I love hearing about people’s businesses. I’ll take a meeting here or there to hear what people are up to. But there’s a right way and a wrong way to approach these meetings. 
Don’t tell me about your health issues – Try to keep the conversation on the business at hand. Talking about your health issues during a first meeting is a real no-no when conducting business.
Don’t show corporate overview videos – After you spend a half hour telling me all about the product/service/business, don’t turn your laptop around and proceed to show me another half hour about the product//service/business…even if it IS the President of the company who is doing the telling. Make it available to me online so I can watch it on my own time if I so choose.
Practice good equipment hygiene – Remove the layer of laptop dust before you arrive instead of wetting a napkin in your beverage.
Know how to operate your equipment – If you’re bound and determined to show me that corporate overview video, be sure you know how to run it.
Don’t ask me to sign up for your product right now – With pen and paper being the only method. Maybe ask if you can follow-up with me within the next couple of weeks to see if you can answer any of my questions. And have more than one method of opting in or signing up for the product.
Learn a bit about me and my business before you pitch to determine if I’m your target market – If it’s not going to work, it’s not going to work and that’s just the end of it. There is the possibility that I might know someone or a business who is right for your product/service. That doesn’t mean you should ignore me or my business, however.
Avoid singing/humming to yourself while I’m speaking – Enough said…
Have you been on the receiving end of these faux pas? Do you have any that you could add?
