What not to do in a meeting!

So, my first ever blog post for Tug! Being relatively new to Tug (I joined in January) I initially thought about writing something self indulgent that would make me look good to my new employers. Then the more I thought about it, the more ridiculous my idea sounded. I always find self promotion annoying and always respond better to individuals who illustrate their credibility and expertise by helping others. Therefore I thought I would share with you some of tips that I have learnt over the years on how to ensure a business meeting goes perfectly. These are unfortunately true!

Wear a name badge!

A few years ago I was working for a national newspaper when I was asked to attend a marketing meeting at a council to discuss the best methods for advertising to social workers. I greeted the woman I would be meeting, shook her hand and followed her into the meeting room where she promptly asked me how long have I been interested in social care? A bit of a strange question I thought as my background was purely marketing, but not wanting to appear rude I said that I’d followed it with some interest over the years. She nodded, wrote something down, and then asked me how much I was currently earning. I very politely refused to divulge my salary. She wasn’t happy. She then asked me if I thought I would make a good social worker. I got confused. Then it slowly dawned on me that I was being interviewed for a social work position and my original meeting was already in full flow across the hall. Large badges brandishing your name can often reduce unwanted interviews.

Check your exits

During a 4 year stint in Sydney I was working for a large advertising agency who arranged a meeting for me in Perth with one of their key clients. I met the client, made sure my name badge was visible, and went into their large conference room where I was led into a smaller room that only had one door. We had our meeting, shook hands on a job well done and I started to leave the room. I was quickly stopped by the client who informed me that their annual GM conference had started next door and their boss would be annoyed if we interrupted them mid flow. I had another meeting to get to, informed the client of this and I was advised in a thick Australian accent to “give me your leg mate and I’ll bunk you up to the window”. Lowering myself into a selection of Australian shrubs on the opposite side of the meeting room was not how I pictured the day ending. Always check your exists before committing to a meeting.

Unfortunately I have a few more tips to share with you, but I think they can wait! In all seriousness I’m really excited to be working at Tug and I’m happy to find myself surrounded by a group of very bright individuals. I look forward to speaking with some of you in the future.