How to Entertain Clients Without Making It Feel Like Work

The worst client entertainment feels exactly like what it is.

Client entertainment.

Everyone arrives knowing why they're there. Conversation follows the predictable path. Dinner ends. Hands are shaken.

A better experience gives people something else to focus on.

That changes everything.

Give the room an activity.

Golf works particularly well because participation can be as serious or unserious as the group wants.

Experienced players can compete.

Beginners can take a few swings.

Someone who doesn't want to play can have a drink and remain completely part of the evening.

The activity removes the pressure to manufacture conversation.

Don't overschedule.

An itinerary can destroy the spontaneity that makes an evening memorable.

Leave room.

A drink before the round.

Another after.

A conversation that goes twenty minutes longer than expected.

Make hospitality effortless.

Clients should never wonder where to put a coat, order a drink or find the next part of the evening.

Good hospitality removes small moments of friction before guests notice them.

Know when business can wait.

If everyone is enjoying themselves, don't interrupt the evening with a presentation.

Relationships compound.

There will be time for the spreadsheet tomorrow.

The goal of great client entertainment isn't to create the perfect environment to discuss business.

It's to create the kind of relationship in which discussing business becomes easier.