As an executive, your job is to bridge the gap. After the first course, deliberately turn to the client’s wife and ask her opinion on a non-business topic. Better yet, invite her into the business conversation: "Sarah, you run a marketing firm. What do you think about our branding dilemma?" Inclusion is respect.
Conversely, consider the deal that closed because the host’s wife remembered that the client’s wife collected antique maps—and had a rare one waiting as a gift at the hotel. That is the power of the spouse dinner done right. The business dinner with wives is not a relic. In an era of Zoom calls and transactional emails, it is a rare opportunity for deep relationship building . When both spouses understand their roles—not as ornaments, but as ambassadors—the dinner becomes a competitive advantage. business dinner with the wives
Consider the partner who never introduced his spouse to anyone, leaving her to eat alone at the table. Respect gone. As an executive, your job is to bridge the gap
Consider the CEO whose wife loudly complained about the cost of the private jet. Trust broken. What do you think about our branding dilemma
The wives will exchange honest assessments: Did they seem genuine? Was she cold or warm? Would I trust them with our family's security?
The goal is simple: by dessert, everyone at the table should feel that they are not just doing business with a company, but joining a family. And families, after all, are harder to walk away from.
As an executive, ask your spouse for her read. She noticed the client’s wife checking her phone repeatedly (disinterest or emergency?). She saw the client touch his wife’s hand when she answered a question (solidarity or warning?). These observations are gold. Consider the VP who spent the entire dinner flirting with the client’s wife. Deal lost.