"I had a meeting with a sales rep today regarding a new product. Prior to the meeting, the company objectives and goals were clearly stated. I let her know I only had one hour for the meeting. After two hours, she finally addressed my time constraints. How can I avoid this in the future?" Brad asks.

While the degree of power we have in any meeting may vary, in this case, you have absolute power and may exercise it at any time.

When the allotted time has elapsed, politely interrupt and decide on the next steps. If you have time and want to continue the meeting, do so. If you don't have time, you don't need to be held hostage.

Tell the sales rep that you have somewhere else you need to be and close the meeting with a summary and appropriate follow-up.

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