How to influence people in a meeting room
If I were in a room full of people, I would rather be the person who is more interesting than the one who is wallpaper- Marilyn Manson.
Rightly said by American Singer and Songwriter, Marilyn Manson. Everyone wants to be seen and heard, everyone wants acknowledgment; the foundation of our mortal existence lies in the recognition and acceptance that we are significant, we are desired by our peers and fellow beings. However, have you ever observed in a typical office setting, why out of many employees while being a part of the same team with the same skillsets & qualifications only a handful come up to be the voice of that team and probably the most popular ones in the office. Does the rest are less equipped or challenged when it comes to efficiency, communications, knowledge, etc. while the answer somewhere hangs between yes/no/maybe/don’t know, but there are few ways or techniques which can significantly enhance your ability to command a room and in turn achieve great leadership and influence people in a significant way. Today let’s talk about how to influence people in a meeting room, below are a few pointers that might come in handy when you go for your next big Conference/meeting.
1. Dress up & dress Well- Okay, sometimes you are what you wear, so the choice of your clothes most certainly will decide if you are a hit or miss, especially if you are going to be in a meeting room filled with people you are meeting for the first time. Without going into details, be your own boss, based on the nature of the meetings (meetings and conferences are mostly a formal set up), arrive with the power suit that empowers you, instills confidence in you, at the same time comfortable enough to not come in between your speech when you rise up to the occasion, any slip-ups will be judged and impacts directly to the company given you are only a Representative to your firm.
2. Know your participants- before heading to any Meeting, know your guests/participants/audience. It’s imperative you know a little about everyone, especially the profiles of the participating companies and designations. It feels good if someone knows you by your name and it doesn’t hurt to smile.
3. Know your subject- be sure what you are going to address and make it as airtight as possible. Never dwindle from the primary subject, sometimes we altogether sideline the real cause or topic we were supposed to address and discuss in the first place.
4. Body language & eye contact- at all times maintain eye contact, keep it moving, include everyone, under no circumstance your eye contact be fixated to one, the body language too need to be easygoing and not too animated, it should be as much only not to take away from the real cause.
5. No Cellular Phones- disconnect/switch off any communication gadgets you might be carrying or put them on mute so as not to disturb or bring in unnecessary commotion.
6. Leave a note- last but not the least, as the Meeting ends make no rush to leave just yet, keep hanging a little bit longer, meet and greet, exchange business details, keep the conversation short and sweet but at the same time make your presence felt by trying to extend a pleasantry. A small Hello goes a long way to build an Empire.
Stay interesting!