Business is a field where you can't go it alone. Even if you don't have employees - you need clients and customers. Therefore, meetings with them are unavoidable, and a lot depends on their course in your business. Hence - it is good to know what to pay attention to so that as many people as possible learn about your company and get to know it from the best possible side.
1. the business meeting must have a purpose
While this seems obvious - in practice this is not always the case. When we go or we organize a business meeting - we should clearly define its purposeIt is important that all participants are aware of this. It is important that all participants are aware of this. Such a plan will allow us to take actions and steps that precisely reach the goal. We'll also be able to monitor whether the meeting is going according to our assumptions or if it's getting sidetracked.
Despite appearances - business meetings should not take long (choć nie raz się to zdarza). Przyjmuje się, że optymalny czas to 20 minut! Tymczasem pewnie nie raz uczestniczyliśmy w o wiele dłuższych. Zwykle tracimy cenny czas, gdy brakuje nam jasno wytyczonego celu i planu, w jaki sposób ten cel osiągnąć. Stąd – spotkanie „rozchodzi się w szwach”. Bardzo pomocne jest określenie czasu spotkania, zanim się ono rozpocznie – wtedy łatwiej będzie narzucić dyscyplinę jego uczestnikom.
2) Who to invite to the business meeting
To make sure it runs smoothly and accurately towards its goal - it is important to invite people directly related to the topic who can bring something relevant to it. A zatem – nie jest wskazane, by zapraszać cały zespół czy inne osoby „towarzyszące”. Pozwoli to uniknąć chaosu i dezorientacji. Należy zadbać o to, by wypowiedzi osób obecnych były ściśle związane z tematem i od niego nie odbiegały. Oczywiście – czasem można pozwolić sobie na dygresje, ale o tyle, o ile nie rozbiją one przebiegu spotkania.
3. time of the business meeting
It is advisable to schedule business meetings near mealtime or the end of work - this encourages participants to maintain time discipline and focus on priorities, especially if a compelling meal awaits them at the end. It is also advisable to keep an eye on punctualityIf you are not on time for a meeting, even if others are not, start the meeting at the appointed time, even if someone doesn't arrive on time. Doing so will teach them to be punctual in the future and to recognize the inappropriateness of being late.
4. questions during a business meeting
Quite frequent A mistake during company meetings is to provide opportunities for questions at the end of the meeting. This usually adds unnecessary time to the meeting. It is a good idea to plan the meeting in such a way that the participants have the opportunity to ask questions while we are discussing other issues. This also helps to organize the meeting and avoid chaos, and to move smoothly to the next issue.
5. be prepared
A business meeting is not a social gathering, so you cannot attend "on the spur of the moment." It is important to prepare well for them and anticipate unplanned situations and questions so as not to be surprised. This is not only of organizational importance, but also has an impact on our image. If we are faced with a question that we will not be able to answer, we will forget something or we will not have a clearly defined goal - this can be interpreted as a lack of competence and reliability, and certainly will not encourage anyone to further cooperation.
6. a good atmosphere is not bad
Although a business meeting is a serious matter, the atmosphere at it cannot be too stiff. It is worth taking care of the friendly, informal atmosphere so that its participants can feel at ease. Excessive stress and tension are not good means to an end. Every person present at a business meeting should be able to speak freely, without coercion or pressure. This is why it is important to be able to listen actively and respect those who are speaking, and not to let them know that their ideas are not right or well-developed. Even if we disagree with someone or are not willing to agree to a proposal, we should not start an argument or demonstrate hostility during a business meeting.
7. emotions and criticism - everything in moderation
A friendly atmosphere does not mean that we cannot afford criticism or show emotion during a business meeting. However - we should not lose our composure and cross certain boundaries. It is worth knowing that if we want to express our disapproval, we should express it in relation to an idea or a project, not to a person. If you are expressing, for example, dissatisfaction, it is a good idea to be specific about what it concerns, but do not manipulate (e.g. by making someone feel guilty or humiliated). It is also not appropriate to fight for superiority or power during business meetings, or to try to dominate. It is important to let the participants feel that they are equal participants in the business meeting. We never know when, with whom or in what situation we will meet again - so, regardless of our emotions, it is good to leave a good impression.
8 Concrete Action
Both The course of the business meeting and its effect should be specific. Warto pamiętać, że spotkania tego typu służą zmianie na lepsze i do tego powinniśmy dążyć. Dlatego improwizowanie czy abstrakcyjne podejście do tematu pozwoli nam wprawdzie wypełnić czas, ale niczego nie zmieni. Stąd ważne jest badanie, czy rzeczywiście spotkanie biznesowe, w którym uczestniczymy, służy innowacyjności i postępowi, czy raczej jest „biciem piany”, które z pewnością nikomu nie wychodzi na dobre.
9. a place where conversations take place
Certainly the place where business meetings are held is very important. It fulfils many functions, but above all it is our business card. Guests or interlocutors will certainly pay attention to where they have been invited and will identify us with this place. Another issue is to adjust the place to the nature of the conversation. If we want to conduct a significant conversation among professionals - we cannot offer them a random place "in the back". It is important that the interview room is well equipped with the necessary equipment, comfortable and convenient. If we do not have such a room in our company - it is worth looking for an appropriate place outside. This investment will certainly pay off. The better impression we leave, the more we can be sure that our interlocutors will not forget us quickly.
We also encourage you to read the article: "What to look for when renting a conference room?"
