{"id":157,"date":"2017-05-28T21:21:01","date_gmt":"2017-05-28T21:21:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medium.com\/@arthamoney\/career-101-taking-business-over-drinks-5b3494201fc5"},"modified":"2017-05-28T21:21:01","modified_gmt":"2017-05-28T21:21:01","slug":"career-101-taking-business-over-drinks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/madrasrealty.com\/?p=157","title":{"rendered":"Career 101: Taking Business Over Drinks"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In all the business meetings that any entrepreneur can take during his time in the entrepreneurship field, taking a business meeting over drinks is the one that will need to be carefully managed. Someone would ask why you would take a business meeting over drinks considering all the risks it may carry. In most cases, the entrepreneur isn\u2019t the one who suggests the meeting to take place over drinks but rather it is the client who decides on that and the client may be the big client, the game changer that your business needs to get to the next level. There are a number of rules that one should consider before taking the business over drinks unless they would like to see their pitch become a punch line.<\/p>

Pretend You Aren\u2019t In A Bar<\/h4>

First all, the entrepreneur should pretend that you aren\u2019t in the bar. This means that the business aspect of the meeting should be the main focus other that talking about drinks. Get the work done give the pitch as if the meeting was taking place in the office and one should never let whatever is going on in the bar take center stage of the meeting. The bar and the drinks are not a topic of discussion because they aren\u2019t about the business that you are pitching.<\/p>

Do Things Early<\/h4>

Meeting over drinks is quite risky to the people who will get to the bar then start by ordering drinks first. The entrepreneur should do everything early as will give them more control over the meeting other than wait for the client to get there and start drinking and you end up not discussing any business. This can also be achieved by getting to the bar earlier than the client so that when they walk in you are set up and start handling the business before any drink is taken as no entrepreneur would like booze to take control of their meeting.<\/p>

Act Like You Have Some Shares In The Place<\/h4>

One of the mistakes that an entrepreneur can make when meeting a client outside the workplace is acting out on the place because it is not their own. If an entrepreneur wants to win a client easily they must show their respectful side and respect each and every one that works in the bar as these are your people as long as you are taking the meeting in that place. These people are today your assistants and your counterparts and how you treat them will go a long way in convincing your client that you are the right fit for the business.<\/p>

Hesitation Kills Momentum<\/h4>

Like when dealing with the personnel that are working in the bar, treat the bar as conference room and when you want to order a drink do not hesitate. Never review the menu in front of the client and that will only happen if you arrived early enough and reviewed the menu early. That will continue the momentum of the meeting as you would order what they have just like you would in a conference room because you would have known what would be served early enough.<\/p>

Do the Rain check<\/h4>

It is not bad to get out of your comfort zone as an entrepreneur to land a client that can be important to your business growth. The thing is that one should make sure they know how to engage this client outside the work place and will definitely endear you more to your client who will see the entrepreneur\u2019s ability to work outside the comfort zone. When meeting a client over drinks can really be tricky and risky but if managed well it come be the most enjoyable meetings that the entrepreneur can ever take.<\/p>

P.S. The writer is a strict non-drinker, and Steve Carrell fan-boy. Drinking is injurous to health. First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you. Don\u2019t be consumed by the luxury. Drinking kills.<\/p>