7 ways to make a great impression during a client dinner with your boss

7 ways to make a great impression during a client dinner with your boss7 ways to make a great impression during a client dinner with your bossEntertaining clients can be part of your job description and these meetings can often involve your boss.Here are ways experts say you can shine and impress your boss while dining out with clients.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreThink carefully about who is invitedIf youre in charge of organizing, pay careful attention to whom you include.Like any business meeting, your first challenge, if given the opportunity, is to make a strong decision on which colleagues will accompany you, says Carolyn Aberman, managing partner in the legal teilen for Lucas Group, a recruiting firm based in Atlanta. You want to make sure that you are hitching yourself to a coworker who will be similarly charming and professional.Study your attendees in advanceKnowing who will be present puts you in a better position.While we all strive to listen and remember names when being introduced to new people, it can be challenging to consistently remember everyones names and positions, Aberman says. If you know everyones name ahead of time, you can win points by addressing them directly.Have an informal agenda in mindAberman recommends doing your research prior to the dinner.Know who you are meeting and have ideas of topics you want to discuss as well as topics you know you need to avoid, she says. Keep in mind they are also off-limit topics to avoid. Business dinners are no place to discuss politics or other subjects that could create personal conflict, she says.On the other hand, it is a great time to bring up a recent win for that client even better if you assisted in that victory.Its a positive to demonstrate that you are following, and celebrating, your clients successes, Aberman says.Implement the art of small talkOnce at the venue and sitting do wn, the key is to focus on making everyone feel welcome and included.Ask people about themselves and their interests if the client wants to discuss work-related topics, then you follow their lead, but otherwise make sure to ask questions that will really give you a chance to get to know them, Aberman recommends. Ask about where they grew up, went to college or grad school, and what led them to their current company and position. In turn, when someone poses a question to you, make sure to give sincere and personal answers, while taking great care to avoid any stories that are inappropriate or potentially embarrassing to you or others.Mind your alcohol intakeAelendher excellent tip is to be very mindful of your alcohol intake.There is bedrngnishing more self-sabotaging than becoming over intoxicated in the presence of professional peers, says Shelby Ring, CEO, Ruby Riot Creatives, a digital marketing firm in Charleston, South Carolina. So be very aware of your alcohol intake, even if your boss or the clients are boozing it up, know that it does not make you cooler in this moment to go over your edge to keep up.Be kind to the restaurant staffAlways treat the restaurant personnel and your dinner companions with respect and courtesy. And, be sure not to discuss service issues during the meal. Regardless of how well or poor the service is, always tip the hostess and your servers at the top of the normal range, recommends Laura Handrick, careers and workplace analyst with Fit Small Business.She says if youre in an upscale restaurant where its customary to tip the host or hostess for a window view, do so in a way thats both seen and not obvious, such as saying Thank you for such a lovely view while slipping them a tip.When the check is delivered, dont simply add the 15% to the credit card charge slip. Instead, pull out cash in the amount of 20-25% of the total bill, and lay it on the table with a comment about how important it is to take care of the people who take c are of you, Handrick says That will impress your clients and assure that they too will be treated respectfully. Youre marketing yourself to your client as a generous, kind person.End the meal on a professional noteAt the end of the dinner, make sure that you say goodbye personally to each person who attended.Thank them for coming and let them know that you will be following up with an email or possibly even an invite to join a social networking site if that makes sense, adds Ring.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people