Building relationships with your customers is an important part of running any business, especially in the service industry. That's why, when you take on the responsibility of leading meetings and interacting with these customers, it's important to remember that it isn't just about you and your business -- it's about making sure the customer is satisfied and successful as well. This can be done by following the do's and don'ts of leading effective meetings, as outlined below.
What makes a meeting effective?
An effective meeting is one that meets its purpose. Think about what you are trying to achieve through your meeting. This will help determine who needs to be there and why they need to be there, as well as what you’ll discuss during the session. If in doubt, write it down!
How to create agendas
Agendas are often overlooked. The reason? Many leaders don’t know how to create them, or they avoid planning them altogether in fear that it will take too much time. That’s a mistake. In fact, a well-designed agenda can save you time and help you lead more effectively. Use templates and do not try to re-invent agenda every single time.
How to handle toxic personalities at meetings
The first rule for handling a toxic personality is to never ignore them. They will continue to get under your skin until you confront them directly. Look at that person in a neutral, matter-of-fact way, shake your head slightly and say, I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in getting into an argument with you today. That person might stare right back at you or they might look away and mutter something under their breath. Either way just keep moving on with your agenda.
How to end meetings
Ending a meeting on time is an essential part of leading effective meetings. Summarize with action items and decisions made with the group and then send the same before the end of the day. Meetings with verbal agreements - never happened. :) Write it down!
When should I have online meetings?
There are plenty of good reasons to have a face-to-face meeting with your team. You can build stronger relationships by working together in person, you can create an environment that’s conducive to sharing ideas and best practices, and you can inspire collaboration by simply being there in person. But sometimes these benefits aren’t worth it. If your group is geographically distributed or if you run a remote team, sitting down together isn’t always possible.