How to Approach a Prospective Client
Unless you're impervious to rejection and love putting your ego on the line, first meetings with prospective clients can be nothing short of nerve shattering. The good news is that first meetings get easier with time and experience. Keep in mind that others have gone before you and built great careers because they've learned to make that first meeting count big-time. Want to join them? By remembering some valuable tips, you can learn to hold great first meetings with prospective clients.
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Instructions
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Make your initial contact a short, meaningful exchange that demonstrates that you offer great ideas tailored to the prospective client's business mission, using the first 30 seconds of your phone call or encounter to establish a mutually beneficial relationship. Follow up by arranging a meeting at the client's office to explore ways you can help him achieve success.
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Do your homework. Research the person you're meeting via the wealth of social-networking resources on the Internet such as Facebook, search engines and corporate profiles on websites. Call the day before you're due to meet with the prospect to confirm. Arrive on time or a little early dressed in business attire.
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Respect your prospective client's time by making the first few minutes of your meeting a preview of what's to come. Offer your business card, your hand and your regard for her schedule by asking how much time she has for your pitch. Hand your prospective client an agenda, outline or list that contains salient information in support of your mission.
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Engage in intelligent, purposeful conversation that addresses the topics every prospective client wants to hear: your billing scale, your experience, the amount of time are you can devote to the client's needs and the scope of services you offer. Focus the balance of the meeting on the client, allowing him the stage.
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Be realistic about what your skills, education and resources can do to meet the goals of the prospective client by being forthright and making no promise you can't deliver. Be confident but not cocky or all-knowing as even the best resume can't make up for intuitive feelings people have when rubbed the wrong way by personality quirks.
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Answer questions with confidence. Probe for clarification. Commit to getting back to the prospective client if you can't answer a query. Ask for the client's business---a critical step that many experienced sales professionals fail to do despite its obvious benefit.
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Make good on promises to follow-up by writing and sending facts, figures and data requested by your host that will allow her to make a decision about hiring you. Vet all documentation exchanged with your prospective client with legal, accounting and other departments to make certain you and your company are protected from litigation.before you enter into a binding contractual agreement.
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Accept rejection with grace if your efforts prove unsuccessful, as you never know when you may have an opportunity to meet with this prospective client in the future to further explore a business relationship.
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