By Olga Smith
Speaking in a business meeting requires certain skills. There are principles and techniques to follow for a meeting to be productive.
I noticed that many meetings are boring and time-wasting, and as a result, nothing was achieved or finalised. People just talked purposelessly for ages, trying to show off, interrupting each other, filling a short silence with empty words and silly jokes.
How can you add value to a meeting? What can you say? How could you do it to be heard? How can you stop others from deviating from the meeting agenda?
Below are the main principles for having a good meeting:
1. Time is money
Keep to a meeting time, have an agenda and write down your key ideas before the meeting. If others deviate from the meeting agenda, point out gently that you need to stick to this particular agenda.
2. It is not personal, it's business
Based on that, business meetings are about business and not about emotions. The intonation should be neutral. Avoid very high pitch and screaming.
3. Two brains are better than one
Be a good listener and make notes of other people's ideas if you want to build on them. There is a saying: when you speak, you do not learn anything, but when you listen, you do.
4. Clarity and concision
When you speak in a meeting, make sure your speech is clear. Bear in mind that people might struggle to hear you if you have a strong accent. Download the app Get Rid of your Accent to make your speech clear
Stress keywords. It will make it easier for others to get your ideas.
When speaking, use pauses; do not say all your ideas in one breath. When people listen to us, their listening speed is slower than our speaking speed.
Get rid of filler words and parasite words. Think before you speak and measure your words. Speak concisely with more pauses. Avoid saying too much and very quickly.
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