Simple Tips to Remember When You're in a Business Meeting

A meeting or a business lunch are always opportunities to stand out professionally. Also, you will certainly be evaluated by the way you behave.

But, after all, what to do or talk about in a work meeting?

Work meetings are crucial moments to strengthen your image with colleagues, bosses and suppliers.

Also, doing well in situations like these earns points for other business circumstances.

Being able to attend, knowing when to put yourself in a work meeting and the way to behave, is fundamental.

In this post, I am going to present some important tips that will help you to be successful. Continue reading and enjoy!

Be punctual

Being late for an appointment is a demonstration that you don't value the other's time which is nothing more than an extreme disrespect.

When two or more people agree on a work meeting, it is expected that it will be held at the agreed time.

Unless there is a reason that, in fact, justifies a delay, never arrive after the stipulated time. Punctuality is the minimum expected of people committed to their work

Being punctual demonstrates respect and responsibility.

If the delay is really unavoidable, don't focus your attention on excuses and justifications. Keep your communication positive, emphasizing how much you value people's time and patience despite what happened.

As? It's simple! Replace "Sorry I was late because the car had a flat tire and..." with "I'm sorry I took so much of your time, but thanks for waiting for me."

Prepare before

Usually, the agenda of the meeting is published before the date. This occurs precisely so that those present can prepare and participate more actively, contributing with valid suggestions and arguments.

Take advantage of this advantage to study the points that will be discussed in advance and keep in mind how you can add them.

If possible, take data that can help in the development of the meeting, relevant facts and subjects that can be addressed.

It is also important that you are accurate in the information that directly concerns the function you perform, as you may be asked about something.

Research the main trends in your area that can be of great value in solving the problems presented and, above all, have enough inputs so that your creativity can flow during the work meeting.

Get to know the company culture

An important aspect that may go unnoticed by many people is the issue of corporate culture.

It is necessary to have knowledge about it in order not to fall into carelessness and put yourself in an embarrassing situation.

In some cases, the active participation of new employees is encouraged as part of staff development, for example, but in others it can be misunderstood.

Therefore, try to talk to your peers and even supervisors to understand what your role is in that first moment.

In addition, in certain environments, it is necessary to maintain both speech and proper posture, put arguments in a more far-fetched way and even try to dress according to criteria.

In others, however, the excess of formality can become restrictive, especially in startup -style business models , due to the relaxed atmosphere that these spaces tend to propose.

Take care of appearance

Regardless of your position, dress appropriately. Use common sense to guide this choice: prefer neutral or pastel-colored clothes that are clean and ironed.

Also avoid very flashy accessories. It is worth remembering that it is not necessary to wear designer clothes to be elegant.

A good way to guide yourself is based on how your boss dresses. Try to resemble yourself in style, without drawing so much attention from your peers.

Even if you occupy a much lower position, always try to dress discreetly and neatly, the way you would like to be seen.

The way you dress helps people understand how you want to be treated — more formally or more casually, for example.

If you are the one giving the presentation, you also need to make your presentation look professional. I know there are meeting powerpoint templates on the web you can use but the main goal is to look and sound professional.

Write down everything

During the meeting, write down what is being said. Not only will this help you remember later what was discussed in the meeting, it shows that you are aware of what is covered in the meeting.

Also use a notebook to write something you want to say, without having to interrupt someone else's speech and reasoning.

Write keywords that can be used to remind you of what you want to add to the discussion.

In addition to being a great tool during the work meeting, a notebook can be a great contribution afterwards, so that both you and your colleagues can clear up any doubts or align information.

Use clear communication

More important than starting your presentation with fancy terms and technical mentions is making the people listening understand what you mean.

That's why you should prepare yourself with clear and, above all, simple communication.

It is very common that some of those present at the meeting are simply not in your field and they should understand what you are trying to address.

Therefore, do not forget to bring the necessary explanations of the specific concepts and terminologies.

If you want to be even more sure that you are being understood, take time out of each topic and step to check that everyone has understood or if there are any questions.

This is important to demonstrate that you care about how the information is getting to the recipients.

Follow up via email

Follow -up is a follow-up method coming from the sales area, but it can be useful for meetings. In fact, it doesn't have to be anything too elaborate.

An email punctuating the main agendas and decisions of the meeting is enough to keep everyone informed.

In addition, this is an important space for everyone to interact and contribute.

Therefore, in addition to remembering what was discussed in the work meeting, you can also ask your colleagues to add their own notes, enriching the documents and helping everyone to keep abreast of everything that was discussed.

Use speaking techniques

Participating in a meeting is not just being present. Whenever possible, use the previous tip and say something that will enrich the debate.

However, do this by positioning your thoughts clearly and objectively .

As much as you want to stand out, don't talk about what you don't know or about something that has no foundation.

Express your opinion seriously, avoiding jokes, irony and debauchery. Oratory techniques also greatly favor these situations.

It is necessary to know how to use the appropriate tone of voice, use pauses during speech and demonstrate enthusiasm when speaking.

Posture and gestures are also factors capable of persuading and holding the listener's attention.

With tips as simple, but as fundamental as these, from now on, you'll be able to stand out positively in any work meeting.

Remember that all these aspects involve your personal presentation and communication!