If you are New to Industry, or never attended corporate meeting then you should definitely read out this article, this will help you focus on things which are necessary. If you have earlier attended the meetings and you were just attendee and this time you are the organizer then this article is for you.
Many of us today interact via email, Skype, slack etc, whichever medium is possible. We conduct e-meetings, con-call and much more. Meetings clients personally will not only bring productive results but it also helps maintaining strong and long-lasting business relations.
Few things you can do before attending a meeting which can produce Great Results.
Set Clear Agenda
Know the agenda, why this meeting is being conducted, or why are you called for the meeting. Being unaware about the agenda is not only unprofessional but it also wastes other person’s time and energy.
First Step is to know clear Agenda. Pen down points about idea, topic to be discussed, what all measures, strategy etc to be discussed during meeting. Make sure you send agenda to every attendee before meeting. This will help others to prepare and come accordingly.
Benefit for setting clear agenda is it saves a lot of time.
Make Presentation
Create a basic presentation you feel is required. Includes all the points to be covered during meeting e:g Objective, Scope of Work, Timeline, Deliverables, etc. Show Pictorial Representations where necessary, as reading out at times is quite boring for other people. Don’t create too many slides. Limit it to 15-20 as necessary.
Share the presentation with everyone once the meeting is over for records and better understanding as people tend to remember things which they have seen.
Prepare
Be prepared for the meeting. Preparation is mostly for people who are just going to pitch their ideas, business plans to investors. If you are sales/marketing person then you should defiantly prepare before you leave for the venue. Clients generally don’t prepare themselves for the meeting as they are clear about what they require. Preparation is must for everyone who is going to sell, showcase some products, service, ideas, etc.
Engage with Everyone
Once the meeting starts and if you are the one leading it, then try to engage with everyone. Ask them about what opinion they have, let them ask questions etc. Your eye contact should be with everyone and not just one. If people don’t feel connected then they will be least interested person in entire meeting.
At the end of the meeting ask for feedback when necessary and Say Thank you for participation and contribution.
Be Flexible
Be open to ideas, suggestions people have to offer. Welcome unexpected questions try to answer them, even if the meeting goes off topic , just go with the flow. People will come to point from where they have left just try to remember that point so that others don’t have to waste time thinking on it.
If you have any meeting advice, feel free to comment below. I would love to hear from you.
Thank you.