Cut waiting time to a minimum. If wait you must, have wait-time work with you.
What is your wait time strategy? Many customers are worth waiting for. Start with the externals. What do they want you to see? Membership in trade associations hung on the walls, back issues of trade magazines they read, company or product history pictures on the walls—whatever it is, take it all in. Company newsletters are often left out for you to read or take a copy of. Once you have given the place the once-over, don’t be shy about making a friend of whoever is in charge of the reception area. They can often track down key people if they think you are worth the effort.
You can use wait time to do the details that must be done. You can check phone messages, go over account records, make sure your appearance is at its best, and if you know you will be there for a while, you can get through a must-read file carried along for just this purpose. Finally, you must decide on the potential return on investment on your waiting time. A morning wait time limit can be coupled with a leave-behind note saying you will return later in the day, which might get you in.
Leave-behind materials are seldom worth leaving behind. Make a meeting your objective. Minimize and maximize your waiting time.