Business Etiquette- How to Facilitate a Meeting with Clients

A meeting is crucial to any business relationship; if you facilitate it well, it could lead to very positive outcomes that will increase your bottom line. Conversely, a poorly facilitated meeting will only be a waste of time and could possibly put an end to a potentially good business relationship. A meeting is a form of discussion wherein a specific agenda is brought up for everyone to talk about and make decisions on. Usually, a meeting takes place between members of a company, but it could also be between a representative of a company (such as the business owner or an executive) and a prospective client or customer.

Usually, in a large meeting, there is a facilitator who is responsible in ensuring smooth flow of discussions and preventing conflicts and arguments from arising. Now, if you are a business owner who has just put up a business, you probably are your company’s sole representative, which means that you will handle the job of a facilitator. Here is a list of proper etiquette you should be aware of when conducting meetings.

1. First of all, never be late for a meeting. Doing so would speak very negatively of you. If the meeting is set at three o’clock, be there at least 5 minutes earlier. This way you can have sufficient time to prepare for the agenda.

2. Dress appropriately. Even if you will only be meeting in a coffee shop somewhere it does not mean it is proper to wear a shirt and a pair of jeans. Taking the time to dress smartly will definitely make a good first impression and will speak a lot about your level of professionalism.

3. Always be courteous throughout the meeting, and this is especially true if you are the one trying to win a client or making a sale. Being rude and argumentative will not get you anywhere. Avoid interrupting the other person when he is talking, and be attentive. When you are distracted and keep looking elsewhere instead of the person you are having a meeting with, this will give the impression that you do not care at all about what he has to say.

4. Make a list of what needs to be discussed. This will make the meeting easier and smoother, because you will have a guide that will prevent you from getting sidetracked. The problem with not having a list is that you could easily get off topic and before you know it, you have already wasted an entire hour talking about pointless matters and not even able to get any of your objectives accomplished.

5. At the end of the meeting, make sure to summarize everything that has been said, including any agreements that were made to ensure that both parties are clear on every detail that was tackled during the meeting. Regardless of the outcome- whether positive or negative, stay composed and friendly. And with a firm handshake, thank the other person for his time.

Never Burn Bridges

Some people get easily disappointed when a meeting does not turn out well, which can be evident in their words and facial expressions. Do not feel bad about not being able to get a positive outcome because it is not all the time that you will be able to win new clients or customers, anyway. Do not burn bridges but instead make it a point to maintain cordial relationships because you might just have another business encounter with them in the future.

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