How to make the most from One on One meetings

In a virtual world, where medium of communication has moved away from traditional forms, many business men and women have argued that online platforms such as social networking sites have made one on one meetings less attractive, strenuous and unnecessary. To such business owners, they are of the opinion that the task involved in setting venues, having to schedule appointments and the cost of transport are burdens that can be avoided. Apart from this, they are still unsure whether or not a deal is going to be secured through the physical presence of a Client. Some argue that since we can now do all we need to do online and get the job done, making deals and engaging with Clients through one on one interaction may not be necessary. However, what they fail to understand is that meeting people one on one can be as effective and most rewarding as connecting with people online.

Understanding the Setting

It is essential for us as business executives, company representatives or agents who are engaged daily in the task of product description, sales and marketing, writing and submitting of proposals and meeting with gate-keepers of prospects, to understand that, one on one meetings do not necessarily have to be planned, it can as well be spontaneous. Have you ever visited a golf course? You can actually get that proposal forwarded to a top executive by just taking a walk down the other end of the grassy surface. It may sound absurd to table your request to a relaxed mind, of course, the CEO at the gulf course isn’t coming to do business. The setting and the mood of a prospect can become a tool for agenda setting. A little prior knowledge of the Prospect or Client can give you an edge.

Getting Attention

Discussing issues relating to right wing politics or the Test Series involving India and Pakistan could serve as a good starting point for business discussions. Carnegie once described a scenario in his book how to make friends and influence others, where he had to comment on a flower on the desk of a notable executive and set the mood for an atmosphere of appreciation and respect, which aided him in his quest to get the contract. Doing this effectively requires good communication skills, a deep sense of observation, listening and keeping it real, short and being focused. We can get the most out of one on one meetings by summarizing the content of our presentation and allow for response in the form of questions from our curious Client. By keeping out some aspects of discussions, we can get 100% attention from people who are always in a hurry. They can exhibit their curiosity by asking “how do you think that’s going to be possible?”, “are you sure of what you just said”? or “wow! That will be interesting, tell me something”.

Making use of Visual Presentations

Many are unaware of the impact of making use of visual presentations through the use of photographs, maps, charts, art works and drawings. A photograph can save you a thousand words. Visual presentations create a lasting impact into the mind of individuals we are meeting with. It has a hypodermic effect on our Prospects, employers and employees. In a large organization, where the staff are multi-taskers, where everyone works round the clock to ensure that targets are met and the organizational goals are accomplished, pouring out our submissions through word of mouth can be boring and not only that, many important details might be lost. For instance, an employee could tell his employer “Sir, I need to show you something”, or “Is this what the assignment you gave me all about?” The response would either be definite or trigger further explanation or comments, however, time and resources would have been saved.

Maintaining Eye Contact

We sometimes are overwhelmed by the need to convey a message, present a proposal or answer to questions, that we ignore the recipient. Maintaining eye contact is key in ascertaining someone’s disposition towards our presentation. Unlike machines, who receive commands and act on it immediately we order them, human beings, especially educated and skilled ones and indeed those who have wealth of experience in their career often process the information they receive and try them in their mental faculty. The information processed in our brain makes us exhibit expressions, which must be looked out for when meeting with people one on one. To some, it is an expression of doubt, fear, shock, excitement and courage. Such expressions can help us know whether our verbal submissions and interactions excite others or if our meetings are just mere junks for a pass time. Psychologists are unanimous in their view concerning the effects of eye-contact in human interactions. Company executives must practice the use of this all important communication skill especially when employees submit reports or answer to queries.

Taking advantage of Aggregates

No business exist in isolation, in fact, our survival is based on the based on the social interactions we engage in day in day out. If you’re travelling for instance on a business trip, you are always not alone. Whether you are travelling in a first class Emirate Airline or in the Economy category, there is the possibility that you might just be sitting next to another CEO of an organization, whom you require his support for partnership, mergers and acquisition. The co-incidence of meeting people is an incidence of doing business. It is essential that we display an attitude of politeness, sometimes it requires a sense of humour, showing appreciation and greetings.

Introduction: From informal conversations to formal one

The people we meet on board a plane or waiting terminal, restaurants and bars are not there to have our CVs. They, like us, have come for other personal reasons and may not want us to bore them with our presumptuous achievements that could be somewhat intimidating. Turning around informal conversations to formal ones can work magic when talking to people we’ve just met and this could further engender stronger ties through the exchange of contact and brief company or personal information, which is more beneficial to the other party. All these can help us to get the most out of one on one meetings.