When you are meeting a new prospect or new client, there are many places you could meet them for the first time, but the best place, of course, is where they are the most comfortable, their own home. Meeting at their home makes the client feel safe, and it also gives them the upper hand in a conversation. It’s a great way to make your client feel like they are in control, but don’t let that make you think you cant win them over.
When meeting at their home for the first time, you need to have already done some research on them. Here are five tips that will help you build rapport with your new client as quickly as possible. Every meeting with a new client or prospect is establishing rapport, and if you know a little about them, you can grow it much quicker than if you were cold call meeting with a stranger.
Do Your Research
Check out their social media accounts if they are visible. Knowing as much as you can about their life will certainly help you to get to know them, and it will tell them that you have taken the time to make an effort. Don’t go overboard; however, if their social accounts are private, they might like to keep it that way.
Know Enough About Them But Not Too Much
Even if you can access their entire life history, it can come across as intimidating if you start rattling off pet names or letting on that you know more than they are going to be comfortable with. If you can find details about who they work for, or what industry they are in, find out some information about what they do, so if they ask questions, they can see you know at least something. Look for photos of their family and merely note that you know they have children. Knowing their names and how old they are is too much information and will make them feel uncomfortable. Know the lines of information that shouldn’t be crossed.
Listen To Them
The idea of meeting a prospect with the hope they become your newest client is listening to what they really want. There is a preconceived idea that we should go to a meeting like this and already know everything, but that is not precisely true. Being knowledgeable is excellent, but if you aren’t going to listen to what they hope to get from the meeting, you shouldn’t be there. Listening to what they say will be the decider on whether you can help them find what they are looking for.
Don’t Be Intimidated By Meeting Them At Their Place
It can be intimidating to meet in unfamiliar territory. However, they are there in the meeting with you for a reason. However, as long as you remember that you are meeting at their house, to make them feel more comfortable, then the results should be positive. They are probably just as intimidated as you are.
Keep The Meeting Brief And Straight To The Point
Unless your rapport builds very quickly, and you can feel a good connection, you should try and keep the meeting informative, straight to the point and as brief as possible. That’s not to say if you are building great rapport that you should end the meeting prematurely. You know people and how to read them. Let them make the calls, and everything will fall into place.