ShoreTel recently published an article on 4 Ways to Make Your Meetings ROCK! We thought the article included some great tips and wanted to add a few of our own. We here at Unified have decided to use the EOS Level 10 Meeting format this year. We started using the process in December so we would be ready to hit the ground running in 2016. The process makes for very efficient meetings with dedicated time spent on each section of the meeting. Each department meets weekly now and has learned to follow the guidelines. Meetings start and end on time and the staff leaves with a clear list of items that need to be addressed each week. Glenn Turner, Controller, leads the Accounting Department meeting and his favorite part is the first 5 minutes of the weekly meeting where each employee shares something good and bad from the previous week in their personal and business life. He said it has helped his department open up to each other and work better together.
Tip #1 Prepare Ahead of Time
There is nothing worse than showing up to a meeting and realizing that the person who called the meeting is unprepared. It can be frustrating and make you feel like you are wasting your time. To avoid making people feel like this in your meetings, make sure that you set aside time to prepare beforehand. The thought of preparing for a meeting might overwhelm you, especially if you have a lot to cover, but preparing for a meeting can be as simple as blocking out 30 minutes of time to get your thoughts together and make a list of key points that need to be discussed with the client.
Tip #2 Make a List of Key Points
Making a list of key points is a great way to stay on track during a meeting. Without a list of priorities, it is easy to spend too much time discussing small details and run out of time to talk about the most important things. Make sure to set aside time at the end of the meeting to discuss the small things. That way, when someone in the meeting brings up something and gets you off track, you can redirect the meeting and get back on track by telling them that you will come back to their concern at the end.
Tip #3 Connect with Your Client on a Personal Level
It is always important to show your client that you care about them and their goals and dreams–both personal and professional. Did your client’s niece have a wedding in Cancun last week month? Don’t forget to ask about the trip. Maybe one of your clients is working really hard to eat healthier and struggles with a sweet tooth. Bring in a new healthy snack instead of your typical chocolate chip cookies when they come for the meeting this month. A gesture like this will show that you truly care. Congratulate the client who recently got a promotion. Making a genuine personal connection with your client is always one of the important parts of business. It makes you more motivated to do good work for them and builds trust and confidence.
