Whether you’re working for a corporation or running your own business, meeting a new client for the first time can be terrifying. First impressions often make or break potential life-altering deals, and any small slip-up can easily change the outcome of a meeting for the worse. As such, you need to learn how to impress a client in the first meeting–and close that deal your company needs.
How to Impress a Client in the First Meeting
Luckily, clients are human just like you, so much of the time what will impress you and your company will impress your client. Here are a few key ideas to know when trying to impress a client in the first meeting:
Come out looking your best
Appearance is the first thing your client will notice, so it’s reasonable to assume you’d want to look good on your first meeting. The issue in the modern age is that many first meetings are now held online, where there’s only so much you can change about how you and your team look.
If you’re holding a meeting online on your own or with team members, be sure to come dressed appropriately. This can be in the form of a suit and tie for corporations, a common work uniform for private businesses, or something casual but professional for creative groups.
You and your team should also have their cameras aimed at clean office-like areas, if they aren’t already, or they should be able to change their virtual background to a professional setting. Remember to keep the names on your Google Meet or Zoom professional as well.
In the case where your first meeting is offline, bring your client to a setting that’ll impress a client. Ideally, you’d invite them to a conference or meeting room. If the aim of the meeting is to build relationships, you can also invite them to a dining setting that hosts corporate events or conference rooms of their own.
Be prepared and positive
We get it–meeting a client for the first time can be anxiety-inducing. What if your presentation isn’t good enough? What if they ask tough questions and you can’t answer? What if they question your rates or your product?
Sun Tzu says something important in the Art of War: “Every battle is won before it’s ever fought.” List out every fear or concern you may have before the meeting and make as many counterpoints and responses as possible. If you feel your company or product has a weak point, research ways to either solve it or alleviate it for your clients.
At the point of the meeting, you need to let go of all those worries and come in with a positive front. Your clients are there to be convinced that they should go to you, so you need to come there already convinced yourself. First meetings are a space of negotiation and elaboration, not self-doubt. Come in there ready and resolved.
Don’t sell products or services–sell solutions
If your client needs to think twice about why they need to use your service or product, you’ve already lost half the battle. It doesn’t matter how advanced or impressive what you’re selling is if your client doesn’t have any actual need for it.
So instead of just talking about how good your products or services are, twist it around–show your clients their problems and how you can solve them. If you’re selling tech software, show common inconveniences or complaints that users have that your software can solve. For creative projects, point out gaps and niches in the market that can be filled with your idea.
These problems are what we call pain points. Once your client is aware of their pain points, you can clearly show how your offering solves them. Be prepared to show how your product or service is much better for your clients in the long term than any other alternative.
Show how much you know them
You can’t sell solutions if you aren’t already aware of your client’s specific problems. On top of knowing general problems in your clients’ field, it’s important to come in with a good idea of what your clients are currently working on and where they might be struggling. This means filling out basic questions like:
- What are their goals? What are they trying to achieve?
- What are their biggest concerns? What’s stopping them from their goals?
- How do they typically achieve their goals?
- What tools do they use to do so?
- Who do they work with?
- What communities are they closest to?
- What do they like or dislike?
- What are their personality and defining characteristics?
- What culture do they belong to? How do your cultures differ? What do they value?
There’s a lot more you can explore, but these are basic questions that give you a strong idea of where to start. If you have all of this in mind, you can show your research during your first meeting, whether it’s in a presentation or how you casually speak to them.
Give personalized gifts
This may actually be the most important part of any first-time meeting, though you may not realize it at first. Corporate gifts are some of the easiest ways to build rapport right from the get-go. They establish friendly intentions, provide your clients with proof of your positive sentiment, and can even show how well you know them.
Even if a client is still on the fence about your offer, a good personalized gift reminds them that you’ve already given them something thoughtful and considerate. So why not trust you in giving thoughtful and considerate services?
Of course, the keywords here are ‘thoughtful and considerate.’ When it comes to knowing how to impress a client on the first meeting, your gift needs to reflect all the points discussed before. A simple pre-made pen or notebook with your company logo will just be another gift they forget about on their office desk. So how can you make a real impression?
Your gift needs to be three things: premium, personalized, and practical. Cheap corporate gifts will give your client the impression that you cut corners and don’t value their patronage, but premium gifts with high-quality materials will show your dedication. Furthermore, a gift that’s custom-made for them, like having their name or showing off something valuable to them, shows that you put thought into their visit.
While not all gifts need to be practical, something they can use in their day-to-day life, like a shirt or a cup, will be a constant reminder of your first meeting.
Unfortunately, you might find many merchandising or corporate gift services aren’t flexible enough or high-quality enough to make a gift that would really wow your client. Shirtual’s one-stop merchandising solutions have one of the most flexible and high-quality gifts for any client, with over 100 merchandise and apparel variations along with more than 30 different printing techniques.
Looking to impress a client in the first meeting? Contact us at Shirtual–consultations are free!
GET IN TOUCH
