Pitching new products, services and ideas is a tricky business as is retaining the interest of existing clients and staff so it’s best to stack the deck in your favor by equipping your presentations with five simple yet sure-fire staples.

Space
Obviously you need a setting for your appointment. If outside parties are coming to your office, make sure the space is tidy and technically ready with WiFi, working outlets, and any equipment needed. Alert coworkers on the floor of the meeting so they may avoid interrupting the presentation. If your appointment is on another company’s turf, check where they’re located and how long it will take to get there to ensure you’re not late. Confirm in advance that they can provide any services you may need such as internet, overhead projectors, a printer, etc.

Laptop
Even if your presentation isn’t done on Microsoft PowerPoint, odds are you’ll need to check facts, figures and files on your laptop so make sure your battery’s charged and any embarrassing screensavers are gone.

Dry-erase board
Since people think visually, having a dry erase board is as key to fast-paced brainstorming sessions as it is to comprehending complex concepts. Whiteyboard offers dry erase boards in different sizes and styles (classic, matte, ghost) ideal for your office—as well as dry erase notepads, paper and notes for meetings on the run.

Coffee and donuts
Okay, you don’t have to serve coffee and donuts. But if you’re hosting a meeting, you should provide refreshments of some kind—be it individual cans of soda, bottled water, herbal tea, anything shy of hard liquor unless you’re entertaining a team of Mad Men from a 1960s ad agency.

Plenty of rest
With or without the aforementioned coffee, you’ll want to be alert, awake and energized throughout the meeting and the best way to achieve this by getting a lot of sleep the night before. That is, after you’ve gone over your presentation as well as this checklist of meeting must-haves.