3 Ideas for Starting an In-Person Client Meeting

1. Rehearse your presentation:
Rehearse a verbal and mental presentation of your meeting. Get to the point where you have memorized the key points that you want to cover. Nothing will add to your self confidence like preparation and rehearsal. When you're in the parking lot of your client's company, do a final 60 second mental rehearsal of the presentation as well.

2. Set the framework for the meeting:Say something like this to your client, “I’d like to ask you some specific questions to see if we can be of service, then I can answer any questions you have about us. We’re probably looking at 30-45 minutes, does this work for you”?

3. Use intense listening:
The great thing about client meetings is that what the client really wants is simply to be heard and understood by you. This takes some of the pressure off of you in that you really don't need to do a lot of the talking. But, this means that you must be an intense listener. Follow this simple guideline: they talk 80% of the time. You'll have time to talk about your service and how you can help them, after you've shown the client that you truly understand their needs.