Whether it’s your first time or your hundredth time, preparing for a business meeting can be daunting – particularly if you’re expected to pitch to senior stakeholders. In order to ensure your meeting is as constructive as possible, there are several things you can do to prepare for it.
Create a slide deck
Depending on what type of meeting you’re having, it may be prevalent to create a slide deck. Especially if you’re trying to illustrate a point, use images, examples or trying to convey something complex.Additionally, a well-put-together slide deck will help to create a structure to your presentation and provide a visual aid to what you’re discussing.
Rehearse
Whether you’re going to be giving a speech, a presentation or you simply have a few points to make, rehearsing your ideas and what you’re going to say will help to maintain a professional appearance and keep the meeting on track.Rehearsing to colleagues is also a good tactic as they will be able to provide constructive feedback on how you can improve.
Utilise resources
If you know which meeting room you’ll be using, utilising what’s available could be incredibly important. Whether it’s a flip chart easel in the corner of the room, or a whiteboard on the wall, think about how you can use these to your advantage.For some, there may not be any resources readily available and so using more portable options can be a great alternative. A folding desktop whiteboard is the ideal portable solution for a large whiteboard surface, although if your meeting is off-site, it may not be the most practical solution, and so a handheld whiteboard could be a better option.
Dress smart
Dressing smartly, even if you don’t usually, can help to create a great impression with company stakeholders and will also encourage those in the room to take you more seriously.Many don’t realise but dressing smartly will also empower you in your meetings and allow you to feel more in control.
Create flashcards
Depending on how you want to tackle the meeting, creating flashcards with your most important points will help you to conquer any stage fright you might experience, remind you to bring your ramblings back to point and also work as prompts to keep everything flowing smoothly.
Keep notes
Irrelevant of whether you’re giving a presentation or listening to one, you should be keeping notes at all times. After you’ve brought your main points to the table, it’s important to keep a note of the initial reactions and responses to your idea.Also, if stakeholders see you taking notes of their concerns, they’re more likely to appreciate you are taking things seriously and therefore become more confident in your abilities to handle it.
