How many times did you get out of a business meeting feeling annoyed? And how many times a meeting wasn’t successful just because of the other parties?
If you have been working for many years then your answer is probably countless times. Meetings are the representation of you and your company; if you’re a client or a company owner then you must know that the way you behave in a business meeting is a sign of your company’s system and how you will be dealing with the other parties.
Aside from checking your phone, zoning out, and looking at your watch during a meeting, there are some other crucial things that you should avoid doing in a business meeting so you can have a successful one.
1- Don’t Let The Meeting Get Out Of Control
Whether you’re a client or a manager, you should stick to the goal of the meeting.
Many meetings tend to go beyond an hour or two just because the client or manager keeps talking about irrelevant topics. So, what to do here is to take control; don’t go off-topic and if anyone did, try to always get back to the meeting’s discussion.
Going off-topic wastes valuable time; instead of discussing the presentation and the point of the meeting, you’ll be discussing the problems of society.
2- Don’t Show Off
Some clients or managers tend to show off with an attitude with what they have achieved.
It is ok to tell the others in the meeting what you have achieved but don’t do it with an attitude because it will give them a bad impression. It won’t make you look serious, it will make you look arrogant. So, don’t over brag, be humble about your achievements.
3- Listen Carefully And Don’t Just Oppose
Before opposing an idea, offer, or even a budget, listen carefully and think about it.
Some clients tend to oppose ideas without even listening to the details, while others oppose the budget. Many clients have dismissed offers just because of a budget; many clients also dismiss them with an attitude.
This will ruin your reputation, instead, you can listen and think about it and then debate.
4- Don’t Come Off Too Strong
Some people think that when they enter a meeting with an attitude or by being too friendly will make them own it.
Coming off too strong either by being too professional or strict won’t leave a good impression; in fact, people will feel intimidated and anxious to meet you or talk to you. Also, if you’re too friendly people would consider it as unprofessionalism. So the solution to this is attending the meeting with a balance between being professional and friendly.
Give the other parties the space to talk without showing an attitude.
5- We Already Have Done This
If you’re a client who’s looking for a company to help you, telling the team you have this or do this, will push them away.
If the team is offering you their services and all that you say is “you already know”, “we have done this”, or “we have it”, then the only question you’ll get from them is “why are you hiring us?”
What you can do is listen to their offers and services and have a discussion. Take some time to think about it and if you want to refuse then do it a couple of days later in a proper way.
6- Not Preparing Questions
Don’t go to the meeting without preparing any questions.
Staying silent in a meeting is one of the worst things you can do, this is why you should be preparing questions when you’re going. Asking questions will make you understand better and will open many discussions regarding the topic of the meeting.
Also, pay attention in the meeting because the presentation along with the goal of the meeting will raise too many questions in your head.
7- Irrelevant Questions
You should prepare questions but make sure they’re not irrelevant.
Don’t ask questions outside of the meeting’s topic; as we mentioned previously going off-topic will waste time and might bore the other parties because the meeting will go on for hours. So, make sure your questions are relevant to the topic and to the discussion.
Tell us a situation where you got out of a meeting annoyed.
