“There is never a second chance to make a good first impression” said Oscar Wilde. THE’importance of a first date it is indisputable in both the personal and professional spheres.
There first impression in the business world, is essential to close a sale, sign a contract or secure the trust of that customer.
The first meeting with a client is one of the moments most anticipated but also most feared by entrepreneurs, professionals and sellers.
How to introduce yourself to a new client? This is the question that obsesses us, sometimes making us doubt our preparation or our personal and professional qualities.
That’s why today I want to focus in depth on this aspect of the business world to show you how pleasant it can be a first business meeting if you know how to introduce yourself to the client.
After reading this article I can assure you that you will know how to handle customers perfectly. Meetings and appointments will no longer create anxiety but you will only see them for what they are, themeeting with another personor more people, which can potentially bring a great benefit to your company.
Over the years I have faced many first appointments with clients and from my experience I have extrapolated the advice I am about to give you on how to introduce yourself to a client. Pay attention, I’m about to reveal a good part of mine success in sales.
Sell your sales appointment
An appointment with a client is a meeting that takes place between two individuals: you and your interlocutor, obviously. Both of you are probably a little nervous, have a strategy and prepare before the date.
Or at least, that’s what you need to do: prepare and get to know your client before the meeting.
Study to understand how they came to your company, if they have already gone elsewhere, if they have had negative experiences, if they are targeted and if you can satisfy their needs.
The more information you have about him or her, the more your chances of being able to connect and establish a relationship based on trust increase.
To find out all this you can contact your potential client via email and tell them what your meeting will be like what goals do you want to achieve with it. Furthermore, also ask the client what they want from your meeting, this mutual awareness will allow you to save time in case interests are not aligned at all.
Furthermore, if you know who you are in front of, you will know what they need, what you can offer them and how to communicate. These are all fundamental aspects to make the customer trust you and to make him feel that you have the right solution for him.
The preparatory phase is very important and you must make the most of it “warm up” the customerpreparing him for what will happen during the actual meeting.
Consider that some successful entrepreneurs, or sellers, establish the background of a sale on paper even before arriving at the actual negotiation with the customer.
How to contact a potential customer by email
If years ago it was enough to offer a coffee to a customer to get an appointment, today the world of sales has completely changed.
People are bombarded with billions of inputs every day and their time is scarce. That’s why you need to know how to introduce yourself to a new client to make sure you don’t fail.
How do contacts between seller and customer take place today? There are two main scenarios:
- The customer contacts you to obtain information about the company, product or service;
- You are the one contacting a potential customer offering him a business proposal.
What is the means by which initial contacts occur? Generally via email.
If you are the one who has to write a message to a potential customer, it is important not to make any mistakes, otherwise you will damage their trust forever.
How to write a perfect email
Many people get nervous when they have to write an email to a stranger, but now I’ll show you that it’s easier than you think. To write aeffective email you have to:
- Clarify the subject immediately: in the subject part, write a convincing sentence that arouses the recipient’s curiosity and induces him to open the email;
- Choose a tone that suits the recipient: your research on the target audience will help you in this fundamental step to empathize with the other person;
- Focus on the recipient: don’t immediately talk about the company you work for in the first line, but focus on who will read, for example “I have read some of his articles on communication strategies”;
- Explain the reason for your email: after writing the first sentence, the second could be “I thought he would be very interested in our service to increase leads, already chosen by companies like X, Y and Z”;
- Leave a tribute: remember that you took the initiative, so you must offer something of value first;
- Say thank you and include a CTA: don’t limit yourself to a simple thank you, but invite him to action (reply to the message, leave a comment, start a questionnaire, etc.);
- Follow up email: after the first email, let a few days pass and then send a second follow up to ensure that he doesn’t forget about you.
Knowing how to communicate with people is essential and can make the difference between success and failure. If you are interested in learning more about this topic, read the article on communication via email where you will find much more information, advice and ways of communicating.
Meanwhile we take a step forward and go to the actual meeting.
How to approach a new client and make an impression
If you want to impress your potential client you have to be prepared And know how to behave. Here you are 3 tips which I consider fundamentals to understand how to present yourself to a new customer.
1. Be prepared and punctual
Customers will only trust you if you show yourself to be an expert in your field and you can only do this if you are prepared about the company and the product or service.
If you are the one contacting the customer, you will have to provide him with all the information he needs to convince him to buy. On the contrary, when he asks you questions, you will have to be ready to answer.
Being prepared about your company is crucial, but you shouldn’t overlook one customer research. Find out what studies he has done, where he has worked, what his current job is, what his interests are and what reasons could be holding him back from making the decision.
This way you will demonstrate to your customer that you take your job seriously and that you are a caring person who can be relied on.
2. Pay attention to your attitude
Your attitude is crucial when you meet a client. All the sales techniques of the world will not be able to save you if you are not able to adopt the right behavior.
First of all you have to show yourself as a positive personeven if you were faced with the most reluctant customer you’ve ever met. Your positivity will be contagious and will make him change his attitude immediately too.
Show yourself relaxedbut also concentrated on what your interlocutor tells you.
It’s not just the words you choose to use that reveal your mood, but also the non-verbal communication which happens through body language.
Speak to your interlocutor clearly and make him understand that you are completely oriented towards his success and satisfaction.
3. Aim for your goal
The goal is the result you want to achieve, do you agree with me? You can’t expect to close a deal if you don’t know what your end goal is.
Every time you prepare for a meeting with a client you must always have in mind the objective you want to achieve. Knowing what result you want to bring home also allows you to evaluate the different alternatives that you can come to terms with.
Remember that for a negotiation to be profitable, it must lead benefit both you and your customer.
Your goal can be to get the customer to buy a product or service, but also to have them try the free trial or convince them to make a second appointment. The customer must feel induced to “try” what you are proposingwhatever it is.
Conclusion
With practice I can assure you that you will be able to find yours personal method to introduce yourself to a new client.
Remember that the your state of mind and the way you approach the customer for the first time will largely determine the final outcome of the negotiation.
But if you keep in mind the objective you want to achieve, you show yourself open towards the customer and available to find a solution that satisfies both, nothing will stop you from make some wonderful sales.