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Let's Start With The Soup
 Many a business meal starts with a soup course. Unless you have
already begun by munching on the bread, this is your first
opportunity to demonstrate your table manners-to impress or un-
impress-your dining companions.
Choosing the right spoon is
step number one. If the table has been preset, your soup spoon will
be the large round or oval one to the far right of your place
setting. If the table has not been fully set, the server will bring
your spoon with the soup. I recently found myself on a hunt for my
soup spoon after the waiter had brought the bowl. There was no soup
spoon to the right of the place setting and it didn't seem to be
anywhere else close by. Just before confessing that I was without a
spoon, I spotted a handle sticking out from under the oversized soup
bowl. So check the plate first before you give up
With soup
spoon in hand, spoon the soup away from you towards the opposite side
of the bowl. If a bit of the liquid should fall from the spoon this
will ensure that it will drop into the bowl and not on the front of
your nice business attire. Sip your soup quietly from the side of the
spoon. Slurping is never acceptable.
No matter how hot the
soup, at no point should you blow on it to cool it off. You may lift
a spoonful slightly level with the bowl and hold it for a few seconds
while it cools off. Be patient and grateful that your soup is hot. If
the soup is not heated to your liking, don't make a fuss during your
meal. If you send it back to be reheated, everyone else will feel
obliged to wait on you. Then they will end up with the cold soup
instead of you.
If you want the last drop of soup, you may
tip the bowl away from you to spoon this last bit. Just try to avoid
looking as if you are not sure where your next meal is coming
from.
If oyster crackers come with your soup, as they do
with chowder, you can put them in your bowl. However, larger crackers
are to be eaten with your fingers and never crumbled into the soup.
That's only okay when eating in private.
Between mouthfuls,
rest the spoon in the bowl. When you have finished, place it on the
under plate on the right hand side. That is a signal to the server
that you have finished.
 If you'd like to have a piece of
bread with your soup, put your spoon on the under plate and use the
same hand that held your spoon for the bread. Never go at your meal
two-fisted.
Every detail of the business meal, including how
you eat your soup, contributes to your overall professional
image.
© Lydia Ramsey. All rights reserved.
 
About the
Author
 Lydia Ramsey is a business etiquette expert, professional speaker, corporate trainer and author of MANNERS THAT SELL - ADDING THE POLISH THAT BUILDS PROFITS. She has been quoted or featured in The New York Times, Investors' Business Daily, Entrepreneur, Inc., Real Simple and Woman's Day. For
more information about her programs, products and services visit her web site at http://www.mannersthatsell.com
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