen of the Business Lunch™” on Face Time
I guess everyone wants to know how I became “The Queen of the Business Lunch™” (a nickname my clients gave me). I’ll get to that in a minute. My book, “The Art of the Business Lunch: Building Relationships Between 12 and 2” has become a tremendously helpful guide for entrepreneurs and business professionals. And now, I want to help even more people through speaking engagements as well as endorsement deals.
I’ve been focused lately on helping businesses to build deeper, more caring relationships. Allowing others to really get to know you – even some of your vulnerabilities – is invaluable. My newest keynote presentation is titled, “B Face 2 Face 4 Success.” It’s spelled out like a text message because the very technology that was supposed to help us seems to have consumed us, instead!”
It’s apparent that creating new ways to generate quality face time is on everyone’s mind – from iPhone’s “FaceTime” software to American Airlines’ new business-class swivel seats for in-air face-to-face meetings as well as their offering air-to-ground calls on the new iPhone, to CISCO’s recent campaign: “Welcome to the human network.” Corporate America is going all-out to put us FACE to FACE with each other.
I can help companies drive the message home – whether that message is “Breakfast is the new lunch!” or “Take time to make face time,” or even “Connecting on a budget.” As a Business Relationship Expert, I show how to create the quality face time that can help individuals to achieve greater success and companies to connect more deeply with their customers and clients….even on a simple coffee date. Also, many people need help with how they are supposed to behave when they are – finally – face-to-face!
My colorful stories help people create more productive “face time” when out with their clients – from getting that first, all-important face-to-face meeting to building lasting relationships. The more people you know, the more people you can get to know. Everyone in your circle knows other people who may need your services or products. Successful professionals understand this and take mere networking or business meetings to a much higher, personal level.
Information about Business Lunch is IN DEMAND! Here I am featured in SERAI - a trend-setting Japanese magazine
I recently trademarked “The Queen of the Business Lunch™” since I’ve become so well-known by that nickname. If you are just getting to know me, you will appreciate that during my advertising sales career, I personally hosted more than 3,000 client lunches and saw my sales increase by more than 2,000%. I wrote my first book on the business lunch and building relationships to help other business professionals become more proficient at building productive business relationships, particularly by sharing a meal with their clients. I’m excited to share that the book was so popular that it is now available in twelve languages.
Now, I’ve taken the foundation of the principles in the book and expounded on them to apply to today’s tech-obsessed world, when a great business lunch isn’t always an option. There are many alternatives to a business lunch, especially for those who are on a seriously limited budget. I enjoy helping others to create quality face time regardless of their circumstances. Distance and limited money are no reason to stay behind your desk all day. Sometimes, we just need to get a bit more creative.
In “The Power of the Platform: Speakers on Life,” the newest anthology in “The Power of the Platform” series published by the Las Vegas Convention Speakers Bureau, I shared a story in about my friend, marketing consultant Phil Robertson. In discussing the importance of opening your home to clients, Phil shared, “Now that I think about it, I realize I’ve never lost a client who has been to my home for dinner!” Of course I was not surprised at all; candor and vulnerability can help your business associates to see you as a human being. Exposing your true self can help you to create even better business relationships that will, ultimately, pay even greater rewards – personally and professionally.
If you’d like information on bringing me in to speak to your organization or to inquire about endorsement opportunities, please e-mail me at Robin@RobinJay.com or call 702-460-1420.
Mad Men Returns; Time to Entertain Clients Again!
MAD MEN: Entertaining Clients is SO COOL!
Those of us who need a big, delicious fix of Don Draper and his entourage will finally get it when season 4 of MAD MEN premieres on AMC TV July 25th. Of course “The Queen of the Business Lunch™” will be watching to see how the development of the new start-up, Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, progresses and how they go about romancing all the clients away from their former agency, Sterling Cooper. I anticipate that as the MAD MEN get busy romancing clients, there will be many business lunches and cocktails consumed over the course of the new season.
A visit to the MAD MEN website reveals everything you need to know about what has ALREADY happened on the show; there are few spoilers, if any. But, what you WILL find are recipes for 1960’s cocktails, blogs, fashions from the ’60′s, and even furniture from the era that gave birth to modern advertising. My background in advertising makes every scene that much more delightful, but my career as “The Queen of the Business Lunch™” makes me eat up every scene that has to do with socializing with clients.
In spite of the apparent “glamour” associated with the 3-martini “Power Lunch” and smoking cigarettes, be forewarned: it is NOT cool to get drunk in front of clients! Just ask Freddy Rumsen. Peggy Olson now occupies poor Freddy’s office and drinks from his private bar. It seems society expects us to be able to enjoy a drink or two, but that we should never let our liquor get the better of us. I can’t wait to see Peggy invited to join in on a client lunch. I think her character would bring a lot to “The Art of the Business Lunch”!
Client lunches are so much more sedate these days! Drinking in the middle of the day is typically frowned upon. Drinking in your office is almost never heard of. Yet we need to take our clients out to lunch and build solid relationships with them. We need to seize every opportunity for quality face time. Watch these MAD MEN get in trouble, as I’m SURE they will, and remind yourself that socializing with clients is as important as ever, but you need to take it easy.
MAD MEN is as tasty a treat as it gets. We now know so much more than we did back in the 1960′s. Too much booze will ruin your life, smoking is hazardous to your health, spanking your secretary on the bum will get you sued for sexual harassment, and we need to wear our seat belts. Perhaps our coming of age and today’s era of knowing better – and having better ways of networking - is just what makes this show so decadent.
Etiquette FUN for Client Lunches OR Dinner with Friends
Louise and Barry Berlin share a laugh with me at a big restaurant opening recently.
I had a few friends over for dinner last night, including my friends Barry and Louise Berlin. Louise asked if it is okay to use your bread as a “pusher” – as in using it to push the salad onto your fork.
She was surprised when I ran to my bookshelf to retrieve my copy of “Etiquette for Dummies.” I explained that I went to a source because while I was quite certain I knew the answer, I really wanted to be sure … and when it comes to this particular question, I remembered that there are actually several different answers! That’s the thing about etiquette – different behaviors apply to different situations. MOST of these variations are simply based on the differences between formal and casual settings; bread as a pusher is no exception!
I was able to share with Louise and another friend, Edy, that in a CASUAL setting, it’s okay to use your bread as a PUSHER! BUT – in a more formal setting, it is not. No wonder I couldn’t remember!
Pick up a copy and be sure you're on the right track!
It’s funny to me that many people are often too intimidated to dine with me. I try to put them at ease by explaining that I was only able to write my book, “The Art of the Business Lunch” because I had already made every mistake there is to make; why not learn from my experiences? Why must we make every mistake ourselves? 
But I do know a lot when it comes to etiquette … I even speak on it!
So, where does the FUN come in? We started reading all about bread at the dinner table – how to pass it (to the right), how to take a slice (using the napkin to hold the loaf while you tear off a slice), and how you must put butter on your dish and then butter your bread; never take butter directly from the community plate and put it on your bread.
I think it’s fascinating to read about etiquette and discover all the little nuances that add grace to a client lunch or business dinner. If you’ve ever wondered about exactly what to do, pick up a copy of an etiquette book. You’ll really find it enjoyable and some of the tips are sure to surprise you!
“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!