How to Properly Get Ready for an Important Meeting
Wednesday, June 29, 2016, 6:00 AM | Leave Comment
Whether you are an owner of a big company and have to present to your employees or someone looking to score a deal with a potential client, it is crucial to learn how to conduct business.
One of the most important factors by far is knowing how to properly prepare for an important meeting. The key is to learn to behave in a certain manner, to exude with confidence and also exhibit your idea in a professional, interesting and simple manner.
While this might sound simple at first, it actually requires a fair amount of preparation.
This is why it is a good idea to keep the following things in mind:
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Create an Agenda
The first step towards a successful business meeting is creating a detailed plan and schedule beforehand. This is important for a number of reasons, but especially in the terms of learning how to properly facilitate a meeting since the beginning till the very end.
An agenda should consist of all the topics that should be covered during the meeting, including the optimal time and duration of said topics.
Make sure to distribute the agenda to all participants, giving them time to carefully study the full plan and program of the meeting.
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Notify The Participants
Depending on the structure of the meeting itself, make sure to notify all the participants about the exact date, time and location.
The best solution is to notify them via e-mail at least a few days prior to the meeting itself.
It is also a good idea to leave your phone number so your participants could contact you in case they need additional information. Make sure to confirm the meeting one day before by sending a short notice.
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Prepare The Material
One of the most important things to remember is to always come prepared to a meeting. This includes not only researching the topics thoroughly, but also prepping all the essential materials needed for the full course of the meeting.
Unprepared participants, especially facilitators, give out an impression of unprofessionalism and lack of commitment which can be seen as a great disadvantage later on. It is a good idea to pack and prepare everything you need the night before, including all documents, paperwork and also additional equipment if needed.
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Stay Focused
During the course of the meeting, it is really important to learn how to accurately present the topic to all other participants. Staying in focus throughout the entire meeting is sometimes quite difficult to do and many people make the mistake of drifting away from the subject.
The goal is to be concise, clear and stay on the topic. This is where a printed agenda can come in handy, so you would be able to keep track of time.
It is also a good idea to assign different roles to participants so you would have a timekeeper, a scribe and a facilitator to keep the meeting going in the right direction.
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Prep The Environment
Another important thing to keep in mind is creating a suitable surrounding for the complete duration of the meeting.
Make sure to book a conference room in advance and gather all the necessary equipment you will be using throughout the meeting.
Logistics is a very important step and like that you should think about all the details: from arranging a computer, projector and screen up to prepping the board and making sure the room has a sponge and a good whiteboard marker.
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Details matter
Business meetings do not necessarily have to be hectic, stressful and overwhelming. The key is to come prepared so you would be able to exhibit your idea in the right manner.
If you try and keep these few handy tricks up your sleeve, every other meeting will be a piece of cake.
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