Hosting a Dinner Party to Impress Your Clients, Made Easy

4. The first course.

This is the start of your three-course meal. Soup or salad are easy options. You know how to put together a salad. A Caesar salad is a classic, but requires some extra work. Soup can be brought premade. Costco has carried lobster bisque for years.

5. The main course.

This is the star of the show. This part requires work. The British have an expression, “meat and two veg.” This is what most people expect and should be easy to deliver. You can pick something easy to prepare. You might buy roasted chicken at your supermarket. You might buy a partially prepared entree at Costco or your grocery. You do not want to spend lots of time in the kitchen.

6. Dessert.

This can be bought at a nice bakery. You might make brownies and serve them with ice cream. You might bake a cake. It depends on how creative you want to get.

7. Additional details.

You will want music. This can be done via Pandora or whatever technology you prefer. It should be quiet background music — ideally, with no vocals, because you want the conversation around the table to be the focal point. The meal should include bread. Visit a nice bakery and get something that makes an impact. You will want water on the table. People will be drinking, and they need to get home. You want them to have the ability to step away from alcohol.

8. Wine.

Wine takes a meal up a notch. You should have a choice between red or white. The wine primarily needs to complement the main course. Ask your wine store or wine fan friend for some advice. Your aim is to have a pleasant evening, not to make a statement about wine. You do not need to spend a bundle.

9. Coffee or tea.

This should be served with dessert or afterward. In the U.K., it’s often a separate course. In the U.S., we tend to consume dessert and coffee together. This moves you out of the alcohol category, which can be helpful for people who are driving home. You want to be a good host and make alternative arrangements for people who should not drive.

10. Conversation.

Although it might not be obvious, this is the most important aspect of the dinner party. You want all of your guests to feel comfortable. Your party might have four, six or eight diners including yourselves. You want everyone to get an opportunity to speak, so draw them into the conversation. Generally speaking, it is polite for everyone to converse with the person seated to their left and their right. Avoid controversial subjects. If one comes up, try to steer the conversation into a different direction.

Sharing a meal deepens relationships. People often repay you by inviting you over for dinner. This can bring you into your client’s social circles and vice versa.

Bryce Sanders is president of Perceptive Business Solutions Inc. He provides HNW client acquisition training for the financial services industry. His book, “Captivating the Wealthy Investor,” is available on Amazon.