Getting a green light from your client is hard work and it takes skill, personality, and good rapport to aid in the encouragement of your client to go for you and your services. There are a lot of things that can go wrong when meeting a client especially if it’s the first time but of course, you need not to worry. You just have to trust what you have to offer both in skill and work ethic.
- The meeting
This is an obvious first step to rocking your first client meeting. First thing’s first is that you have to know where you’re going, know who you’re meeting, dress smart, and do your research!
You should prepare your materials and remain calm and collected during the meeting. Don’t keep your potential client waiting. Pre-load your website and your portfolio. Make sure you’re ready to present whatever it is you need to present to your prospect and be sure to be able to address their concerns with your products/services.
- First impressions
First impressions matter and when you think about first impressions, you think of putting your best foot forward. A way to do this is by adopting a good posture, confidence, firm handshakes, etc. These small gestures allow the client to feel like you’re taking them seriously. Key tip, let them sit first before you settle in.
- Short and concise
Introductions don’t have to be long. You can just highlight certain relevant areas of yourself and what you do and you’ll be good.
- Small talk
Enjoy the small talk., Relieve some tension off you and your prospect. Remember, business is about people. And people want to do business with people they like. So don’t underestimate the power of small talk.
- Let them do the talking
Small talk is good but when it comes down to it, getting your clients to talk about what they need and what they want is what you should be aiming for. When this happens, they would be able to tell you what they want and how you’ll be able to help them. Let them talk for as long as they want. Listening is one of the best ways on how you get prospects to trust you and at the same time, you’ll be able to know exactly how you can help them.
- Sell yourself
When you’re talking about how you can help your client, don’t be afraid to really sell yourself and your services/products. Throw in some important and successful clients you’ve worked with and start showing off. Practice how you’ll pitch each case study and talk confidently. Start mentioning your attributes and skills you might have to make you stand out.
- Quality over quantity
Don’t expect people to look at every single work you’ve done ever. Put out your best works and highlight those instead of highlighting the number of projects you’ve done. Putting out all your work can overwhelm your employer, stick to a few but amazing works to gather the best impression.
- Curate the work you show
Curate your work depending on the kind of need the client has, remove all the work that’s irrelevant. It’s best to focus your portfolio on a few stronger pieces than countless weaker ones.
- How can you help?
Always think about how you can help your client with their needs. It’s better to think of your meeting as a way you can address the need of your client.
- Frequently Asked Questions
You can be sure that after every meeting there would always be questions about what you do and what else you can offer but don’t panic if your client starts asking questions, answer confidently and don’t forget to smile. Anticipate their questions beforehand and have some well-prepared answers.
- Work on your personal message
If there’s one piece of advice we can give you, that’s to give your own twist to your message. Focus on why you want to work with them and why your services are what they need the most.
- Wrap it up and follow up
Once the meeting is over, give yourself some credit. You did well! But don’t think this is the end of it. Don’t forget to follow up on your prospect! Do you think you did well? Don’t’ forget to follow them up on their decision.
When wrapping things up, don’t forget to thank them for the time to meet with you. Leave a business card and then leave a lasting impression to make sure you take them up to a new venture for sure!
The final impression is just as important so make sure you tidy up after yourself and be ready for small talk after.
There really isn’t any formula to acing your first client meeting but it’s not to say we can’t help you. We hope this could help you close your next big deal!
Be sure to check out more of our blogs for more helpful tips! For business inquiries, you may contact us here.
