Nod continuously while pretending to take notes. Everyone will nod their head in agreement, secretly impressed and envious of your quick math skills. 10 More Brilliant Tricks to Appear Smart in Meetings {11 Comments} on September 28, 2017 Some time ago we published 10 Brilliant Tricks to Appear Smart in Meetings. Just say something like, "I'm not sure what these numbers mean," and sit back. If someone says “About 25% of all users click on this button,” quickly chime in with, “So about 1 in 4,” and make a note of it. 6. Always bring a notepad with you. It means you’re important. Go to the corner and lean against the wall. Fold your arms. This power play will get you through the rest of the meeting looking like a real VP. From $ 20.00. If someone asks you if you’re taking notes, quickly say that these are your own personal notes and that someone else should really be keeping a record of the meeting. Fold your arms. no matter what it is. Seriously, I need to know. If someone asks what you think, and you honestly didn’t hear a single word anyone said for the last hour, just say, “I honestly didn’t hear a single word anyone said for the last hour.” People love self-deprecating humor. Now if you, 10 Tricks to Appear Smart During Meetings. 3. When someone says we’re conflating two issues, don’t you immediately think they’re smarter than you? Pre-order the 2021 Tricks to Appear Smart in Meetings Daily Calendar here. Draw a Venn diagram The perfect distraction tool, which will make you look smart and give you some time to sit back and relax. Follow it up with a quick, “What problem are we really trying to solve?” and, boom! Distinct from agency aggregators, we provide state of the art technology solutions, administrative infrastructure, a full-time staff of more than 80 industry experts and a proprietary agency growth acceleration process that Say things like, "Maybe we can just use the lawyers from my divorce," or "God I wish I was dead." Walk around. People will look back on the meeting and mistakenly attribute the intelligent statement to you. Check out the original 10 Tricks to Appear Smart in Meetings here. No one should ever be able to predict if you’re going to like or approve of anything. Like everyone, appearing smart during meetings is my top priority. It doesn’t matter if your Venn diagram is wildly inaccurate, in fact, the more inaccurate the better. He’ll be quiet throughout most of the meeting, but when his moment comes everything out of his mouth will spring from a place of unknowable brilliance. Your rejection of technology will be revered. This website uses cookies to improve service and provide tailored ads. Let them know they can leave because they really aren’t needed. Sometimes this can be difficult if you start daydreaming about your next vacation, your next nap, or bacon. You’re probably afraid to step out of the room because you fear people will think you aren’t making the meeting a priority. He’ll be quiet throughout most of the meeting, but when his moment comes everything out of his mouth will spring from a place of unknowable brilliance. After they arrive, wait until just after the meeting starts and point to that person. After he utters these divine words, chime in with, "Let me just repeat that," and repeat exactly what he just said, but very, very slowly. Tap here to turn on desktop notifications to get the news sent straight to you. It’s the most embarrassing thing ever. Show your coworkers you really care about what happened in the meeting by asking for an email summary, but also show them how valuable your time is by making it clear someone else needs to do this. What do those sticky notes say? Is bi-weekly every other week or twice a week? ← Previous Post. This power play will get you through the rest of the meeting looking like a real VP. Your rejection of technology will be revered. Well, a new book has all the answers for appearing smarter when conversing with colleagues. This works best with three-word phrases such as “point of contact” (POC), “public relations nightmare” (PRN), or “product management system” (PMS). 2. Even before you’ve put that marker down, your colleagues will begin fighting about what exactly the labels should be and how big the circles should be, etc. Make a mental note of the engineer in the room. They’ll laugh, value your honesty, consider contacting H.R., but most importantly, think you’re the smartest looking person in the room. Distinct from agency aggregators, we provide state of the art technology solutions, administrative infrastructure, a full-time staff of more than 80 industry experts and a proprietary agency growth acceleration process that delivers superlative results. No one even really knows what that means, but it's a good catch-all question that generally applies and drives engineers nuts. The Cooper Review is the satirical blog of Sarah Cooper. I know I do. Twitter; 1. By saying things are “pretty obvious,” you make it seem like you saw it coming all along, and have more experience than anyone else in the room. Make a mental note of the engineer in the room. Take notes by simply writing down one word from every sentence that you hear. By saying things are “pretty obvious,” you make it seem like you saw it coming all along, and have more experience than anyone else in the room. Interestingly, however, if you step out of a meeting for an “important” phone call, they’ll all realize just how busy and important you are. 5. Is bi-weekly every other week or twice a week? There comes a point in most meetings where everyone is chiming in, except you. Don't have anything to point out? Here are 10 tricks to help you do that. Check out more from TheCooperReview.com : 36 Signs You Pulled this Presentation Together at the Last Minute When I see Gumbo I cannot resist. “Sorry, could you go back a slide?” They’re the seven words no presenter wants to hear. You've bought yourself almost an entire meeting of appearing smart. This is a great point to go, “Guys, guys, guys, can we take a step back here?” Everyone will turn their heads toward you, amazed at your ability to silence the fray. Here are the top 10 tricks to appear smart in meetings: 1. Make a mental note of the engineer in the room. Now, his brilliance has been transferred to you. Take a deep, contemplative sigh.