Make a Great First Impression with a New Agency Client

Successfully closing a deal with a client depends on how comfortable they feel with your agency. And it all starts with your first meeting with the client, where you get to lay the groundwork for a strong working relationship.

We all know that making a great first impression is the best way to start connecting with the client. But, according to research, you may only have 100 milliseconds to make a good first impression. What can you possibly to impress someone in 1/10 of a second?

Well, you can start by not worrying about those numbers. As long as you go to the meeting fully prepared and with a clear outline, you won’t have to worry about anything.

You can start preparing by following these simple tips.

Research Their Company Or Project Before The Meeting

Knowing who you’re dealing with should be your first priority.

You may be the best in the business, but be humble enough to know that just appearing at the meeting won’t get you a deal with the client. You need to impress them by showing off how much you know about the client and why they should choose you over your competition.

Can you imagine how disappointed your client will be when you can’t answer the simple questions they ask from you regarding their industry or when you don’t know how to personalize the project to meet the client’s demands?

Do the necessary research to understand who your client is, know about their industry, where their company is headed, what type of projects they did in the past, and learn what worked or fail. This will give you that edge you need to dominate a client meeting.

Over-Prepare For Your First Meeting

Of course, we don’t have to tell you how to prepare for a meeting or what you should dress to appear more presentable. But, you should worry about this simple thing called “under-preparing,” which a lot of companies have fallen victim to.

Usually, it’s the simple mishaps, like forgetting to bring your cue cards, taking forever to boot your computer, slow-loading websites, that actually give your clients a bad impression of you. A well-prepared agency doesn’t run into problems like that.

It certainly wouldn’t hurt for you to go to the meeting over-prepared. Rehearse your speech, practice your handshake, pre-load your presentations and websites before entering the meeting, and double check for everything.

Have A Clear Action Plan Ready For Their Project

Show your clients that you know what you’re doing by developing a crystal clear action plan, backed by stats, research, and projected results.

A great way to win a client is to be very specific and clear about the methods and strategies you use to deliver a project. That way, the client will not only know what to expect from your agency, but they will also be able to be rid of any doubts they have. It’s all about making the client feel confident with your agency.

Set clear goals and take your client through your plan for the project step by step. Don’t just tell them about your vision for the project, show it to them by explaining how you’re going to take action.

Prepare Examples Of Similar Projects From Previous Clients

No amount of research or action plans can be compared to the power of a killer portfolio. So, even if you don’t find the time to prepare a great sales pitch, make sure you have a great portfolio to knock your clients off their chairs.

Do you think Flatstudio design agency from Portugal need to convince their clients of their capabilities when they have Google in their client portfolio? Of course not.

Just a little bit of bragging is perfectly fine when you’re trying to impress a client. But, you also need to make sure that your client understands about your abilities. A portfolio full of examples from previous projects is the best way to do that.

Have A List Of Thoughtful Questions Ready To Go

In order to better understand your clients, you need to ask questions. However, you should also be careful to only ask the right questions.

You will come across more than a few questions when you’re researching for the meeting. Write down some of those questions and come up with more thoughtful questions to ask from your clients during the meeting.

Remember, a meeting is not just about impressing the client. It’s also about making the right deal that benefits your agency. So ask questions and don’t be afraid to debate. It’s a great sign of integrity.

“It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settling a question without debating it.” – Joseph Joubert

Be Prepared To Be Flexible

Everyone looks for a bargain when trying to make a deal. Even the biggest corporate giants try to haggle their way to saving money most of the time.

Occasionally, you’ll even have to deal with counter proposals, new ideas, additional requests, and new budget plans. Negotiating this type of situations won’t be too difficult if you enter the meeting with a flexible way of thinking.

Sometimes, you’ll have to break few rules, explore new ideas, try never before seen strategies. But, taking that type of risks is also necessary.

A good strategy would be to have a specific target outcome before you enter the client meeting. That way, you can spend less time going back and forth and avoid ending up with a disappointing deal.

By being flexible and understanding of the client’s needs, you will certainly send a strong message to your clients about the adaptability and the open-mindedness of your agency.

Keep in mind that preparing for the meeting is only the first step in making a great first impression. The way you dress, the way you walk, the way you pose, the way you talk, all play important roles in influencing your clients of the strength of your agency.

As Will Rogers once said, “you never get a second chance to make a first impression.” So make the first time count.