Business Meeting Etiquette

A few days ago I participated in a business meeting. I was with other members of our organization as we went to a client's office for a review of a project. Normally these meetings are conducted using a conference call bridge and we're at our own desks. We had asked for an on-site meeting so that team members could spend some time getting to know each other.

So, the teams assemble in the customer's conference room and the meeting begins. We had distributed ourselves around the table, mixing in our team with the client's team so that we avoided the "us verus them" seating arrangement. Our team had also left the laptops back at home; writing pads and pencils were the tools of the day. We had prepared in other ways, as well:

1) We arrived 10 minutes early.
2) Even though we came in 3 cars, we all walked in together.
3) The senior member of our team made the introductions.
4) When shown into the conference room, we spread out around the table, not congregating at one place.
5) We waited for the client's senior member to take a chair before we all sat down.

These are unwritten rules to be followed when you go and visit the client. Remember, you're only there because he trusts you with his business. You need to show the respect due them.

Now, there are some things you just don't do in a meeting:

1) Don't read your e-mail during a meeting and never answer e-mail either.
2) Don't answer your cell phone, should it ring. You should have turned it off when you arrived.
3) Don't IM your coworkers, no matter how important it is./ Excuse yourself from the meeting if you need to speak with someone outside of the room.
4) Whether you're the guest or the host, never yawn, no matter how boring the meeting is.
5) Never stare down a coworker if he should say something you disagree with. Take it up with him afterwords but not in front of the client.

The meeting I went to came off pretty well. There was only 1 person there with a laptop; yes, he was working on e-mail while we wee discussing the project schedule. While he was trying to impress with his multitasking skills, he wasn't successful. I know he was working on e-mail as I had 3 in my mailbox when I get back to my office. All 3 were sent during the meeting and had nothing to do with the meeting content. To make things worse, things covered in the meeting apparently did not make it into his action plan.

Bottom line, the traditional face-to-face meeting is reserved for special events these days; it's expensive to bring teams together when there are more efficient means of conducting meetings (conference calls, collaboration web tools). When teams come together you need to make the most of the time. You need to make eye contact, express your self clearly and develop some rapport with your counterparts.

Prepare for the call, review your notes with your team and be ready to discuss and propose solutions.

That's my view...