Meeting rooms are a vital part of the entrepreneurial world and can truly make or break a business deal. They need to offer the perfect, well-equipped setting to set the mood for a positive outcome, but despite this, their contribution to fruitful business transactions often goes unnoticed.
Although conference rooms are a given at large companies, freelancers and remote workers are often at a loss when it comes to setting up proper client meetings. Conferences with associates are mostly initiated in informal locations, such as noisy cafés, which do not offer proper conditions for discussing serious matters.
Rented meeting rooms are a fantastic alternative to coffee shop get-togethers, and are an especially useful option for remote workers who don’t have access to a traditional office. They provide a temporary solution for an ongoing issue and will likely help you make a much more positive, long-lasting impression on your client than you ever would if you met up at your local Starbucks.
If we’ve piqued your interest, keep on reading to find out about how you can prepare for a meeting in a rented meeting room, so you can nail your business deal and make your professional partnerships flourish.
Features of a good meeting room
The first step in renting a good meeting room is doing some thorough research. You need to line up all the available rentals in your area (or in your client’s neighborhood) and consider your options. Location is a key aspect, along with available (preferably free) parking spaces near the building, because the last thing you want is for your client to walk half a mile because the only available parking spots were found six blocks away. The neighborhood in which the rental is located should also be safe, because a sketchy peripheral zone does not leave a good first impression, even if you managed to save a few bucks along the way.
The next key aspect you should look for in a good meeting room is the office culture that surrounds it. The company that leases out the conference rooms needs to have values that match your business’s core beliefs, along with those of your client. For example, if you’re a lawyer and you want to rent out a meeting room to get together with your clients, you might want to look for one in bar associations or court reporting agencies, instead of at a coworking hub. Pick a place where you’re surrounded by like-minded people, so both you and your associate can feel comfortable.
Lastly, we mustn’t forget about the office equipment that comes with the rental. It is of paramount importance that the amenities match your requirements, so that you can use them to your advantage and woo your client with not only your words but also with the tools that you have at your disposal. A stable and strong Internet connection, a projector, a screen and a white board with matching markers might all come in handy, so look for these features when browsing through the long list of meeting rooms up for rent.
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Pulling off the perfect meeting in the rented conference room
Once you’ve settled on the conference room of your choice, explore the building on the inside and find out as much about it as you can. Get to know where the lavatories are located, find out the position of the communal kitchen and make sure you know where you can get a coffee. Once your associate arrives, it’s useful to give off an air of confidence and act as if you’ve always done business at the location!
Emphasize your knowledge about the area and impress your clients with your knowledge. Telling them fun facts about the neighborhood, sharing a personal story about how you’ve stumbled upon the place or even getting into details about the many perks the area has to offer are all great conversation starters, especially if the person you’re meeting is still a stranger to you.
Once the meeting starts, show off your skills by utilizing all the tools available to you in the rented meeting room. Set up a presentation on the projector, scribble ideas on the white board and don’t be afraid to show off a little with the impressive meeting room you’ve rented just for the occasion. Have some fun with the space and let your client know that you’re experienced in providing professional services.
Pros and cons of renting a meeting room
All in all, organizing a professional get-together in a rented meeting room might be worth your while. You can’t really beat the overall impression that the ambiance of such a place gives out. Your clients will be more likely to regard you as a competent professional, giving you a much better chance of having a fruitful partnership with them than if you took them to a simple coffee shop.
On the negative side, you might not always find a suitable conference room in your immediate vicinity, so you might have to drive or commute. Also note that renting such a well-equipped space can get quite costly, but since you’re building up the future of your business, consider it a necessary investment.
