Last Updated: 1st April 2020
Business meetings are crucial to your success. For months, you scour for good qualified leads and prospects. And when one finally deigns to allot you some time, you get an invaluable opportunity of making a sale. Whether meeting at your place of work, outside, or online, here’s how you prepare for business meetings.
Know What You Have to Say
This is important. If you’re pitching a product or service, know its features, benefits, and especially its flaws and shortcomings. Be realistic and outline your conversation. Evaluate your best-case and worst-case scenarios. Stay on target!
Learn How You Say It
Verbal communication is all about the words you use, the tone of your voice and of course, your body language. If needed, practice on someone. Stay neutral and pleasant.
Pay attention to your body language as well.
Also read: Body Language Mistakes for Females
Scout, Stalk, Research
Scout the meeting venue. Drive to the location at least once before the meeting so you know the route.
Stalk the other party. I mean, look up the person(s) online – see their interests, achievements, pet peeves (if listed) and so on – to get an insight.
Research all you can to prepare for business meetings. Wring information from the Internet about the other party. Anything and everything that can help you make a connection with them, and propel you to make a hefty sale.
If you are meeting online, check to make sure you have shared the right links for the meeting.
Also, check the meeting times against the local times of the meeting attendees, if the timezones are different. Sometimes when you are meeting someone from a different timezone, it’s better to double-check such details.
Practice, Practice, Practice..
The best way to prepare for business meetings is to practice. A lot.
Remember, it’s more than making a sale. You are trying to build a relationship here. You will make a sale. But it doesn’t end there. You want them to choose you again in the future, and most possibly recommend you to their friends and family. So practice what you have to say and how you say it. When you’re done, practice some more.
If you are meeting online on Skype, Zoom or Google Hangout (or any other app), practice talking into your microphone. It’s slightly different than talking without one.
Over to you..
Preparing for a business meeting is, indeed, a process. You have to get your point across while making the other party realize they want you (your product or service). Outline what you have to say, based on the research you accumulate, and then practice how you are going to say it. Meetings can make or break your business. So never try to wing it.
How do you prepare for business meetings?
Read our other Business Grooming posts.
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