Formal Dinner Etiquette

Going to an important dinner with clients or the big wigs? Follow these tips to make a good impression:

1.Plan to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early to avoid embarrassing tardiness.
2.If you are escorting a guest, help her take her coat off and hand it to the attendant before taking your own coat off.
3.Know your silverware specs – Forks are lined up on the left side of your plate, set up for you to work from the outside in. The only fork that is placed on the right of the plate is the oyster fork. Knives are placed on the outside of the plate, in order of use from right to left.
4.Glasses are placed in order of use from left to right.
5.Stick to neutral topics, and don’t worry about steering or guiding the discussion; just adapt to the natural flow of conversation. Generally, guests should avoid asking direct questions of hosts.
6.When in Rome…For American formal dinners guests should switch fork into the right hand, place knife on plate, spear a piece of meat, and eat it. The Continental style dictates that guests keep the knife in hand as the fork is used to cut and eat each piece of meat.
7.When in doubt, watch your fellow guests. Chances are that if they are doing something, you should be doing it too.
8.Send a thank you note to your hosts. A hand-written, genuine note goes a long way – it’s become something of a rarity and sends a message that you are on top of your game.