You work with clients for business. You offer services, in my case instructional design or training services. The problem is that you need help creating “good” or “long-lasting” client relationships with a new client. Whether you are in charge of the project or part of a team, this post is designed to give you five things you should do when you start a client meeting.
“People will forget what you said. They will forget what you did. But they will never forget how you made them feel.”
Maya Angelou
Five Things You Should Do in Your First (and Every Other) Client Meeting
For those of you out there trying to make it as a freelancer, work for an agency, or even if you work with multiple clients at a W2 job, this post is for you. Below, you will find 5 things you should do at every client meeting. If you regularly practice these customer service skills, you will build client relationships that go beyond a single project. Before you know it, you will have the opportunity to work with cool people who actually pay you to do good work.
Be Polite-Authentic-Happy
As the great Maya Angelou said above, “…they will never forget how you made them feel.” Client meetings, at their core, are relationship starters. All good relationships (the healthy ones) rely upon open communication where both the sender and receiver follow unwritten rules of good communication. Since they are unwritten, I’m here to write them down for you. If some are missing, message me so I can update the list. We are better together.
Unwritten Rules of Good Communication (Polite-Authentic-Happy)
POLITE
- Smile
- Greet everyone by their name
- Kindly ask how about their day, weekend, or their family if they shared about them
- Say please and thank you
- After you explain something, ask clarifying questions to check for understanding
- Avoid politics, religion, and pandemics in small talk
AUTHENTIC
- Show interest in them as a person
- Ask where they are from, if they have siblings, what they like to do for recreation, what kind of food they like, or comment on something you may notice in their background (Zoom calls).
- Share a story about something you like that reveals something about you.
- Show them you care – avoid telling them
- Be consistent and reliable in your character
HAPPY
- No matter what – the show must go on
- 3 deep breaths biophysically will change your state of mind.
- Smile as you talk
- Think happy thoughts
- Envision the client happy with your final product – do what it takes to get there
- Offer compliments
- Acknowledge when something’s not right AND then demonstrate optimism it will work out because you will make it so
If you spend the time working on PAH (Polite-Authentic-Happy) you will have a client meeting that leads to strong client relationships. I’d argue you’ll have better personal relationships, but this is about clients so I’m going to keep it professional. Let’s give an example. When it comes to my blog posts, I write as if you are my only reader. I only care about what you think! Every time I write to you I do so with a smile. I believe in what I write for you and ALL the time, I am happy to write for you!
Know Your Craft
All client meetings are better when people are prepared and knowledgeable. Have your materials ready to present. If you are an instructional designer, you should know the content and principles of ID very well and be prepared to ask questions. If you are project managing, then you have an agenda, a project timeline, mastery knowledge of the scope and statement of work, a list of action items, and a method for tracking progress. As an instructional designer, then your knowledge of ADDIE or SAM should be plainly on display without ever mentioning the names of the models. Avoid instructional design jargon, speak in plain terms that describe tasks that need to be completed. Next, you need to know your client’s craft.
Know Your Client’s Craft
When you show up for meetings, you should know the name, work background, and company bio information about everyone in the room (virtual or in-person). Spend time researching on their company website and Linkedin. If you know the person a bit, you can bond with the person by asking questions like, “I see you went to Ohio State, O-H.” By taking the initiative to research your clients you are sending the message that you care about them and want to establish a relationship that is stronger than just getting tasks done.
You can further a client relationship by finding common ground. I love food and most people eat. So, I try to find some type of cuisine or dish that we can bond over. I once connected with a client over food so well that when we were on a sales call together they took my team out for a gourmet meal! This is exactly why you should know your client’s craft. Yes, the meal was great, but during that meal, I learned why the project had stumbled a bit and figured out how to make things even better!
Once you have established your personality, shown your knowledge of the craft, and shared a bond based on your client’s craft, it’s time to dazzle with organization skills.
Demonstrate Organization Skills
Now it’s time to show off why you are great at your job as you instill confidence during your client meeting. Work relationships are all about GSD (Getting Stuff Done). Be they objectives or goals, all client relationships are focused on accomplishing tasks. The best way to show your client that they are in good hands is by demonstrating excellent organizational skills. Here’s a shortlist of Org-Skills:
- Keep your workspace clean (video background on Zoom)
- Begin with the end goal in mind
- Use a project management tool
- Use action items or to-do lists
- Send recap, pre-meeting, and follow up emails
- Celebrate accomplishments
Treat Them Like They are Your Only Client
This is a bit of wordplay. If you are a freelancer or an agency like me, then you have multiple clients. People who hire you to do part-time or contract work know that you have other commitments. But everyone likes to feel special. No one likes to hear that you are busy with other “clients.” Keep that to yourself. Instead, focus your attention on the client right in front of you at all times. Make the connection stronger by only talking about their needs and deadlines.
You should also avoid saying things like: I should be able to get it done by then. My son has practice, but I can squeeze it in.”
Even if you are busy and don’t know how you’ll squeeze it in, you should say, “No problem, it will be ready by the deadline.” Then, you need to honor that commitment and deliver.
If you are unable to meet deadlines without complaining about your other clients or personal commitments you should leave the small business, agency, and freelancing work behind and go back to a W2 job.
Summary
If you are managing multiple clients and you need to upskill your abilities to strengthen your client meetings, then you need to internalize the five things in this post. To create “good” or “long-lasting” client relationships with a new client you need to be polite, authentic, and happy in all of your interactions. Demonstrate that you know how to do your job by being prepared for every interaction. Deepen the client relationship by learning about them before and during your interactions so that you show them you genuinely care about them as a person. Next, organize all of your interactions so that tasks follow a linear path to completion. Finally, treat every client like they’re the only client in the world (Think Rhianna).
Helpful Links
Why Hire an Instructional Designer? – VIDEO
Types of Freelance Clients by ID Lance
How to Use Vimeo Review to Improve Your Learning Video
How do you know when you’ve learned something? – VIDEO
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