Seller reticence using prepared, printed meeting agendas in F2F customer interactions mostly derives from the fear of being perceived as too formal.

As time with customers gets shorter and shorter (i.e., sellers are getting fewer meetings and buyers are offering less time per meeting), pressure on sellers to build relationships mounts.

Think of agendas as coins you drop into the parking meter…using agendas will build trust, which hopefully means the buyer rewards you with more time.

Don’t overthink when to use agendas – and with whom.

Buyers will appreciate your preparation and efforts to run efficient meetings. If you keep your agenda items to one or two and use the agenda to align with your buyer about meeting goals, you can’t help but build trust and keep everyone moving forward together.