5 Things To Have When Getting To a Business Meeting

Business meetings aren’t just ‘something to be got through’ – they are of absolutely critical importance in terms of making connections, deals and sales.

It’s therefore vital that every aspect of your business meeting goes like clockwork, as anything that looks remotely out of place could be greatly damaging to your corporate reputation.

Here are just five of the more obvious business meeting essentials.

1. A car or van

Not all business meeting venues are easily reached via public transport, and in any case, you will probably wish to project the image of a successful, mobile businessperson as soon as you roll into the car park.

That’s why taking advantage of one of the many car or van leasing deals offered by reputable commercial vehicle specialists like Leasewell is likely to be more than worthwhile – not just for your next business meeting, but for many more of them in the future.

2. Business cards

Even in today’s supposedly thoroughly digital world, business cards haven’t lost their relevance. They’re tactile, memorable and perfect for conveniently handing out to every potentially lucrative new contact at your business meeting.

Remember, too, that simply wielding business cards serves to validate you as a professional. They indicate to others your name, sector, company and employment title, thereby signalling that you are who you say you are.

Lifehacker has further interesting words on why business cards still matter, and how you can make the most of yours.

3. A venue booking

You obviously won’t need to think about this one if you aren’t the one who called the meeting – but if you are, you will have a lot to consider.

Is your desired venue available, and located somewhere that is convenient to everyone who needs to attend, with good transport connections?

Does it have meeting rooms with enough space to accommodate all of the meeting participants, and are there amenities like bathrooms, power outlets, a white board and an Internet connection?

Even the smallest things – such as the ability to control the lighting in the room to ensure that everyone can focus on the presentation, and the venue not being located somewhere with too much distracting noise from nearby passing traffic – can make a significant difference.

4. Several copies of your presentation

Not only should you have a copy for your own use, but it’s also a good idea to have copies to hand out to everyone else set to attend the meeting, as well as extra copies for those who aren’t on the list of attendees, but may turn up unannounced.

After all, if some people do attend your meeting unexpectedly, it may indicate that they are genuinely interested in what you have to show or say.

5. An agenda

The entire point of a meeting is to get people together to discuss topics of mutual interest.

It’s therefore crucial to establish an agenda that makes clear why the meeting is necessary and what topics will be discussed, as well as such matters as the length of time for which each topic will be discussed, and the identity of any key speakers.

What do you feel are some of the most essential things for making a business meeting a success? Don’t hesitate to share your thoughts below.