We’re all busy. We’re completing one to-do just so we can move onto the next and rarely find the time to sit back and appreciate our lives. Add email, texting and social media and you may find yourself going days without actually speaking to a person. Hopefully that person isn’t your significant other…
Now translate that to the business world. There are so many tools we use that create quicker communication that sometimes we fail to connect personally with our clients or team members. That presents a problem. You see regardless of how efficient tech can allow us to become, there is still nothing quite like a face-to-face meeting with a client. Personally, I love traveling to meet a client because it gives me the opportunity to accomplish things that I just can’t via email, text or over the phone.
Let’s examine a few of the benefits and reasons we should all jump at the next opportunity to go see our clients.
Relationship Building
- I always see a client meeting as a great opportunity to develop a rapport with your client contacts. It doesn’t matter how great you are over the phone or how expertly crafted your emails are, people still want to work with those they enjoy being around. I like to use the layover test and believe many clients do the same. Do you want to sit next to someone during a three-hour layover that can speak endlessly about business tactics or someone that you can have a beer with? Be yourself, use humor and know your stuff and you’ll find yourself thriving during your next face-to-face client interaction.
Valuable Experience
- Being great with people is a lost art. Participating in a face-to-face client meeting allows you the opportunity to experience what it’s like to sell your idea and handle feedback and challenges on the spot. You’re also given the opportunity to develop certain emotions out of your clients. Your demeanor and attitude will influence others in the room, which will lead to better interaction, collaboration and information retention. This is something that can’t be accomplished in a virtual environment and these interactions provide valuable experience that will help you throughout your career.
Nonverbal Benefits
- We all know what it’s like to hear nothing but silence as we’re rattling through our ideas over a conference call. You can’t see your client and truly have no idea how they are responding to what you’re saying. That won’t happen during a face-to-face interaction. Without the opportunity to read someone’s nonverbal communication, we can’t possibly know how to adjust on the spot and will miss crucial elements to conversations. Nodding from a client gives us the confidence to continue with our train-of-thought. A look of confusion may lead us to speak slower or develop a new direction. None of this can be accomplished virtually.
Now that we’ve established why you should visit your clients, here are a few tips for the next time you take that trip:
Dress Appropriately
- This doesn’t mean wear a suit and tie if you’re a man or a blouse if you’re a woman. That’s not what this is about. It all depends on the environment you’re entering. Just dress right for the occasion. If your client wears a suit, then you should too. If your client wears jeans, then that’s cool. A first impression is everything and even if you’ve met the client before, it’s imperative to look the part. In addition, looking good develops confidence, which will help ease any nervous feelings.
Prepare
- Preparation leads to success. That statement holds true in any business. Ensure you’ve spent the proper amount of time pulling together the materials, speaking points and deliverables needed. Practice your approach, but don’t rehearse to the point where it sounds like you’re a recording. You want to come across natural, but it’s essential to have everything organized and ready to go.
Speak-up
- If you’re in the meeting, then you should be an active participant. Your title doesn’t matter. Everyone needs to have a role. Don’t be afraid to speak and don’t be nervous to receive a response. Clients are going to disagree sometimes and will challenge ideas and decisions – there’s nothing wrong with that. Preparing appropriately will increase your confidence to respond appropriately and handle any situation thrown your way.
To wrap, I am a firm believer that face-to-face client meetings are imperative to building a successful working relationship. You’ve entered into a partnership and what good is any partnership if you haven’t spent time together? So, the next time you have the opportunity to go see your client, do it. You’ll be glad you did.
