tips on closing an efficient meeting

Inc.com articles usually have fantastic titles but often lack depth and substance.   The article 3 Ways to Keep Meetings Short , however, is brief with some useful reminders of how to set up a productive meeting with some non-obvious takeaways. It speaks to one hour meetings which may or may not meet your "short' criteria for a meeting.  I'll share the non-obvious tips part with you :

How to wrap up a meeting - very similar to closing a sale. I would recommend this approach for a one-on-one or a small group meeting with a client: 

1. "In one sentence, what was your single biggest takeaway from this meeting?
2. In one sentence, what is one topic that should be discussed in our next meeting?
3. Give one word or phrase describing how you feel about this meeting?"

credit:  http://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/3-ways-to-keep-meetings-short-every-time.html

One and three may be repetitive - but try it out and see for yourself. Sometimes repetition is what it takes to get the info you want flowing. 

 This technique certainly reinforces that you care about what your client wants and is a great opportunity for feedback and building trust.