10 Reasons to Hold Your Next Business Meeting on a Yacht

It may sound a little unconventional, but holding your next business meeting on a yacht could catapult your business, improve your career and win over that recalcitrant prospect.

In today's economic climate, differentiating yourself from the competition has become an essential element to survival. Here are 10 reasons why holding a meeting on a yacht could prove to be a stroke of genius.

1. Yachting trips create a shared experience conducive to mutual understanding.

People who undergo special events together -- whether of trial, adventure or joy -- forge a unique bond for months or years in the future. Whether you wish to please your boss, win a prospect or create a business alliance, a three-hour yacht trip with the spectacular panorama of the New York City skyline, up-close views of the Statue of Liberty and five-star gourmet cuisine can be an unforgettable experience.

2. Yacht trips create a captive audience.

Negotiations can be a tricky thing. You want to present an argument, a rationale, showing your point of view or intended action as a common-sense way to proceed. However, time always seems to intrude. Other appointments beckon. Interruptions abound. On a yacht, you will have your target's full attention for the entire length of the trip.

3. Yacht trips are relaxing.

Today's business world is full of stress. Meetings generally create even more. Sometimes, you need to pursue a counter-intuitive approach. Present your plan of action on a yacht, with the water gently lapping against the hull and a refreshing breeze invigorating your spirit.

4. Yacht trips show how much you care about the business.

Anyone can squeeze in an extra meeting or even a luncheon. Taking your guest on a yacht immediately differentiates them from the rest of the crowd. It says, "Your business is so important to me, I'd like to pursue it in a special way."

5. Yacht trips demonstrate your creativity.

Holding a business meeting on a yacht demonstrates an unusual approach to the task at hand. By pursuing a course of action unlikely to be imitated by the competition, you are presenting your company in a different light. You are showing a proactive approach and physically demonstrating your ability to think "out of the box."

6. Yacht trips can be used to accomplish your meeting's goal.

With the latest A/V equipment and related support for negotiations, lectures and presentations, a yachting trip offers all the tools you need even for the most complex subject matter. Instead of being viewed as some flighty idea, your yacht voyage will enable a productive time to accomplish the matters at hand.

7. Yacht trips help you to personalize your business pitch.

Showing a real interest in your client's or prospect's personal preferences has long been recommended as a key technique for winning that contract. But there's only so many ways to do so in a conventional meeting. Perhaps, you could order special food or remember a birthday. Yacht charters, however, let you tailor the surrounding based on a number of factors including entertainment, favors, decorations, etc. Choose an open bar and buffet or sit-down dinner. Choose a DJ or a live band. Create a country western atmosphere or a sophisticated aura.

8. Yacht trips are fun.

Fun gets left out of business way too often. There's nothing quite as beneficial to winning a deal as being able to laugh and have a good time together. People make decisions on emotional factors and then try to justify them logically afterwards. Whether it's winning over a client or winning a promotion, holding a business meeting on a yacht is simply a lot of fun.

9. Yacht trips demonstrate attention to detail.

There are a lot of little things to attend to when planning a yacht charter. Most companies offer expert planners to help you arrange a successful trip. Your ability to handle the small items can impress your guest as much as the grand idea of a yachting journey itself.

10. Yacht trips provide perspective.

In the end, your business matters are secondary to larger issues of family, friends and health. Yacht trips encompass the natural environment, sun, scenery and water so much more beautiful than the inside of four office walls. By sharing your common humanity, meetings on a yacht demonstrate a perspective about something larger than the deal, and that perspective surprisingly can help you win the deal itself.