Meetings are a regular part of working life. No matter what career you’re in, whether you’re employed, self-employed, contracting or a client, you’re going to have to undertake meetings to make sure work is completed properly and to standard and to develop good working communications with those you have to collaborate with to make a profit.

Now, meetings, while being a common occurrence, can take a little practice to get perfect. There’s etiquette involved in making a good impression and ensuring things go as smoothly as possible. Here are just a few tips and tricks you might want to try out if you really want to ace your next business meeting!

Arranging the Meeting

First things first, you’re going to have to make sure you arrange the meeting well. Everyone who needs to be present should be invited and everyone should have all the information they need to attend the meeting on time. An important suggestion is to make sure that the meeting is actually necessary. Many things can be worked out over email and meetings are more for discussing plans or resolving problems. There’s no point wasting time setting up a meeting if there’s no need for it – it will just waste people’s time and resources that could be better used elsewhere. If the meeting is necessary, send out an invite. Detail a time, place and anything that people need to bring along with them.

Hire a Meeting Space

If you have a business that runs from a commercial premises, you can probably hold the meeting from this premises. However, if you work from home or your commercial property isn’t entirely professional or up to scratch, you should hire a meeting space. A Small Event Space should be perfect. This will also provide a neutral location where everyone can feel comfortable and you won’t be distracted by other workers intruding on the meeting to ask questions or pass on messages.

Making the Day a Success

When the day of the meeting comes around, you need to stay organised to make sure everything runs to plan. Make sure to leave early to ensure traffic, public transport delays, or other issues don’t hold you up and make you late. You should also ensure you have your ideas together, a presentation ready if necessary and that you have a key objective in mind to be achieved. Dress professionally, even if it isn’t strictly required. This will give you confidence and put you in the right frame of mind to excel. If possible, take along a spare outfit in case of food and drink spills. You may want to take a bottle of water with you too – this will keep you hydrated throughout the meeting!

These are just a few steps you might want to consider if you’re planning and important meeting in the near future. Following this etiquette and ensuring that the meeting is actually necessary will make sure that it is productive and you don’t waste your time or others’ time.