6 Steps to Conduct a Successful Business Meeting

A Few Words on Preparation

Before heading into a meeting, you need to research the client, prepare questions, and have use cases ready. If you're interested in how to do that, we’ve written a separate article on the topic. Here, we’ll focus strictly on the meeting itself.

The advice in this article applies to all three types of business meetings:

• Introductory meetings – when you first meet with a qualified lead,
• Sales meetings in the true sense – where the deal is being decided,
• Follow-up meetings – where the sales process is being finalized.

Start the Meeting Friendly and Open

First impressions play a crucial role in business meetings and often shape the entire course of the conversation. That’s why you should enter the room with a smile, introduce yourself to the client, and immediately tune in to their mood, such as:

• their current emotional state,
• whether they prefer formal or informal communication,
• and how open or reserved they are.

At the start of the meeting, make it clear that you’re there to help the client and present the meeting agenda. From the beginning, aim to build trust—that’s the key to a strong and satisfying relationship. And even if you don’t end up closing the deal, you’ll at least walk away with a positive reference.

Listen

The flow of the meeting may vary depending on the agenda you prepared in advance. However, the most important elements are your questions and the client’s answers. As salespeople often say: the best salesperson is the one who stays quiet most of the time. So avoid talking about your company, instead, keep asking questions about the client.

In the opening minutes of the meeting, try to understand the client’s situation—what brought them to the table. Our sales reps, for instance, start off with a light-hearted question like: “So tell me, Mr. XY, why am I sitting here with you today?” Learn about the client’s expectations and requirements to determine whether your solution is the right fit and how it can help. Be empathetic and replace the mindset of “How can I sell this?” with “How can our product help them?”

Let the client do the talking, and continuously:

• actively listen,
• watch their facial expressions and body language,
• gently steer the conversation if they stray too far off-topic,
• and subtly keep track of time to ensure you’re staying on schedule.

Show the Solution in Practice

In the business world, they call it “Show, don’t tell.” Instead of just talking about what your product or service can do, show it to the client. In practice, this means that when you’re explaining how your solution will help, back it up with:

• a reference or use case from a satisfied client,
• a live demo,
• or specific data.

Maintain Control of the Meeting

This takes practice. You should keep control of the meeting—while making the client feel like they’re the one steering it. The following techniques will guide the client toward satisfaction and a buying mindset. You need to:

• respond quickly,
• turn disagreement to your advantage,
• find common ground,
• sense and respond to buying signals,
• anticipate potential objections and have prepared responses,
• and skillfully lead the client toward agreement.
  
  

You can also find inspiration in our article on psychological techniques that are useful for salespeople.

Take Notes

A business meeting is full of important information—and the more of it you remember, the easier it will be to work with the client in the future. There’s no one right way to take notes during a meeting, as different salespeople prefer different methods. But here are a few proven ones:

1. Prepare a form divided into sections and fill it out (salespeople often use sections like general notes, questions, and action items).

2. Type notes directly into your CRM so you don’t have to rewrite them later.

3. Use software that transcribes speech to text during the meeting.

4. Record your notes right after the meeting into your CRM—this feature is also available in the mobile app of our Raynet CRM.

Agree on Next Steps and Send Follow-Up Emails

Always end the meeting by agreeing on the next steps. It's essential to clarify during the meeting which actions make the most sense moving forward. Ideally, you present your offer during the meeting and agree on a deadline by which the client will give you a decision. Alternatively, you might agree to a follow-up meeting or to prepare and send an offer later. The choice is yours.

Make sure to end the meeting on a positive note—summarize the key points and what you both took away from the discussion.

After every meeting with a prospective or existing client, send a follow-up email, ideally by the next business day. In the email:

• thank them for the meeting,
• summarize what was discussed,
• and remind them of the next steps for both sides, including deadlines.
  
  

Even if the meeting ended with a decision not to continue the collaboration, send a follow-up email. A simple thank you for their time leaves a good impression.

A Few Final Tips

1. Avoid Potential Delays

Meeting time is precious, so think ahead about anything that could waste it—like connecting your laptop to the client’s projector. Make sure the meeting time is spent productively, not troubleshooting avoidable issues.

2. Engage Everyone Present

If multiple client representatives are at the meeting, involve them all equally. Maintain eye contact with everyone and direct questions to different people. Some salespeople make the mistake of speaking only to the highest-ranking person, which seems unprofessional and may cause you to miss valuable insights.

3. The One-Minute Rule

This rule is simple: if a salesperson talks uninterrupted for more than one minute, something’s wrong. When you talk too long, the client tunes out. So, instead of monologuing, ask questions more frequently.

4. Don’t Be Afraid to Change the Plan

If the client opens up and shares important information, feel free to improvise and adjust the meeting plan on the fly. These insights may be more valuable than what you initially intended to cover. You can always agree to follow up on missed points via email.

5. Differences Between Online and In-Person Meetings

All of the advice in this article also applies to online meetings. While building rapport remotely can be harder, Zoom or Teams still offer space for relevant small talk, reading the client’s mood, and active listening. Take advantage of the fact that the client is focused on their screen—share your use cases and demos directly.

Using a CRM makes meeting preparation easier, as you have all client data in one place. For example, our Raynet CRM includes a smart calendar and a mobile app, so you can work even while on the go.