Business Meeting Etiquette - How To Gain Influence Through Successful Meetings

Business meeting etiquette can be a very successful skill to learn for you in the workplace. If you have the type of job that requires meetings, these tips will serve you well. 

Depending on the type of work you do, meetings in the workplace could be very common. I have worked in jobs where I would have at least three meetings per day. As a result, I learned some tips first hand that will help you with your workplace etiquette. 

Remember that the big picture of what we are trying to accomplish with manners in the workplace is to gain influence and persuade others by having a power position in their mind. We will gain this position in their mind by using the golden rule and treating others with respect and by generally being a considerate person. 

The more you gain this reputation, the more influence and power you will gain in the workplace. These days, who couldn't use more influence and power at work?

Business Meeting Tips

Being on time is one of the first business meeting etiquette tips to learn. It simply shows good business etiquette. Being late tells people that their meeting and their time is not important to you. I recommend being a few minutes early. You could even use this time that you show up in advance to help people set up. That will really help you gain influence in their minds when you set up without being asked to do so. 

Be prepared for the meeting. This means a lot of different things. It means that you should be aware of the issues that will be discussed at the meeting. If there is a presentation that will be used during the meeting, you should review it before the meeting if possible. Come to the meeting prepared to take notes, and to offer your solutions to the issues. 

Only make meaningful comments during the meeting. I have seen make comments in a meeting just to get noticed and have people pay attention to them. Making off topic comments is not the kind of attention you want. This is not proper meeting etiquette. 

Avoiding texting or checking your email on your phone during a meeting. You may think that you are being productive, but what you are really doing is offending the person making the presentation. This is not a good way to gain influence over others. 

If you have called the meeting, send out a meeting agenda and a presentation before the scheduled meeting time. This will allow people to come prepared to the meeting. This is a part of business meeting etiquette that people forget frequently.

Be sure to let attendees know the length of the meeting and stick to that time period. When I was having several meetings a day, I needed to have the meeting times end at the scheduled time or it would usually make me late to the next meeting. Be considerate of other people's time. 

These business meeting tips should help you gain the right image in the minds of others during meetings. Enjoy!