How To Prepare For A Meeting With A New Prospect

Meeting a new prospect for the first time can be stressful, since you want to make a good first impression and assure your potential client that you have their best interests at heart. Sometimes nerves can get the better of you and you’re left looking nervous or unprofessional, which can cost you business.

So how do you ensure that you can speak with confidence to new prospects? These simple tips will have you sounding like an expert presenter at your next meeting.

1. Prepare Properly

If you do your homework, then you’ll know what you’re talking about instead of floundering around - and that is half the battle. Learn about your new prospect’s situation, as well as how you can best help them achieve their goals. If you fully understand how the service you are offering matches with your prospect’s needs, you’ll speak with more confidence since you’ll know exactly how to help them solve their problems.

2. Focus On First First Impressions

It is important to present yourself well by dressing and acting professionally. If you’re dressed professionally, then you’ll not only feel more confident, but your prospect will be reassured that you are someone who can be trusted with their business. Their confidence in you will in turn, help your own confidence.

Make sure you arrive at the meeting on time, and focus on the prospect’s needs - not your own. If you’re late then you’ll feel rushed from the beginning, which will give a bad first impression to your potential client. It will also likely add to any nerves that you have.

3. Focus On A Few Key Points

When meeting with a new prospect there are many issues which you could discuss as you form your new business relationship together. It is important, however, to stick to a few key points so you don’t overwhelm them with too much information that they cannot process all at once. Keep the prospect focused on these few points and ensure they understand them fully. Trying to cover too many topics too quickly can make it look like you’re all talk and no action.

4. Practice Active Listening

While you should try to keep your prospect focused on the key issues, you should also listen actively to what they have to say and respond accordingly. If you’ve done your preparation, you’ll have a good idea of what kind of issues your prospect may raise, and be able to relate them back to your key talking points without ignoring them.

The use of magic words can be important when talking to new clients. On my website you can find many resources that will help you to speak with confidence in any situation.

Watch this quick video for another great tip on dealing with new clients: https://youtu.be/OiEuENkcje0

A Bit Of Humour For You

Being the office supervisor, I had to have a word with a new employee who never arrived at work on time. I explained that her tardiness was unacceptable and that other employees had noticed that she was walking in late every day. After listening to my complaints, she agreed that this was a problem and even offered a solution.

"Is there another door I could use?"

 

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