The Meeting. It’s an essential part of everyday business. Whether you are gathering to pitch your work, discuss a project, or just have a friendly update, here are our top ten tips for making a good impression at your next meeting.

1. Bring One for Everyone - Oftentimes when meeting potential clients for the first time, you will bring samples of your work, brochures, business cards or other swag. Be sure you know who is attending your meeting and always pack a few extras so no one is left out.

2. Allow Time for Setup - Getting to the meeting location on time is one thing… But walking across a large campus and setting up takes time as well. Give yourself enough time so that your meeting starts right on time.

3. Always Respect Their Time - At the beginning of each meeting be sure to ask how much time you have to meet. Be mindful of this and adjust your agenda as needed.

4. Never Interrupt - The worst thing to do is interrupt someone who is speaking. Write down your thought and save it for when they’re done. Interruptions often lead to tangent conversations ultimately getting off topic.

5. Always Take Notes (or be prepared to) - Whether or not you intend to take notes, always make sure you are ready to. Take notes of your thoughts, ideas, what others say and what you say. Being able to review these later will help immensely.

6. Stick to the Agenda - Whether your agenda is verbal or written be sure to state what will be covered in the meeting. This will help everyone stay on task and on topic. At the end of the meeting it will be easy to recap the meeting and discuss next steps.

7. Always Allow Time for Discussion - When pacing your meeting make sure you leave time at the end for discussion. Give the opportunity for questions from everyone involved and have a couple questions prepared to ask.

8. Never Chew Gum - Fresh breath is important; however, chewing gum during a meeting is simply unprofessional.

9. Don’t Text - Make sure your iPhone/Blackberry is tucked away and on silent. Texting, emailing, and paying more attention to your phone than the meeting will make a very bad impression.

10. Follow Up With A Thank You - After your meetings be sure to follow up with everyone involved to say thanks for their time. This is a great way to ask additional questions if need be or propose next steps.

Those are just a few simple ways to improve your meeting style. What types of things do you do? Any do’s and don’ts that you stick to? Let us know.