Walker Hill Group

How To Be More Efficient In Client Meetings (And Still Friendly)

Phone calls, emails, staff disruptions – the working day is hard enough to get through with the constant interruptions we encounter. But when you add in the duty of hosting client meetings, something you cannot attend unprepared or half-heartedly, is it any wonder we feel there aren’t enough hours in the day to get our work done?

Client meetings are an important part of most businesses, and although they can often seem time-consuming, they are not something that should be avoided. Physical meetings are a great way to build good rapports and trust with your clients and strive towards a long lasting, fruitful, business relationship. Learning and practising an efficient client meeting technique is a very valuable asset to grasp when it comes to business. We have put together our top tips on how to be more efficient in client meetings.

Create an agenda

A meeting without an agenda is like a navigator without a map. The agenda is the most important aspect of any meeting because you can always come back to it to guide you when conversation becomes unfocused or diverted. Try to be detailed and clear in all of your agenda items and be sure to include the desired goal of the meeting. The agenda will act as your pilot, guiding discussions towards important topics and helping to avoid any irrelevant, time-wasting topics.

Send the agenda to your staff and the client

Once your meeting agenda is complete, email it to each of the staff members who will be attending and ask them for feedback – they may want to include some extra items or identify if an item has been missed. You should then forward the final agenda onto your client so they are aware of the schedule and ask if there is anything they would like to add. This will also ensure all meeting participants can prepare accordingly.

Set times in place

Next to each of your agenda items, include a rough guide of the amount of time you would like to spend on the topic. You don’t necessarily have to stick to this timeframe, but it will give you a good idea of how long your meeting should run for and when you are becoming side-tracked during the meeting. It is also a good idea to arrange a fixed start AND finish time for your meeting. When deciding on a timeframe, keep in mind the type of client you are meeting with – is your client an early bird or a night owl? Can your client chat for hours on end or do they run on a tight schedule? Try to identify the cost of both you and your client’s time (what your time is worth) and be realistic with what you can achieve during the meeting. It is also a good idea to send your client a calendar invite so they are aware of the scheduled times.

Listen to your client

Any successful businessperson who deals with clients is a good listener. The purpose of your meeting is likely to be for the benefit of your client, so listen to their views and ensure the meeting fulfils their requests. It is important to pay attention and understand your clients’ ideas and opinions, so ask for feedback when you can and be sure to follow up with your client once the meeting is over. Be specific with the time you will follow up and be sure to put this in your calendar so you do not forget!

Walker Hill are business efficiency experts, call us on 07 3367 3155.

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