Tips for Attending Informal Business Meetings
If you are a tech developer who works freelance for software developers, you will often meet with clients and team members, working on projects together, and while we all know how important our digital profile is, face to face meetings are part of life. Here are a few tips to ensure that you project the right image when working with team members in communal working environments.
- Always Be Early – Time is valuable to us all, and in order to be professional, you should be at the venue on time, and if you aim to arrive early, you will be ready for work as soon as your team arrives. Of course, it is protocol to call and announce your delay in the event you will be late.
- Dress Casually Smart – If you search online for men’s apparel from Calibre, you will find an impressive catalogue of smart casual wear that is suitable for informal business environments. Brand name Polo shirts are an obvious choice, and this is the place to wear those stretch chinos and your tassel loafers, and don’t forget a stylish belt to complete the look.
- IT Accessories – You should have everything you need in the stylish laptop case that goes everywhere with you, and inside can be a spare mouse battery, charging cables and a couple of high-capacity power banks, in case there is no power at the venue. There’s nothing more embarrassing that forgetting your charge cable when you have a business meeting, so do double check prior to leaving your home. Always have a least one memory stick, for those times when you want to transfer large data files, and they are so cheap now, you could buy a few, which can be used for essential backups, as well as temporary data storage.
- Print Stylish Name Cards – When you freelance, you are always meeting new people and handing out your card could really pay dividends in the long term. For the little it costs, having quality name cards is something every entrepreneur should have, as it maximises your exposure. Here is an article on how to keep your data safe when your employees work from home, which is very informative.
- Internet Sim Card – If you and a few colleagues are in the middle of finalising a presentation and there was no Wi-Fi, you can save the day with your Internet SIM. It pays to be prepared for every eventuality, and losing your Internet connection can happen at any time, anywhere. Prior to leaving for any business meeting, you should check travel restrictions due to Covid-19, which could change at any time.
- Pack some Mints – According to mensgroup.com, you might not have time to brush your teeth, so keep some strong mints in your case, which will come in handy on many occasions when you are in close proximity with others. Failing that, a small bottle of antiseptic mouthwash will suffice, which you can refill every few days.
While you might be working at home with virtual team meetings, there will come a day when we return to life without a global pandemic, and then you can enjoy same-location meetings, which are more constructive than virtual environments.