Business Meetings: Making A Good First Impression

No matter what kind of business you are involved in or what your role is, if you are someone who does need to occasionally carry out a meeting then you need to make sure that you know how to make it work out as well as possible. The truth is that it is the kind of thing that takes practice, but you can also just learn a lot by thinking about the rules and codes that you might want to follow. One thing to consider in particular is whether or not you are making a good first impression. If you manage that, you could find that your meeting is going to go a lot better. So how can you do that?

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Start The Day Right

A lot of your success in meetings will come down to how you start off the day itself. By ensuring that you start the day right, you can make sure that you are going to enter that room in a better state of mind, and that will really make all the difference indeed. That means ensuring that you get enough sleep the night before, and having a light breakfast upon waking. Also be sure to shower and do all of your other normal routines. The more prepared you feel at this point, the better the meeting is likely to go.

Look The Part

Chances are, you are going to want to put some effort and thought into how you look. Depending on the nature of the meeting, this will affect what you want to wear greatly. But in all cases, you will want to try and look smart and yet classy or original in some way or another. If you see here, you will see some examples of the kinds of accessories that can really help you out there. Be sure to sort out your outfit the day before at the latest, so you can check it is okay and test it out.

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Smile

You’d be amazed what a difference it makes if you smile to the person you are meeting at the start of the meeting. A smile really does go a long way, and it immediately gives off a good vibe about you that they are likely going to appreciate well. Of course, it is no use forcing a fake smile that doesn’t reach the eyes, as this is only going to have the opposite effect. Instead, make sure that you are smiling genuinely. You can do that by genuinely getting excited for the day itself, and for the meeting, and you might even want to practice a smile in the mirror just before - as silly as it might make you feel. It will be worth it, and you’ll find the whole meeting goes much more smoothly as a result of this simple little thing.

Shake Hands

Not only is it polite to shake hands, but there is also much to be said for shaking hands in a way which is strong and vigorous. Although there is not as much emphasis placed upon this as there used to be, it is still something that you are going to want to consider if you are hoping to make the best impression possible. It is a subtle little thing, but ultimately it is the kind of thing that can make or break an interview. So make sure that you shake hands politely and firmly, and much of the rest will naturally follow.

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Relax

As well as trying to keep all of this in mind, you should allow yourself the opportunity to relax too. It is only by really relaxing into what is happening that you can hope for your meeting to go as well as possible. If you relax, you encourage others to do so too, and you also show a kind of quiet confidence that you can therefore find useful going forwards. Relaxing shows that you care about yourself and that you are comfortable being there, which is something that is going to really help things along greatly.

Be Personable

All in all, people want to meet another person, not just a business droid. Although you want to retain your professionalism and get down to business, you should also remember that you are both just people. If you can crack through that veil and be personable, while still maintaining professionalism, then you will have found the perfect balance - and your business partner is likely to respond well to it.