A major part of running a successful business is liaising with new and existing customers. You want to try and maintain relationships and start new ones. Basically, you want to keep the money from the clients you already have and add new clients to your customer base. A steady stream of new and old will lead to undoubted success in the long-term, which is why business meetings are essential.
The meeting is often looked down on by the outside world because they see it as a means of slacking off. Maybe people do use the term to get an easy ride, but a true business meeting is anything but an easy ride. To make sure your next meeting goes exactly to plan, here are a few things you will need to streamline the process.
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Overhead Projector
If the rest of the room cannot see what you are doing, they are not going to react to what you are saying. Research shows that the majority of people react better to stimuli when they can physically see it, as they can understand it better. Plus, from your point of view, an overhead projector allows you to structure your presentation. All you need are a few bullet points on each section that encourage you to talk. The company Projectors specialise in everything projector related. Plus, they have a variety of affordable products to choose from.
Hand Outs
You cannot fit everything into a PowerPoint presentation. In fact, you fit want to because it makes it look cluttered and untidy. For what you cannot fit on the screen, print it out and hand it around the room. It doesn’t have to be much, but it still might be essential to the message you are trying to convey. Also, it sets the tone for the rest of the meeting. You might hand out an itinerary for the meeting, but that itinerary shows you are prepared and professional.
Get Organised
Don’t put together the meeting the night before because that is one way that you are going to fail. Not even the suavest and most charming people in the world can fake a business meeting. Although you don’t want to overthink the meeting, you still need a basic structure. What are you going to begin with? How are you going to break the ice? When are you going to hit them with the final punch, so to speak? These questions and more can all be answered with a simple structure that allows the meeting to flow seamlessly
Keep It Short, But Sweet
No meeting should last over half an hour. A lot do, but that doesn’t mean it is the correct way. Adults, like children, don’t have great attention spans and are easily bored, especially if there are a lot of numbers and raw data on the screen. Keep it concise and succinct and you will win everyone over in a matter of minutes. Fifteen minutes to be precise!
Stand Up Straight
Dominate the room by standing up straight. If your body language exudes confidence, your presentation will benefit. The best business meetings are given by the people who can attract attention and make people listen and want to invest.
Do your business meeting skills need some fine tuning? Adopt the above and you will see a dramatic rise in your fortunes.
