According to information published by livecareer.com, unproductive meetings waste 24 billion working hours and cost the US economy $37 billion.
Boring, drawn-out meetings are the scourge of the modern business world. Yet, face-to-face interactions are also vital for getting everyone on the same page.
So, if you’re planning your next meeting, it makes sense to ensure you streamline things as much as possible. Keep reading for some top tips on how to plan different types of business meetings and make the most of them.
Decide Between the Different Types of Meetings
People in business get together with a goal in mind, and this goal should determine the meeting’s agenda, location, and duration. These are the most common types of meetings held nowadays, both online and in person:
Client Meetings
Most businesspeople meet with clients from time to time during their relationship. These are some of the most important meetings you’ll have, and they also take the most preparation.
Introductory Client Meeting
These meetings are your time to shine by showing off your business’s best attributes. They’re make-or-break meetings that will determine whether you gain new business.
When you arrive at an introductory meeting on time and well-prepared, you’ve already won half the battle.
Business Consulting Session
This is the next step in your relationship with a client. It’s an opportunity to find out more about their challenges and offer solutions.
It’s vital to ask as many questions as possible and preempt answers by conducting extensive research about the client’s profile.
Proposal Meeting
Once you’ve got a handle on how you can help your new client, you need to prove you can by putting together a plan that suits their needs.
Extensive preparation and research are important here too, and it’s best to have case studies and data to back up your promises.
Client Update Meeting
Most clients will want regular feedback about how you’re earning your fees. If you stay on top of your projects and can deliver on your promises, you should have no problem pulling off this kind of meeting at short notice.
Client meetings serve as a useful checkpoint to ensure you’re on track with the client’s expectations and help keep your projects flowing smoothly.
In-House Meetings
These meetings take place between people who work for the same company and can involve multiple tiers of employees. The most common types are:
Team Meetings
Team meetings serve as a touchpoint for managers wanting to stay in tune with their team’s workload and identify any challenges. They shouldn’t take up more than ten minutes a day and involve only basic information.
Individual Meetings
In-person meetings with individual employees provide more detailed insights into their workload or any issues they’re experiencing. Performance appraisals also fall into this category.
The trick with these meetings is sticking to business and avoiding lengthy personal conversations.
Project Meetings
When team members from different departments work on a project together, they must meet regularly. It’s the best way to avoid double work, identify bottlenecks, and ensure your project moves forward as agreed.
Consider Potential Business Meeting Venues
Business meeting etiquette demands that you extend a formal invitation to attendees before the meeting. This invitation should include a venue, a list of participants, a time, and an agenda and is most often sent via email.
Meetings between employees are relatively simple to arrange and may take place at their desks or a designated venue within the business. If your teams work remotely, you can use the Zoom app or book a meeting room in a central location for project meetings.
It’s a nice touch to arrange a business lunch meeting at a local restaurant to introduce yourself to a new client. This creates a good impression and a more relaxed atmosphere.
For best results, you should hold all further client meetings in your office, a business meeting room in your workplace, or at a formal co-working venue. These structured venues allow you to access the technology you need during these interactions.
Create a Business Meeting Agenda
Daily staff meetings should follow a fixed format. For instance, each worker should name just three things in these interactions, i.e.:
- Tasks completed yesterday
- Tasks in progress
- Tasks to commence today
All other meetings require an agenda, or they’re bound to go off track.
An effective meeting agenda should include a list of topics you want to address, discuss, and resolve. Always keep the minutes from any previous interactions handy in case of questions.
In the case of project meetings, you’ll also need a list of things to follow up on from your last meeting and new items to move the project toward its next milestone.
While compiling your meeting agenda, it’s a good idea to remind the other participants about their contributions and to make sure you’re on track with our own, too.
If you don’t have the necessary reports, data, or other elements available during your meeting, the meeting will stall and drag on much longer than needed.
Always make sure you and your team members arrive at a project meeting well-prepared.
When meeting with clients, it’s even more important to prepare well so you can make a good impression.
Experience More Benefits for Your Business
While many of us cringe at the thought of yet another drawn-out meeting where not much gets done, all types of business meetings can yield positive results. When you stick to the above tips, you’ll soon realize the benefits of regular meetings with your employees and clients.
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