A successful business meeting is made up of employees who are dedicated, passionate, and ready to bounce ideas off of each other. Business meetings are held when team members need to get together to either coordinate upcoming events, share ideas on what the business needs, and how to further the company as a whole. It’s a way to get your ideas heard. If you come to a meeting, there are three tips you need to follow to successfully lead or contribute to the overall flow.
Stay Focused
A business meeting is typically made up of a diverse group of people who work for the same company. It can be overwhelming knowing where to sit, when to chime in, and how to hold yourself in order to make people listen to your ideas. You’ll want to make sure that you are completely ready by preparing with notes or postcards. Rehearse what you want to say ahead of time. This is an especially important tip if you are in a pitch meeting with investors. When talking, make sure you hit all bullet points on your notes in the proper order. To ensure that others don’t lose interest, keep your speech short and to-the-point. Don’t bury the lede. Use tone and inflection to make others excited about what you have to say. If you are leading the meeting, make sure you stay organized so that people don’t lose focus. It’s okay to occasionally ask questions to the group in order to get them engaged.
Place Yourself Deliberately
Deciding where to sit is a strategic decision dependent on an individual’s intended level of participation and relationship to the other attendees. If you want to show that you’re there to command the meeting, sit at the head of the table if it has a rectangular shape. If the table shape is round, consider standing in close proximity to the table, at the front of the room or near a focal point is such as a whiteboard or television display. That will ensure that all eyes are on you.
Create Relationships with Co-Workers
It can be scary walking into a business meeting, especially when it’s with people you don’t know very well. That’s why it’s crucial that you try to forge connections with coworkers. Tell them the ideas you’re working on, why they should care, and what they can do to help. When you bring everyone on the same page as you, they’re more likely to follow and support your ideas. This is because they feel invested in whatever you are trying to promote.
In order to truly lead or contribute to a business meeting, you need to be invested in what you have to say. You will be successful as long as you engage your coworkers, stay passionate, and believe in the idea you’re putting forth. After you leave that business meeting, make sure you follow up with the appropriate supervisors or coworkers to make sure your ideas have been implemented.
