When running a business, it is likely that you are constantly looking for ways to take your business to a new level. You may be trying to come up with a master plan for your marketing department, working on a new product, or on the hunt for prospective clients. If you happen to be doing the latter, you’ll know that this can be a difficult task sometimes. When you finally do come in touch with a prospective client, you’re often left thinking about ways to impress them and close the deal. Although there are a variety of ways to do this, you will find five specific things you can try in this article.
Know Your Stuff
One of the easiest ways to impress a prospective client is by being knowledgeable about all things about your business. Often, before a prospective client considers using your services, they’ll want to be sure that you know what you’re doing and are capable of getting the job done. It is, therefore, your responsibility to go out of your way to show them that you know your stuff. You can do this by being confident, sharing relevant knowledge, as well as adding value to your conversation without seeming like a know it all. It’s vital that potential customers see you as an expert in your particular niche. If you need tips on how to become an expert in your field, you can do this by writing articles for news sites and professional publications, engaging in public speaking at events relevant to your field, and getting interviewed on TV, radio, and podcasts. By doing this, you’re likely to gain more popularity, and the positive response should show prospective clients the sort of authority that you have in your field. You could also think about writing a book which is informative and shows your knowledge as an additional way of showing that you know your stuff.
Come Up With a Good Presentation
When meeting with a prospective client, it is likely that you’ll need to carry out a pitch or presentation of some sort. Your delivery of such could be a huge determining factor in whether they use your services or not, so getting it right is imperative. Before composing a presentation, you should make a note of what the client is like and what type of presentation they may be expecting. If, for instance, they are someone who likes to get straight to the point, an hour-long conversation may not exactly be ideal. On the contrary, they may be someone who likes listening to in-depth explanations, and on such premises, an hour-long presentation might be perfect. When composing your presentation, you should take a few things into consideration such as getting to the point, talking about the prospective client before you talk about yourself, taking into account principles of persuasion, and planning the order of the presentation or discussion. Another tip when presenting is to include any relevant supporting materials you need such as company statistics, sales history, and anything else that they may find impressive but relevant.
Offer Corporate Gifts
Making an impression on prospective clients requires you to do several things, and one of them may be offering corporate gifts. By presenting prospects with such items, you offer them a tangible part of your company that you can be remembered by. There are a range of branded items that you could think about giving them if you opt to use a company such as Dynamic Gift. Some of them include pens, fidget spinners, power banks, lanyards, drink bottles, wristbands, bags and metal products. When choosing an item, think about selecting one that relates to the prospective client or something you feel will be useful to them. You should ensure that your items are designed in a way that is memorable, your logo is clear, and the item is something they’ll likely frequently use so that they remember you any time that they look at it.
Communicate Effectively
The way you communicate with prospective clients will tell them a lot about who you are. Therefore, ensuring your communication skills are on point is key. Some ways to communicate with prospective customers or clients include building trust, asking them the right questions, and extracting key parts from their conversation. By doing these things, you should be able to make your prospective client comfortable, as well as get an indication of what exactly they’re looking for and how you can provide such services for them. You should also remember to actively listen, communicate on their level, use the right body language, and allow a free-flow of conversation. Ultimately, your prospective client should get a sense that you have their attention, know what they need, and have an idea of how you’re going to give it to them.
Research Their Business
Following on from the last point, it is difficult to meet a prospective client’s needs if you don’t have a clear idea of who they are. This is where researching them comes into play as it will give you an understating of who they are, what their business does, and also what others are saying about them. You should also research who their competitors are as this could give you a hint on what their weaknesses are as a business and how your organization can step in to help. Knowing everything there is to know about a prospective client can also make them feel both special and important as you’ve taken the time out to get to know who they are.
Making a lasting impression isn’t something that is easy to do. However, it is important that you do so successfully as it may be the only opportunity that you get. There are a variety of ways that you can make a good impression, but one of the best ways to do so may be by being yourself. When meeting a prospective client, try and be authentic as possible and embody all that your brand is and what it represents. By doing so, you may have a better shot at leaving a lasting impression as well as gaining a long-term client.
