It’s a familiar situation to all PRs. You’ve secured stellar coverage, worked your socks off and delivered the goods. It is now time to meet your client and show off the results and talk about your plans to maintain the momentum.  You call your client to schedule the meeting – and the client suggests a lunch meeting…

Everyone wants to make a good impression – so you probably will plan what you want to wear and inevitably, what you want to say during the meeting. All great so far – but, have you given thought to a conundrum that has puzzled PRs for years? What should you order at the restaurant?!

Here is a list of the top 10 items you order at your peril:

1.    Spaghetti/meatballs/noodles:  Slurping during a meeting is just plain awkward. No matter how much you loved spag bol or noodle soup as a child, dashes of sauce all over your favourite white shirt won’t create the right impression.

2.    Pizza: Long sticky mozzarella can be perilous to even the most experienced PR. And if you don’t know the size of the pizza you are ordering, the waiter may just bring a pizza board that takes up half the table. Embarrassing.

3.    Naan/Chapati : You are going to have to cut it, roll it or break it by hand- which makes it one of most un-meeting friendly foods ever. Order this and the accompanying mint sauce at your peril.

4.    Cheeseburgers: Is your meeting at a McDonald’s? Probably not. Even if you were to eat a cheeseburger with a fork and knife – it is going to get messy.

5.    Soup: Slurp. Slurp. Slurp. Order this if you are not afraid of the odd stain on your clothes.

6.    Salads: It might be a healthy option but most salads are tricky – unless your fork manoeuvring skills are second to none

7.    Corn (on the cob): It might count towards your five a day, but it is another problematic finger food best left for the weekend barbeque. It’s a magnet to any gaps between your teeth.anoeuvring skills are second to none.

8.    Veal/Foie Gras/Venison: Only order if you know the client REALLY well. OK, you are not likely be meeting the Dalai Lama, but the problem with these foods is the politics. If your client is PETA or the RSPCA eating Bambi might not go down too well.

9.    Chips: That delicious salt coated chip is not just bad for your heart – is also disruptive on your fingers too especially when you need to take down notes. And licking the salt off your fingers is just a no-no.

10.    Booze: Simple rule: when in doubt, don’t order alcoholic drinks.  Binge drinking and/or going into an alcohol-induced coma during a meeting will probably send the wrong message.

To be fair, after all this, it’s a wonder what you can eat. Have you had any interesting ‘greasy’ experiences? What food (or drinks) would you avoid during a meeting?