When you go into a meeting, whatever type of meeting it may be, you have two choices, either you can be in control or you can be controlled.

One tip that we were taught many years ago is that in order to gain control of any meeting, and positively influence the outcome, know what you want to get out of the meeting before you go into it and be confident about what it is that you want.

By knowing what the outcome of a meeting is before you go into it highly increases your control of the meeting and your chances of actually getting what you want out of the meeting.

Obviously, it is important to use a bit of tact in the meeting and not to be forceful with your opinions but you will be amazed at your persuasion powers when you know what you want and you are confident you will get it.

This tactic works really well for sales pitches, tenders, salary discussions, team building meetings, board meetings etc.

When we say "know the outcome of a meeting", for example if you are doing a sales pitch and want to secure a sale, firstly, know that you are going to leave the meeting having signed the sales contract.

At the same time, to ensure this happens, ensure you know every little detail about the sale, what price you are willing to negotiate down to, what terms you are willing to offer, what agreements you are willing to enter in to and stick to your pre-defined guidelines.

Too many people get swayed in meetings and leave the meeting no better than before and sometimes worse.

Be prepared, know what you want and know what you have to do to get it

It is said that luck is when opportunity is met with preparedness.

The luckiest people in the world are said to have been prepared for opportunities when they came their way.

The best way to be prepared for opportunities is...

1.Identify a range of different opportunities that you would like to become available to you and your business

2.Think about what it is that you need to do that if these opportunities came your way, you were prepared to take advantage of them

A simple ways to be prepared for opportunities is to carry a briefcase/laptop bag around with you where ever you go with the following in it...

a.Your business cards
b.Your business plan
c.A price list of your products
d.A memory stick with a presentation about your idea/business on it
e.A receipt book in case someone wants to pay you
f.Your CV in case you are asked
g.A prototype of one of your products where applicable

By being prepared, you will be amazed at how many more opportunities you will be able to take advantage of

Am sure most people have tried to lose weight or get in shape at one point in their life. Recently I have been working on toning and getting fit. I realised while doing this that this was a journey similar to starting a business that makes a difference. The concepts are similar and we can learn from them and apply them to our journey as an entrepreneur. Here are some of the lessons I learnt.

1.       It takes more than one night to be an overnight success.

When I decided to get in shape, I went for a jog around the block; I cut of sugar from my tea and all sorts of different activities. I was so excited, and I wanted to see instant results. I wanted somehow to be in shape and have that great body and be super fit after 3 days. Obviously it did not work that way. Actually I think I looked bigger and I think my scale is broken because I actually gained weight. It can be after a few  weeks of constantly working on the exercise routine that people start noticing. A lot of times people assume this is how it will work when starting your own business. You are going to walk up to the very first person and they are going to buy your product, they are going to invest in your vision and you are going to make a massive profit. Wouldn't that be awesome! Then when you get into it and start something you find all these barriers and even some people who recommend you give up! Do not be turned off by this. Just like exercising, results can take more than one night to become an overnight success.

2.        It is not always fun but the results are!

I never feel like exercising. I get home and I had a long day in the office so I just want to relax in front of the couch and in the morning it’s too cold to actually get up earlier and exercise before I go to work. I wish there was some kind of pill or medicine you can take that miraculously gets you into shape. Then there is the small issue of watching I eat! I love burgers, chips and custard donuts and in order to make sure I lose the weight I had to give those things up. This reminded me of all the sacrifices I have to make everyday for my business. Sometimes you have to work a little longer than most people, sometimes you have to give some luxuries for the long term vision. It will definitely be worth it in the end.

3.  You have to be intentional

In my journey to weight loss and keeping fit i have had to be apply different strategies. Not only do i have to run, but i also need to watch my weight. I had to intentional with the exercises i chose. I only wanted to lose weight, work on a flat tummy but i did not want to get the big biceps and muscles so i decided not to use the heavy dumbbells  Similarly you have to use various strategies to build your business. Make sure you have a business plan to constantly assess if your strategies are appropriate for your vision. Be intentional about where you want to go and how you will get there. A business plan is a blessing here.

These are just some ways that exercising is similar to starting a business. If you can think of other ways the two are similar please write it in a comment below.