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Hello my friends! Do you know what is the most fun type of blog post to write? The one where I’ve messed something up and know there is a better way to do it. So I write about it and share it with you so you don’t make the same mistake. Today’s post are my successful meeting tips you can use right away.
So you guessed it, I was in a meeting and made, what I consider, a rookie mistake. I forgot business cards. I was digging through my bag like a crazy woman looking for them right before the meeting. It was the worst feeling ever. Even though I was so prepared for the actual meeting, I felt like I failed because I had no business cards. I told myself that I would never do that again. I came up with a backup plan and now I always have business cards.
This isn’t my first rodeo; I’ve been in the business world for 18 years. And I realized that I know so much about hosting meetings and attending meetings that I need to share it with all of you! If one of my successful meeting tips helps one of you out, then I consider it a successful post. So here are the 7 successful meeting tips that I’ve learned over the years.
7 Successful Meeting Tips
Prepare Ahead Of Time
Create yourself a prep for the meeting. The prep should have details about who you are meeting with, their name, their title and anything you want to know about them. This is your cheat sheet and for your eyes only. Add questions that you’ve thought of ahead of time and any other comments you want to make. You can put anything on here. Think of it as a quick reference guide and something you can easily glance at.
Confirm Meeting Details
Always, always, always confirm the details of the meeting ahead of time. Whether its an internal or external meeting, confirm it. If you are traveling for the meeting send the person an email and confirm the time and location. You will save yourself a lot of time and embarrassment by confirming ahead of time.
Have your email ready to go. Nowadays most people have email directly on their phone. Have it queued up and ready to go. You shouldn’t be logging into your app for the first time in days during the meeting. Take care of that ahead of time so your app has time to load. Don’t assume that the app will remember everyone’s email address either. Have important email addresses written down on your cheat sheet (see above tip) in case of an emergency.
Arrive Early
For in-person meetings always arrive early. And if you are traveling to another location (outside of your office) get there at least 15 minutes early. Make sure you know where to go, and how to get into the building. It sounds weird, but I’ve been delayed entering buildings before and then late for the meeting. I personally would “check-in” at a reception desk no earlier than 10 minute before the meeting start time.
For meetings that are on the phone, dial in 3 to 4 minutes early. First of all, you don’t want to announce yourself once the meeting has started. And second of all, everything good happens before the call actually starts. Most people make small chat and share personal details or “off the record” detail in these first few minutes.
Bring Extra Materials
Having an extra copy or two of the materials will go a long way. People always show up at the last minute and you’ll want to have extra materials on hand. I also find that people forgot their materials a lot. In the worst case you can always provide your materials to someone, but I would do that as a last-ditch effort.
Business Cards
Always have business cards with you. Always. Most people exchange business cards at the start of the meeting. It’s completely embarrassing when you forget yours (trust me I know from experience). I keep backup business cards in my wallet, these are my emergency business cards. If I’m traveling I usually have my wallet with me, so my business cards are there too.
I also keep spare cards in my notebook that I use to take notes. I stash a bunch at home too. It never fails that I’m traveling and forget to take the cards from the office.
Dress for Success
Always, always dress up for a meeting. It’s ok to be overdressed, in fact, it’s better to be overdressed than underdressed. For formal meetings you should wear a dress or a suit. If you go the suit routine wear a skirt suit. It may sound sexist, but you are a lady so wear a skirt! I love the sleek look of a pencil skirt and a well fitted jacket.
One suit I am loving right now is the Harlem Skirt and Wolf Jardigan from M.M.LaFleur. The material of these pieces is soft and stretchy yet offers subtle structure that will keep you looking fresh all day. Both come in at least 5 color options and are perfect to wear alone or together.
The Wolf Jardigan is a favorite piece of mine. I actually own it in black, taupe and charcoal. It’s the ultimate work piece that instantly dresses up a top or a dress. The Harlem Skirt is the most genius invention. It’s a gorgeous pencil skirt that is stretch and has a fold over top. It’s one of the pieces in my closet that work before, during and after pregnancy. It didn’t matter what size I was, the skirt always fit.
And a special treat for my readers! My friends at M.M.LaFleur are giving you a $50 gift towards your first purchase of $250 or more by using code LATEREVERAFTER50 when you checkout. This is a great opportunity to get your hands on their coveted office style pieces like the Jardigan and theHarlem Skirt. I’d also throw in a pair of their cashmere socks. They are the best little luxury around!
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