A successful business meeting gives you the chance to attract new customers, win an important contract, partner, develop projects, deepen the relationship, it also improves the company’s image and allows you to get a good employee. It all depends on its goal. Discover more about this topic here.
How well do I do at a business meeting and why is it so important?
A good business meeting, which is what?
My definition is simple. A successful meeting has a clearly defined goal and that goal is achieved during it. In an ideal world, such a meeting ends with concrete conclusions, brings some progress, brings the expected results closer. This is enough to call the meeting successful. All other aspects, in my opinion, are already in the background.
Of course, it will not hurt if there is a good atmosphere at the business meeting. Participants will be active, creative, comfortable chairs, and the smell of freshly roasted coffee will float around the conference room. But does it make a particularly big difference? An example, perhaps a bit strange, came to mind. What would you prefer – to be treated by a very nice doctor without many effects, or to be a patient of Dr House, who might be arrogant but heal you?
Hope you know what I mean. It is good if our actions fulfil their intended functions and are simply effective. In meetings with clients, as a rule, really important issues are discussed, such as the purpose and nature of cooperation, stages and project development. Deadlines are set for the implementation of tasks, financial issues, organization, business relationships are built, etc. If the meeting does not end with significant conclusions, does not push certain matters forward, does not bring specific value – it will never be good. And the temperature of the room, the taste of the coffee or clothing will not matter here. Especially business.
While writing this text, I tried to estimate how many business meetings I participated in. I quickly realized that I was not able to count them. You can trust me that there were a lot of them. Hours spent in conference rooms counted in hundreds if not thousands. Lots of conversations, interesting people along the way. Lots of good meetings and probably just as many bad ones. Interestingly, I’m not unique in any way, I’m far from records, and that’s not the case here.
I mentioned it because I had the opportunity to test the principles that I will describe today. If you implement them at least partially, you will very seriously increase the probability that your business meetings will be good.
10 rules for a successful business meeting
There are a lot of rules that we have to follow in the business world. However, not all of them are of particular importance. Therefore, we will not talk about them today. However, I chose the 10 most important rules of a successful meeting, which in my opinion will prove useful both in job interviews, as well as meetings with clients, partners, etc. Some of them are certainly known to you, and others may be a surprise. Here they are.
Good organization of the meeting
This is important if you have organizational issues on your side. The meeting must be well prepared to create the right conditions for the conversation. Much depends on the purpose of the meeting, its form, and the number of guests – the scale of preparations should depend on it. However, what is most important is substantive organization. Regardless of whether you are the organizers or guests, the precise setting of the agenda, topics and what you want to say will determine whether it will be a good meeting or a lost time.
Preparation for the meeting
The more important the meeting, the better you have to prepare for it and the more time it will take. But it’s an effort that will pay off. It is good to divide the meeting into stages, plan each stage. This will allow you to control its course, define priorities, and thus increase the chance of a favourable final.
If you know exactly which company you are going to or who exactly you are inviting – do a little reconnaissance before the meeting. Take the initiative. Thanks to this, you will be able to adjust to your interlocutor easier both in terms of content and organization.
Punctuality
Absolute primer – if you make an appointment for a specific time – be punctual. This is the first opportunity to make a good impression and show your respect for your own time as well as the time of the person you are dating. It is normal for me and when someone comes to meet me at an agreed time, I do not greet them with fanfares and a carpet of roses.
But on the other hand, if he is late, it immediately causes negative feelings. Sometimes there are random situations beyond our control – you know. But in many cases, all it takes is a little imagination to avoid them. And if it fails and you see that you will not make it on time, be sure to call and inform about this fact.
Appropriate dress for the meeting
Here is an interesting example from one of my current employees. For the first recruitment meeting in my M&M office, she came dressed neatly but not in a suit. His appearance and outfit didn’t catch my attention then. After some time, we talked back to this meeting and I heard that he was dressed in a “casual” style on purpose, unofficially. He assumed that if it bothered me that he didn’t come in with a tie, it was not a good place for him.
He wanted to find an office where he would be able to feel at ease, without imposed rigid and artificial standards. I admit that I have not encountered such an attitude before. If not, I would probably be convincing you now that you need to wear a suit for a business or recruitment meeting. There’s no need to. Sometimes it’s even better not to overdo it with elegance.
Your outfit at the meeting determines your image. The most important thing is that you should have this awareness and skillfully manage this image. It’s also good for it to be adapted to the circumstances, but it doesn’t always have to be creased pants and a tie. Unless required by the dress code.
Body language
How you say hello, what position you will sit in during the meeting is important. Body language betrays our feelings, attitudes, and intentions, so it’s worth knowing at least some basic rules. A smile alone is not enough. It is worth reading the signals sent by the body language correctly to send appropriate messages to the recipient.
Stress before and during the meeting
Many people get stressed out before meetings, which sometimes blocks them, making it impossible to talk freely. Losing confidence, we lose control throughout the conversation. Therefore, you must learn to control stress. With each subsequent meeting, it becomes easier. When we get rid of unnecessary stress, we will be more natural and free, we will give the right direction to the conversation and we will react more easily to the course of events.
The way of speaking in a meeting
During a business meeting, it is not only important what you say, but also what you say. As with body language, we send specific signals by the way we speak. Therefore, let’s try to speak calmly and not fall into the interlocutor’s opinion. Speak to the point and specifically, but you can also allow yourself a joke, a digression. Look into the eyes of your interlocutor, but do not exaggerate. Everything with feeling and according to the circumstances and format of the meeting. The conversation is an art of some sort. The more we study it, the better we will be able to put it into practice.
Place of meeting
Often the place of the meeting will determine its course. If we want to have a serious conversation, discuss sensitive issues or confidential business topics, we must create appropriate conditions. If the meeting takes place at our company’s headquarters, it will be particularly important, because it builds our image and professionalism. It is also important that the room is properly equipped with the necessary equipment, that it can easily accommodate all guests and provide comfortable conditions. If we are not able to provide them in our office, it is worth renting an appropriate conference room “in the city”.
Materials for participants
If the meeting is to discuss a project or topic, it is worth preparing the necessary information in advance. From experience, I have noticed that materials sent, for example, the day before the scheduled interview significantly improve the efficiency and shorten the time of the meeting itself. It’s easier to preserve meteorites and specifics. Participants can read them in advance, form an opinion, etc. I recommend it.
End of the meeting
You will know a successful meeting when it ends, not how it begins. Make sure that, after the interview, all participants know what are the main conclusions and what activities are planned. You can go ahead and skip the ending like: Does anyone have any questions at the end. There was time to discuss them during the meeting, it makes no sense to extend it indefinitely, which is what happens sometimes. However, it is worth summarizing the most important points, emphasizing the main assumptions and determining the next steps.
I hope that these 10 rules of a successful business meeting will also work in your case. I try to follow them daily and I see positive results.
This article was guest written by guest author, Sumiya from Reliefseeker.
Sumiya is a content writer who set out with a resolve to change the expectations of viewers, and as the years went by, they began to search for more information from different regions of the world. At Reliefseeker, passion continues to grow as they continuously seek new ways to cater to your needs; no matter how much they grow, we promise to always do right by you because you are important to us! Our customers are what makes our world go ’round!
