REQUESTING A BUSINESS MEETING Return to American page Return to home page

When you request a meeting at the site of a client or prospect

for making a proposal or for a sales effort

When setting up the meeting:

· Be sure the date and time of the meeting is convenient for the other party. Ordinarily it should not start before 9:00 A.M. or end after 5:00 P.M.

· Tell them objective of the meeting.

· Let them know who from their organization you feel should attend (identify by name or by responsibility).

· Tell them how many people from your organization will be attending. Give them the names and areas of responsibilities.

· Let them know long you expect the meeting to last.

· Confirm that you have the correct location and floor.

· If in doubt, ask for directions to their location.

· If you are certain beyond a doubt that the dress code at the host company is casual, ask if dress for the meeting will be casual. However, if there is any doubt in your mind about the host company’s dress code, do not ask and dress in business attire for the meeting. Even if it is confirmed that the casual dress is expected, it is a good idea to dress somewhat better than indicated.

· Ask if there are any special security requirements at their location that you should expect.

· If in doubt, ask if you will need to arrange any special transportation to the meeting.

· Ask how long it is likely to take to get to their location.

· Tell them how much time you will need to set up demonstrations, if necessary.

· Advise them if it would be a good idea to have one of their technical people on call during the setup for the meeting.

· Advise them if special lighting is needed, such as dimmed lights or closed blinds.

· If the meeting is early in the day or will take place during noon, offer to cater pastries or lunch. If necessary, ask for the name and phone number of a caterer.

· If more than one topic is to be covered, a written agenda to hand out is helpful.

· Let them know if you will need equipment, such as:

--An Internet connection.

--A projector for your computer.

--A projection screen.

--If it advisable for the people from their organization have computers (if the meeting is for training).

--A white board and markers.

--A tripod with sheets of paper and markers.

--Communications for conferencing people in.

When the meeting begins:

· Normally, business cards are exchanged when introductions are made.

· Usually guests walk in over a period of several minutes. Try to engage them in light conversation. Some possible opening lines are:

--“How long have you been with this organization?” (If it is a short while: “Where were you before you joined …?”)

--“Have you lived in this area all your life?”

--Mention something that you find fascinating and different about the area. Make sure it is something positive, like the architecture or food or positive attributes of the people.

· Usually the first five to ten minutes are spent in friendly conversation aimed at getting to know each other. Then the meeting is turned over to the visitors (your group).

· In the U.S., every meeting, even the first, is primarily devoted to the business situation. Personal relationships are expected to develop over time. The initial meeting in American is almost never devoted primarily to getting to know each other.

· Except possibly for the agenda of the meeting, do not give out materials before the meeting or at the beginning of the meeting. Attendees might be tempted to examine the materials and lose concentration on what is being discussed.

· At the very beginning, thank your hosts for their time and tell them it is a privilege to be able to speak to them.

· Before the formal presentation, something light to make the atmosphere less formal is helpful. An interesting or humorous incident that you recently experienced is helpful.

· Possible openings for the instructional part of the meeting are (after you introduce your people and thank your hosts for their time and attention):

--“Many of our clients have told us that…would be very useful to them. So we have a solution that we think will interest you.”

--“A problem we have discovered many companies in your industry are having is… We are confident that our solution will interest you.”

--“From the day our product was introduced we have been collecting and studying feedback from users. Now we will tell you how our newest capability fulfills every need they have expressed.”

· If you feel that it will be best for questions to be held until the end of the presentation, tell them. However, even if you do, it is not uncommon for people to raise their hands with questions. It is better to honor their question with a response. Frequently, an appropriate response is: “That is an excellent point and it will be covered as part of our presentation in a short while.”

· Tell them the agenda.

During the meeting:

· Do not distribute materials until they are absolutely needed—ideally at the end.

· Unless you have suggested that questions be held until the end, periodically ask if anyone has questions.

· If it is a lengthy meeting, suggest a short break.

Actions that might be appropriate at the end of the meeting:

· Summarize what you feel are the most important points that have been made.

· Ask the attendees what questions they have.

· Let the visitors know what unresolved issues you feel are still outstanding.

· If a business decision is possible, but a decision isn’t made as yet, it might be appropriate to say something such as:

--“Where do you feel we should go from here?”

--“What do you see as the next step?”

--“How do you feel we should progress from here?”

--“Do you agree that the action points at this stage are…”

--“What do you feel is a reasonable time before we meet to resolve the outstanding issues?”

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