Meeting with clients can be overwhelming, and may bring you a lot of pressure, especially if you know that the client is a tough one and difficult to talk to. However, if you do ample research and prepare yourself, there is nothing that can stop you from developing great business relationships and securing the best clients.
Do Your Research
Before meeting up with a potential client, you need to learn everything about them. Research and dig deep when finding information about your client, find out their background and the landscape of the industry that they work in. By knowing your clients’ expertise and their area of work, and studying trends in their industry, you can identify challenges or difficulties that they may be facing. Then you can provide your service as a solution to the challenges they face. In this way, you are just not pitching your product, but pitching a solution, making your offer more appealing and relevant to them, and improving your chances of getting the deal.
Preparing beforehand is an investment that you are making, so do your homework, and do it well. Knowing the key players in your potential clients’ industries, as well as knowing their strengths and weaknesses, will help you stand out amongst your competitors and close the deal, rather than walking away with your time gone to waste. If you have a high-value prospect, you can even arrange travel by booking a private jet rental, which sets a tone of respect and consideration, and is a great way to turn the prospect into a client. Sixty-two percent of companies these days are ready to invest to meet customers’ changing needs.
Preparation Is Everything
If you have other people attending the meeting with you, then prepare them as well. You need to ensure that everyone is on board with you, has the same agenda, and has the latest information. Clashes with your teammates in front of a prospect can give off a very bad impression, can look unprofessional and make the client feel uncomfortable. Keep a clear business goal that you not only communicate with your team, but also with your client, so that both parties are prepared beforehand and can set reasonable expectations. Also, before the meeting begins, remove any distractions that can hinder you from your agenda, so that you can give your potential client your undivided attention.
Lead with Listening
Meeting with your clients is not just about what you have to offer, and about your product or service, but it is also about understanding your clients’ needs and requirements. And you cannot do that until you attentively listen to your client first. Being an active listener will help you identify the problems of your clients, allowing you to sell them your product or service as a solution, tailored to their needs, and allowing for personalization in your pitches. In this way, you can make changes to your presentation in accordance with what the customer wants. Listening not only gives you an edge and allows for personalization, which customers absolutely love, but also makes customers feel like their opinions are being heard, and that whatever they are saying is of value to you.
Wrap It Up Clearly
When the meeting ends, you should set expectations for both ends for the next meeting, like closing the sale or having another meeting to discuss further. Setting up expectations lets both parties know where they stand and ensures clarity so that both parties know what the other think of them. You can use this time as a chance to ask any final questions that you may have or address the ones that the client may have raised. You can also ask them if there is anything else they would like to cover in the meeting, and wrap up everything with confidence and clarity, ensuring that everything is crystal clear to the client.
Conclusion
When starting a meeting, you can also agree on how long everyone is available so that you suit everyone’s schedule. Make sure to ask all the right questions and keep the conversation smooth and address all the concerns of the client. When the meeting ends, summarize everything and have a clear plan for the upcoming meeting.
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