9 Effective Ways To Leave An Impression At Every Business Meeting

Making the most of every business meeting goes on to determine how you’re perceived and what type of memories you leave behind. It always pays to appear more intelligent and experienced than you are, even if you’re not, because people like to associate themselves with others who’re not just smart, but are also a reflection of who they are or what they wish to become.

Convincing people you meet for the first time that you’re a lot smarter than they think, even if you have little to no experience in your line of work, is key to landing good opportunities to prove your worth. It helps others place an assumed yardstick on your abilities, and determines how many more deals or not you may land. And remember, if you’re a work-at-home business then meeting in your front room won’t show the level of professionalism you will need to get across so check out Peerspace at https://www.peerspace.com/venues/new-york–ny/meeting-room to look for a cheap meeting room.

With many brilliant ways to make the most of your first-time meetings, here are 9 effective ways to leave a memorable impression at every business meeting you attend:

See Also: 3 Powerful Reasons Any Prospect Will Grant You An Appointment

1). Dress And Arrive The Way You Want To Be Addressed:

The way you arrive is who you are. Period!

A person’s first read on your personality is how you’re dressed, how you carry yourself, what type of car you drive, or even the smell of your cologne.

Before you meet up with any individual or prospect, first do a good research on them and find out what type of outfit they’re most comfortable in. By doing this, you can get first hand information on how your dress sense would be perceived and what impact it could have on the meeting.

2). Speak Freely And Confidently:

Voicing your opinions and contributing openly in meetings makes people perceive you as confident and knowledgeable in your area of specialisation. It also lets them know you can’t be manipulated to compromise your standards, and ultimately gives you a better negotiating angle when it’s time to talk figures.

By speaking freely and confidently, you show you’re an expert in what you do, and makes potential clients or partners trust you better.

See Also: 5 Leadership Qualities Your Business Cannot Live Without

3). Smile And Add A Bit Of Humour:

A smile shows a welcoming front and subsequently triggers an emotional connectional between two parties. According to the book Buyology, by Martin Lindstrom, “Emotions are the way our brains encode things of value, and a brand that engages us emotionally will win every time”.

Since smiling or adding a bit of humour to your conversations with a prospect can trigger the powerful psychological effects of emotions, wearing an amazing smile when you arrive, talk, or even end the meeting will keep the experience fresh on the minds of the other parties for several days after the meet up.

4). Maintain Eye Contact:

According to a research carried out by  Brian Wansink, a professor at Cornell’s Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, “making eye contact even with a character on a cereal box inspires powerful feelings of connection”.

As proven through research, maintaining eye contact in a conversation doesn’t just help the other person to better trust what you’re saying, but also builds an unconscious connection between you two.

See Also: You Will Fail As An Entrepreneur If You Do These 5 Things

5). Take Short Notes:

Professionals like to highlight key takeaways from a conversation so they can address those points or issues directly at a later time.

If you’re new in a particular industry and don’t have a clue of what’s been said in the conversation, proceed to take notes at short intervals, even if you’ll never get to use what’s written.

Doing these shows that you understand their concerns, and so, want to highlight them to be addressed at a later time. It also shows that you’re a professional who knows what you’re doing.

6). Wear Glasses:

According to a research carried out by Alan and Babara Pease, as written in their book, “The Definitive Book Of Body Language”, solid frame glasses can make you look more sincere and intelligent.

People naturally perceive others who wear glasses as more serious and smarter than others who don’t.

If you want to be perceived as intelligent in any meeting without even uttering the first word, one way to do this is to wear glasses to the meeting.

See Also: 5 Things You Must Know If You’re Starting A Business Under The Age Of 30

7). Keep Up With The Pace Of The Conversation:

Maintain the tone of the conversation. When you speak, ensure you’re talking at the same energetic level as every other person in the meeting. Even when you take a walk, ensure you’re walking at the same pace and speed as the other parties.

People unconsciously like others who are like them. The easiest way to achieve this is to mirror their behaviours. This will leave a memory of you on their minds and make you appear worth meeting up with at some other time.

8). Question Everything Intelligently:

Asking questions during a conversation shows you pay a great deal of attention and that you’re trying to get the full perspective of the discussion, so you can deliver optimum results.

When you ask well calculated questions, the person at the other end of the discussion wouldn’t just perceive you as being smart, but also as a person who’s gathering enough data to provide the best solution to their problems.

See Also: 10 Harsh Truths Many Entrepreneurs Need To Hear

9). Appear To Take A Very Important Phone Call:

Depending on who you’re meeting up with, you can appear to take a very important phone call in the middle of the conversation.

If it’s a person you’re not overtly dependent on or someone who’s playing a power tussle in the course of the meeting, excusing yourself to take a very important phone call can make you appear more important. After the call drops, you could make a statement like “Oh my, my next meeting is in 40 minutes. Can we quickly get on with it?”.

Doing this will show the other party that you’re equally important, and that a lot of other people queue up to have a slice of your precious time.

To Sum It Up

Putting up a great impression at any meeting will determine what effect you’ll have on your prospects, potential investors, or any party the meeting was setup for. By exhibiting these 9 traits smart entrepreneurs show off whenever they’re in any business meeting, you’ll leave an impression on people’s minds and increase the chances of them becoming long-term acquaintances with you or your business.