Chapter 3 / Business Lunch

Глава 3 / Бизнес-ланч

A very popular type of meeting is the business lunch. It is a time to relax a little outside the office and a time to get to know people personally in a less formal atmosphere, while doing something productive.

If you are called upon to make the reservations for such a meeting, look for a quiet place without distractions.

The business lunch in the United States is usually a short meeting, though there are always exceptions. Some time is spent eating and making small talk before more serious matters are discussed.

As each culture has its own practices, whatever the language of communication, it is best when visiting a foreign country to wait until your host brings up business rather than initiate it yourself, unless you yourself are hosting the meeting. When you hear something like: «Well, let's get down to business», then you know the official meeting has begun.

Business lunch discussions, because they are more relaxed, are usually less formal than in-house meetings. The lunchers may speak at random, jumping into the discussion when they have something to say, rather than being more structured; that is not to say that lunch meetings can't also be formal.

Business lunches start with small talk. Making pleasant conversation with colleagues sets a positive tone for the rest of the meeting. Follow the small-talk guidelines: talk about weather, sports, the restaurant, or type of food you are eating, and avoid politics, religion, and anything negative.

Если в бизнес-ланче участвуют новые люди или один человек, беседа начнется с их представления:

I'd like to introduce you to our guest, Mr. Steiner from Zurich.

Мне хотелось бы представить вас нашему гостю, м-ру Стайнеру из Цюриха.

He's joining us today to talk about his bank's new business ventures in the United States and Canada.

Welcome to our company.

Did you have a nice trip?

Он сегодня присоеди­няется к нам, чтобы обсудить но­вые бизнес-проекты в США и Ка­наде.

Добро пожаловать в нашу компа­нию. Вы хорошо доехали?

Если вы иностранный гость, будьте готовы отвечать на ряд вопросов каждый раз, когда приезжаете за границу.

How was your trip here?

How was your flight?

Where are you staying?

How long will you be staying?

Have you seen any (tou­rist)

sights yet?

What do you think of our city?

What do you think of our weather?

Tell us about your com­pany.

Как вы доехали?

Как вы долетели?

Где вы остановились?

Как долго вы у нас пробудете?

Вы уже осматривали достопримечательности?

Что вы думаете о нашем городе?

Как вам нравится наша погода?

Расскажите о вашей компании.

As the foreign guest, you might want to prepare a short story or anecdote about your trip or discuss (briefly) some observation you have made. As in other types of meetings, your host or hostess may tell a joke or short story to «break the ice».

If you are not in an English-speaking country, such as in Switzerland meeting with Saudis or Taiwanese, your business lunch customs will naturally differ from American-style business lunches. However, just to be safe, prepare some questions you might ask so you can spend more time listening than speaking. Questions about the restaurant, the type of food customs, and culture are usually appropriate.