Q/A: How do I entertain clients on a budget?

Q. “My new organization values frugality. Yet my new role necessitates taking clients out and building solid relationships. When I entertain for business, is there a way I can demonstrate polish, yet keep things informal and inexpensive?”

A. Being a good business host is tied more to your imagination and knowledge of your client than to your expense account. Good entertaining is executed by being attentive to your clients; it’s not about how much money you spend.

Developing relationships is important. Yet people don’t remember how interesting you are but how interested you are in them.

Finding out what someone values will be a guide for creating memorable yet affordable client experiences. It can be as simple as attending a sporting event their child participates in, or contributing a small donation for a cause they support, or meeting them for a cup of coffee midday to catch up or a simple glass of wine at the end of a workday. Is there a community event that your client may like to attend? Hosting them to attend a community event is dual purpose. It’s business entertainment that also helps support the community.

A tip a seasoned executive gave once resonates how simple it can be to create a memorable experience. When dining with others, he always made it a practice to order and pay for two or three desserts to be shared at the table after the meal (along with extra plates and flatware). His theory was that people tend not to order dessert, and yet the communal aspect of trying a few new tastes and sharing made for a beautiful recency point at the conclusion of the meal. We know from the research on primacy and recency that people remember what we do and say first, and what we do and say last. The desserts leveraged this, and made a lasting favorable impression without breaking the bank.

It isn’t about how much you spend in the time you have with others, but how you spend the time. William James said, “The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” Nothing indicates appreciation as much as attentive time. Time spent being with someone and time spent recognizing and honoring what is important to them, not you, will reap solid dividends with respect to meaningful business relationships.