When meeting with a client early in the relationship, it’s a good idea to ask a lot of questions and learn as much as you can about the client. Not only will it give you an initial perspective on how they might be to work with, but it can help you get off on the right foot with the client. Failure to take this step can lead to some major foot-in-mouth moments – like when you make statements about things that your client doesn’t agree with.
Once I met with three principals from a large company. Before taking the time to get to know them, I ranted about my dislike for large SUVs – their terrible gas mileage, how their size doesn’t allow smaller cars adequate visibility, how many drivers tend to drive their SUVs like they’re driving a coupe, etc. Imagine my surprise when we left the building and all three of these principals got into matching huge SUVs! To their credit, they never mentioned it, but I certainly felt embarrassed.
Another time I met with a very wealthy developer. He frequently donned expensive custom suits and was strong and articulate with his positions on different issues. In short, he seemed to me to be a very “presidential” type of guy. So one day I asked him if he had ever considered running for office. I intended it as a compliment, but he looked at me like I had just accused him of being a murderer. I later discovered from some of his colleagues that he has a deep dislike for all politicians and the political process in general. Chalk another blunder up to not taking the time to get to know the client.
I don’t have a script, but I do have a set of common questions that I keep in mind that help me to learn about and connect with my client. Asking about how their business is going can be a good one – as long as the economy is doing well! Another one that usually goes over well is asking about their kids. Don’t just ask questions – be observant. If I had bothered to pay attention as my clients arrived for our meeting, I might have noticed their cars and kept my mouth shut. With a little subtle observation, you can hopefully learn from my mistakes and avoid these kinds of embarrassing situations in the future!
Have a great weekend,
Ro