How to Be Comfortable at a Business Trip Meeting

Ah, the business trip meeting. There is nothing like the stale coffee, the room full of strangers and the overwhelming smell of hotel lotion on your shirt collar. A business trip meeting may seem a lot like a flat mattress, no matter how much you toss and turn, you just can’t get comfortable. Still, business trip meetings aren’t an end all, be all to comfort, there is a way to make them feel more like a productive session and less like a root canal. You simply need to keep yourself competent, confident, and poised with the ability to transition smoothly.

Dress to impress

It may be hard to know what to wear to a business meeting. Is it casual? Is it black tie? Is it somewhere in between? Most likely, you won’t know for sure since there is might not be a business trip meeting invitation that tells you what to wear. Dressing on the side of caution, and being over dressed rather than under, is the safest route. You will likely want to stay away from evening gowns and tuxedos, but wearing a business suit while everyone else is wearing jeans will go over much easier than wearing jeans while everyone else is wearing a suit.

Don’t Show Off

Businessmen and women, when thrown into a conference room, sometimes adopt canine instincts: they mark their territories in an attempt to be made the alpha dog. This sometimes may achieve its intended purpose, but more often than not, the attempt to be made the alpha dog comes across as little more than showing off, leaving you to run from the meeting with your tail tucked between your legs. You may be feeling competitive among your peers or superiors, but keep in mind that you are all there for a common goal; even if you are normally alpha dog, it’s okay to hand over the leash from time to time.

Ask Others Questions

People like to talk… about themselves, about their kids, about the time they landed a merger between two giant corporations. Showing interest in a fellow business trip attendee will make them interested in you; people are often their own favorite subjects. If you’re having trouble mingling with others before the meeting starts, simply pick something out about them and ask questions. Ask them where they are from. Ask them where they got their suit. Ask them if they think the coffee is as bad as you do. And, if you’re having trouble with an aspect of the meeting, ask questions about it. People are often more than willing to share their knowledge; most people will jump at the chance to convey their own intelligence.

Be Professional During the Meeting

Everyone is not professional at their job sometimes. People may spend time filling out a pool for March Madness or take an extra long break. It is only human nature to slack from time to time. However, doing this at a business trip meeting can come across really poorly. To begin with, you are surrounded by people who don’t know you; their entire judgment is based on seeing you for these shorts hours. Thus, best behavior is warranted. Secondly, someone important may be watching your every move. The CEO of the company, your boss’s boss, Santa Claus. While everyone is guilty of being unprofessional at times, don’t let them happen during a business trip. Save that for when you’re back in your home office.

Business trip meetings can be intimidating, but most people can get through them with a little confidence, a little know-how, and a little luck. If worst comes to worst, and the business meeting seems to be going horribly wrong, simply remedy the situation by taking everyone out for a nice dinner....on your company credit card.