Part II: Finding The Time To Treat Every Meeting Like a First Interview

Last week’s blog post focused on the reasons why you should Treat Every Meeting Like a First Interview. I offered several tips on meeting preparation from research on the meeting attendees to planning your own goals and objectives. Of course, treating every meeting as if it were a first means more time and effort on your part. However, the extra energy equates to better relationships and more opportunities post meeting.

If you’re wondering how to find some extra time, here are a few tips to uncover additional minutes in your day:

#1: Stop checking email every five minutes. Determine the best time of day to review and answer emails (unless it’s an emergency or crisis situation) and you will realize you’re saving an hour or more that can be put to much better use.

#2: Get over FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). Your online communities will be there even when you step away to get things done.  If you understand the community members and their sharing culture, then it’s always easy to jump back into the discussion. There are certain times of the day you can designate to social media participation, so that it doesn’t become all consuming for you. Find your best times to be on Facebook Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc., to free up more time in your day.

#3:  Be selective when answering emails and learn to filter. You don’t have to answer every single email as soon as you receive it, and every email may not require a response. You have to filter your email carefully from the very time sensitive to those that are lower priority. It may also be time to go through your inbox to see which online news sources or newsletters provide the most value. Keep the subscriptions that are your favorites, but unsubscribe to those that you just end up deleting with out reading. Remember, the sifting and deleting takes time too.

#4: Get yourself some good note taking software. I use Evernote, which helps me to save important pieces of information and jot down quick thoughts during the day. With Evernote, I’m able to capture bits of information when I’m on the go, for meetings, writing projects, blog posts, client projects, etc. Using note taking software is a great way to get organized, so you can juggle many different projects and take advantage of more opportunities during your busy day.

Now that you know of a few new ways to find extra time, treating each meeting as a “first interview” will be a great step in your relationship building process. Your new approach will come across as prepared and interested in the people involved. At the same time, you will also give off strong signals that you’re a willing participant who wants to further the discussion, cause or relationship potential.

How will you find the time to treat every meeting like a first interview?