Marketing Directors provide tips on how to structure a good meeting

culled from:http://upfrontbusinessdevelopment.co.uk

Tip 1: Do your research
The client may not have asked you to prepare anything ahead of the meeting, but they will always expect you to have researched them. They will want you to demonstrate that you know a bit about them, their brand and their business – and that you’re interested in working with them. These days it’s so easy to gain good insight through a few online searches: looking at their website, LinkedIn, Twitter, annual reports and the vertical press. From the feedback we received it’s startling how many agencies don’t do this and is often apparent in the first few minutes of the meeting.
Tip 2: Be punctual and be prepared
Arrive at least 15 minutes early. You may only have a short period of time to win over a client and turning up late eats into this. It also looks unprofessional,  as can turning up with only seconds to spare. If you cut it fine then you will miss out on valuable time to compose yourself, as well as affording time to set yourself up with any presentation and WIFI requirements. It’s always worth checking ahead to find out what the set up is. Do they have a screen you can present on? Do they have the right cable for MAC or PC? There can always be the odd technical hitch, but this can make a big difference on timing and how you are perceived at a time where first impressions are critical.
Tip 3: Work out who should attend – and don’t forget to introduce yourself
The feedback we received suggested the preferred attendees from an agency should be someone senior, e.g. Managing Director of the business, or the Head of Business Development – and then someone who will actually be working with them directly on the account. This will not always be practical but if the client is big enough it’s definitely worth both attending to show commitment and also to give the client a real feel for what working with you is going to be like.
When you are there, don’t forget to make introductions. This may sound unavoidable, but it is surprising how often this is skipped. Make sure you let the client know who each of you are, your background and what you do within the company. It’s a good chance to sell yourself, add personality, and helps the client understand why you are there and what you would be doing for them. Involve the client in the introductions too, it’s important to know their role and what they do to help shape your questioning and conversation, to ensure it is as relevant as possible to each individual.
Tip 4: Agree the agenda.
It is always important to have a clear structure for the meeting. If this has already been discussed in communication prior to the meeting, then it is good idea to repeat this in your opening to make sure expectations match up, particularly if the meeting has been booked by someone who is not actually attending.
We asked for a Marketing Director’s perspective and this was the ‘ideal’ format that has been recommended:

• 10 minutes – introduction to your business. Background, size, history, key personnel, services provided, relevant experience, what you’re particularly good at.

• 5-10 minutes – 2 key case studies. One ‘Hero’ case study that really shows off what you can do. And then a case study that is particularly relevant to the client’s industry sector or target audience.

• 10 minutes – thoughts on their business. What is your understanding of this and what they’re doing? What industry trends are prevailing? What issues, challenges and opportunities exist within this? What could they be doing differently?

• 15-30 minutes – Q&A. Getting to know each other. Establishing the client’s situation and finding out more about their requirements and needs.

Tip 5: Make sure your presentation is engaging and relevant
Sometimes the best meetings don’t involve you even opening up a laptop as this can allow for more free flowing discussion. But it’s always important to be prepared, as many clients will insist on this as a preference. A visually engaging presentation can add a lot of definition to your presentation. Don’t put too much information in it though, you want to help bring your discussion to life rather than distract from it.  And keep it punchy – a maximum of 10 slides should suffice to cover agenda points we have detailed.  We heard stories of clients in despair having seen a PowerPoint presentation load up with over 100 pages.
Tip 6: A long meeting isn’t always a good meeting
You should know in advance how much time you have, and if the client is on a tight schedule, don’t overrun. Often a Marketing Director will have their day booked out with back-to-back hour meetings and therefore if one meeting takes longer, it will have a knock on effect to a tightly structured day. Sometimes the preference is for 45 minutes to allow time to catch up in-between meetings. If the client reduces the time, do not try to squeeze in, but focus on more salient points and make sure you leave time for questions. If the meeting has gone well and the client seems happy to keep talking then make the most of this. However, it’s always a good idea to check that that they are ok for time, otherwise you could be eating into their day.
Tip 7: Always make sure you agree next steps
No matter how well your meeting went – and regardless of how much you feel you impressed – if there are no agreed next steps then it’s unlikely to go anywhere. It’s always important for an agency to know what’s happening next so they can manage sales process effectively. And it’s equally important for a client, especially if they are working to tight timelines for a pitch process to keep to schedule.
If you can establish exactly what the client wants to happen next and when, then this will help process for both of you. Be as specific as you can with timing of next actions. It prevents wasted time and pestering a client unnecessarily, whilst also making sure everything progresses in line with clients schedule. And if you agree a next step, make sure you keep to it!