5 Strategies to Get the Most Out of Meetings

Starting a business and turning it into a successful one requires a number of factors to be considered. Meetings are an essential part of that process. Thousands of meetings take place around the world every day. They can either be a turning point that leads your business to a successor end it before it even starts to grow. Whether it is an internal meeting with your employees or a meeting with the other company representatives, there are some crucial strategies you need to follow in order to get the best out of it. What are these strategies?

1. Agenda and goals

What do you want to accomplish with the meeting? Every kind of meeting should start with this basic factor in mind. Write down your goals, categorize them and keep the list short and precise. No one would listen to something that is not related to the topic. Consider not talking about any topic you are not well-versed. Otherwise, there might be questions that you cannot answer, and it can reduce the impact of your presentation.

2. The number of participants

If it is an internal meeting, try not to involve people that should not be there. It can be time-consuming for a lot of employees and reduce productivity. Fewer participants mean more engaged discussion.

3. Timing

Start the meeting on time. Punctuality forms the first impression about you. For instance, you cannot be late for a meeting and then ask your employees to be punctual in their job. Consider keeping the meeting short with essential topics you want to cover. Even though there is no ideal length for the meeting, 30 minutes is a good default in order not to frustrate the participants. Of course, the duration can change drastically if the aim of the meeting is carrying some global importance, like a discussion of a peace treaty.

4. Different tools and software 

Nowadays, it is almost impossible to imagine any meeting without different tools and software. Computers, projectors, various Microsoft Office programs, especially PowerPoint, are widely used for that purpose. While preparing PowerPoint slides, be sure to have the essential information you want to share; keep it short and precise. Unnecessary text on a slide can distract the participants from more important information. Some of the meetings are conducted online, so using meeting software like Zoom, Skype, Teams and understanding different features offered by them may help you successfully conduct a meeting. You should also consider recording the meeting, either in video or audio format.

5. Transcribing the meeting

Some software pieces let you have a transcript of a meeting. What is a transcript, and why is it important? Transcription is a process that converts audio (video) files into text using speech recognition technology. After recording the meeting, upload it to an automatic transcription software website, and you will have the whole text of the meeting in just a few minutes. You can easily navigate through the text by searching keywords and find the weaknesses in your presentation so you can learn from your mistakes. It also helps you to get a summary of the meeting.

A successful meeting is an indicator of a successful business. Take your time, make all your objectives clear, time the meeting perfectly, learn from your mistakes. Ask yourself after each meeting: Did I accomplish my goals, and what can I improve?
In other words, the success of your business is in your hands, and getting meetings right is a pathway to it.