Our Founder & CEO Aabha Bakaya, given the degree of importance for our members, shares 5 things to be mindful of, when meeting with a CEO of a larger corporation. After all, we at Ladies Who Lead, are known to do things differently, aren’t we? Here’s her personal philosophy on the matter:

A CEO never has enough time in her day. She is managing multiple tasks and her head is always in a different place. When she gives you a focussed 30-minutes how do you use it to ensure you get the most value for your business out of it? Read on to find out.

1. CEOs don’t have enough hours in a day. Especially when they are managing a large number of employees, involved in key decision-making at a daily level, dealing with regulators, markets, and calls across time zones. When a CEO carves out some precious time to meet you, make sure you are ahead of time. It will take you a while to find the office, maneuver parking and security, and make your way to the c-suite. And then you wait because that is the right thing to do. Asking a CEO to juggle their day by 30-min or more is unpardonable. It has happened in rare cases and extreme emergencies – but those can only be exceptions. You’ll find that they hardly ever make you wait, they are extremely punctual and often may increase their appointment with you by 30-minutes if they find it fruitful. 
2. When going to visit a CEO, think about what you’re going to wear and how you are going to look the part. You want them to take you seriously, but this does not mean you must wear pants. You could wear an elegant dress, with smart heels, a lovely blouse with pearls, a tailored jacket. Avoid frills that are distracting like too much jewellery, loud make-up or accessories. Keep it classic so the attention is on you and what you are saying. Also remember you are there for work and not a social event so while looking polished, don’t overdress. Isha Ambani dressed in a simple salwar kameez when she met with us, Aisha De Sequeira of Morgan Stanley was always in a suit, Arundhati Bhattacharya always wears a saree till date with maybe one string of pearls. Chanda Kochhar used to be known for her fancy diamonds and jewellery and clearly that did not go down so well. 
3. Please have the right body language in a meeting. Straight back, fingers gently together, legs crossed, poised and confident. Please do not yawn it is truly a sacrilege. You cannot look sleepy or bored. You can still look drenched in the rain or flustered by a car puncture but you MUST have your game face on at all times. You have probably waited weeks to get this meeting. Ask questions, engage, make conversation, find some common points. Then get to the agenda within the first few moments. Use your time to maximise gains for your business. Business heads will meet you via referral (patiently), on your credibility  (so don’t kill it), or your pitch – so they will be waiting to hear that. Time is money in the business world and one thing CEOs hate is a waste of their time. 
4. They will always ask you whether you would like a cup of tea or coffee. I used to say no because I hardly had time to drink it! I was too busy talking or too nervous. However it does help to break the ice. I will say I have never finished a hot beverage during a meet and I have never seen the CEO finish theirs. Apart from recently when someone met me over a mango and almond milk smoothie. And they offered me coconut water or a fresh smoothie as well. I said no to everything as I knew I would not finish it, or what if I did not like it and did not want to offend anyone. Corporates have the worst machine coffee, CEOs have their own french press which they make just for themselves when there is more time. And some places think they have amazing coffee but don’t know how to make it and it tastes like hot muddy water and you really don’t want to have it – unless you need caffeine in any form!
5. Pro Tip – When you’re going through your meeting notes, always think back to what they asked you. The answers to what they are looking for are in the questions they ask you. That will give you a clue and help you strategise your follow-up. It is always there in the gentle nudges, and hopefully you would have answered off that bat with some clarity because it is true – first impressions are very very important. It is a mix of how you present yourself as well as what you say and the relevance to them. They listen because they don’t want to miss out on the next big thing. So don’t spam them but let them know you appreciate their time, follow up where required, else get back when the time is right when you have something that will be fruitful for them.