Meeting a New Client
Dear Aunty Entity
I’m just starting a project for a new client. We are having our first meeting in a few days time to make introductions and formally kick start the work.
Do you have any tips for making a good impression, conducting a successful; meeting or questions to ask? Are there any follow-up ideas you could pass on? I’m going with the art director and lead developer.
Thanks
Monitor Lizard
Dear Monitor
Meeting a new client is like having an interview. Even if the relationship is established with other members of the team, they do not know you or have experience of working with you. The project manager is usually one of the key points of contact so it’s important to start off on the right note. Appreciation of your de-constructivist wardrobe, piercing preferences, your quirky sense of humour and dating status can develop at a more leisurely pace once you are on your way to developing the relationship.
A ‘ticklist’ for client meetings might be as follows:
- Set an agenda: This plans the time available to ensure everything you need to cover is done so. An email with bullet points is often fine especially for smaller projects.
- Be punctual: Arriving 10 minutes late for an interview is not a good look. The same applies to a client meeting. If you are unavoidably detained, make sure you have the client’s contact number so you are able to call with an estimated time of arrival.
- Make notes: A client likes to think their thoughts, queries and opinions have been listened to.
- Follow up with a contact report: Capturing main points discussed and actions to be taken shows the client that you have listened and take their project seriously.
- For initial team meetings, a useful document to circulate to team members is a contact list of all people on the project and their roles. This helps to ensure the right people are contacted throughout the lifecycle of the project.
Making a contact report:
Even if you’re one person on a small project, it’s just as viable to generate a contact report as a member of a larger team. This is a record of anything agreed in that meeting plus will clearly show responsibilities for tasks.
A contact report should include the following information:
- Date of meeting
- Client name
- Project name
- Present: client side
- Present: your side
- An overview of the main points of discussion
- A list of any tasks agreed, person allocated to and date of completion required by. For subsequent contact reports, tasks can be carried over if they have not been completed.
Dear Aunty Entity, What is the correct way to address a former boss at a social function.
Miss Mills
Dear Miss Mills
How you address a former employer will depend on how you left your former place of employment.
It’s true that there are grudges held on both sides for whatever reason. However, at a social gathering it would be bad form to let a personal grievance mar the occasion. Keep in mind that you also don’t know who may be watching (future client/employer perhaps?). Physical violence should never be used but if you really can’t avoid it at least make the display look like a convincing one.
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Great post Aunty Entity. I have now a better idea for meeting with new clients, This steps would helps me a lot.
Thanks and Keep up the great work.
Excellent advice, Aunty. I particularly like #4 as it shows the new client that you’re listening and that really inspires confidence that what he/she envisions will be executed.
To this list I’d add:
1. Make eye contact….a lot but not “stalker” a lot.
2. Ask questions that show you’re listening and already running with the ball.
Thanks, Aunty! Great post once again.
“Physical violence should never be used but if you really can’t avoid it at least make the display look like a convincing one.” Ha ha! Lol!
Great post!
I think Item #1 is a must to-do task. Be more organize and control the flow of the meeting.
Now I have another great idea on how to meet new clients, I really have to follow this one, simple yet very nice and very useful. thanks great job.
On the first client meeting:
- Dress as well as or better than the people you are meeting. The first meeting is like a “sales call” and you want to show your respect by showing up dressed for success.
- Follow-up the client meeting with a note (e-mail is fine), which includes concise information about what was accomplished in the meeting and a sincere thank you — and, if appropriate — information about the next steps or a request for infomration about the next steps.
- Eat before the meeting (unless the meeting is supposed to include lunch). You are trying to land this client, not score free food. If you haven’t had food and the meeting runs longer than expected, you’ll start to yawn and that doesn’t help you make a good impression. If they do include food at the meeting, but the meeting is going really poorly, go ahead and put food in your pockets for later.
Ok, just kidding on that last sentence.
- Speak in a professional tone and manner. You may have the worst potty mouth around your buddies, but assume that clients don’t want to hear it… even if THEY have potty mouths.
Yep, it does pretty much sound like an interview! You’re trying to close the deal, even if you think you already closed the deal. Think long-term: the easiest clients to land work from are clients you already have, so adding a new client is like an annuity for your business. Don’t screw up the client meeting — or the work you do for them — and you get to keep the annuity.
Hi, it is a woman like that in the picture on this article then I have more methods to seduce her.
I think a big thing is to be excited. Or at least act excited. If the client feeds off of your excitement, you can quickly create an attitude of, “all right let’s do it, whatever it costs, this is gonna be awesome,” etc.
Don’t forget to mind your appearance as well. Present yourself as a professional. Even if you’re meeting with a rancher that wears boots and jeans, a suit may not be required… but always try to be the best dressed person in the room.
About your first meeting with a potential new client:
Prepare yourself. Have your part of the contract and an estimate form filled out. Find out what you can about the company and what your competitors have to offer. Have a pen and notebook for taking notes. Clean your place of business and your computer and computer desk (they almost always say, “Can I show you something I saw on the internet?”). Have some refreshments if you think it is appropriate and have time to prepare some (such as at noon or 6 pm).
Make sure to ask them to come prepared. They will need to bring samples, text and photos, if any, and previously designed pieces. Also ask them to please bring all of the key decision makers along. I have had clients who tried to be the go-between. It was from me to them to the boss, and from the boss to them to me. They asked me to do it style x. I did style x. The boss wanted style y. They had to have me fix it. This is confusing. Don’t deal with it. It isn’t worth it. I also had a client who was excited, then called his business partner, who said he wanted to meet me. The meeting was set, moved twice, and eventually I was dropped from their radar. When you set up the meeting, ask them to come with all key decision makers, to the first meeting. If the spouse is this key decision maker, ask them to please bring their spouse.
Don’t go to them. Make them come to you. They’ll never make you a priority if you go to their place of business, and will treat you like an employee. They’ll see you as a beginner. If if is at your place, even if that is your home, you are in charge of the situation, you can control the environment. If they are late, you are out nothing. You don’t have to worry about traffic or transporting your portfolio. Besides all of the above, clients don’t appreciate being charged money for travel time, so my advice is, don’t let there be any. If they aren’t willing to come, pass it up, unless you are desperate for portfolio pieces and a client (which you will be at the beginning).
Greet them happily and shake their hand(s). Say it’s nice to meet you. Then shut up. Listen. They always talk first. They are the ones who know what they need, why they need it, and what they are looking for. Don’t think hard about prices or what you can do for them. Just listen. Ask about their company and needs. Learn about them. Discuss their project. The first thing to say is how you can do this and are excited to work with them. The first thing on their mind is, ‘Are you able to do this?’
After you tell them you can do it and would love to, explain your prices and give them an estimate, or, if it will take time, let them know that you will give them an estimate by E-mail by that night. If you need more information to give a good estimate, get all of the information that you can.
Then show them your portfolio. Why is this last? I’ll tell you—Because I have found that they really don’t much care. If it happens that they have asked for it sooner, I am sure you showed it to them. If they don’t, ask them, “Would you like to see my work?” They usually say yes, but some say, “No.” Respect that. They may already be familiar with your work (from your web site or a referral) or they really may not care about portfolios. Some only care about their own business and couldn’t care less about anyone else’s. Some have chosen to work with you because they’ve already decided they like you and your personality goes well with theirs.
Get out the estimate form. Explain how many hours you estimate it will take to do each part of the process. Then give them an overall estimate of hours. The amount of time you will dedicate to them will be pleasing to them. Ask about a deadline. Please be wise and have different hourly rates for 1) Rush and 2) not rush). Explain the rush, not rush pricing. Tell them that for this many hours it will be this price. Talk about it with them. Negotiate. If they need a lower price, ask for more time, free advertising, etc. Don’t go for work in trade. It is too complicated and I had a bad situation when a client had me do work, then didn’t do her end. We hadn’t filled out a contract because it was not for money. Silly me!
Well, then pull out the contract, ask them to put their name and address on there. They will read it. They will ask questions. You will explain everything confidently, because it is fair, and you will be confident. (You will be nervous the first few times, but after a few clients, you won’t be). When they have signed, ask if they want a photocopy (I have a copy machine. It was well worth the money) now, or in the mail. Explain & ask for the down payment. When they give it to you, ask if they’d like a receipt now or in the mail. (I have a computer close by. I can quickly make a receipt and print it right then. This saves money (no stamp) and makes them feel secure.
Ask how they found your company. Make sure to find out if they have any questions. Get all contact info possible. Set up a follow up meeting. You did it! Yay!
My blog at http://www.lisajackson.biz/blog
Great post. I would add that you should choose a location that isn’t too loud, lacks enough table space for laptops/writing, and is hard to find for the first time.