Business meetings are something that can not get avoided.
Most of us have had to sit in a meeting, whether it’s face-to-face to an online meeting.
Habits to Avoid
The worst possible thing in a business meeting is speaking, and the person opposite you makes you feel like they are not really listening to you and want to finish the meeting as soon as and leave.
There are five bad habits one should avoid during any business meetings and especially business meetings.
Leave Your Phone Aside
Do not use your phone in a business meeting. It’s simply disrespectful, even if it is just to take notes.
Put your phone on silent and to the side.
You have to let the other person know from your actions that you are listening to them.
Yes, it can be mind wrecking when you are so used to turning your phone and give it a glance, but in a meeting, it’s best to not.
You do not want the other person to think your messages, emails, or social media is more important than what they have to say.
Put your focus on the people in the business meeting and what they are saying.
Stop Selling
A meeting means the other person is interested in you and your product.
Therefore, do not waste that time selling how amazing you are or your company is or how successful you are.
Keep your focus on the issue and reason for holding the meeting.
You need to have a clear mindset on how the meeting is not about selling yourself and recalculate and take the meeting accordingly.
Don’t Show Your Product First
Similar to the previous point, do not show your product first, unless that is what the meeting is about.
If you are setting a business meeting about brainstorming and getting your idea validated, then it will be the wrong move to show your product.
You should talk about your product first.
At times, the product might not get designed well, and opinions can get biased and confusing.
However, if you tell me what the product is, its features, how it will work and so, then seeing a well-designed or not product will not affect if I like the product or not.
Therefore, make others understand what your product or service is, then show it to them.
Don’t Ramble & Take a Breath
A meeting is not a monologue. It is a dialogue between two people.
Therefore, stop after every point for a few minutes and breath.
Give the other person time to ask questions and have a conversation without and not just have them sitting and nodding while you talk and talk about the product or service.
Think and remain conscious of how long you speak for.
Train yourself to stop after a few minutes or so and ask if there are any questions or confusion about what you are saying.
Never Assume, Remember Context
In a business, the context is everything.
You have to be straightforward and real.
Some questions you should ask yourself before you enter a business meeting include: Who introduced you? Why? What is the meeting about? What is the goal? What will make you consider business meetings to be successful?
Entrepreneurs often have the habit of starting their meetings about their product directly.
In fact, you should start with what your vision is, what stage your company is at, about your investors, and so on, and then jump into other details.
Conclusion
Do not make any assumptions and give your attention to the meeting. Put yourself in their shows and think and speak differently. Speak in a way that will grab others’ attention and not put them to sleep. Overall, know your audience and why you have set this meeting.
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