Making the Most of Prime Time – Client Meetings
By Martin R. Baird

In the sports world, client meetings would be referred to as “prime time.” This is the best time there is and it’s when you need to be at your best. When you have a face-to-face meeting with your clients, you need to make the most of it.
 
Star basketball players want the ball in the final seconds of the game. Football players can’t wait to showcase their talents on national television. Tiger Woods looks forward to competing in a tight field at the end of a tournament because he knows it will force him to play his best. When you have a meeting with a client, it is time to be at the top of your game.
 
If a client has invested the time to meet with you, you want to do more than just have them sign papers. You need to use this time as a chance to learn more about them and how you can better serve their needs. It may not be a long meeting, but you want to make it beneficial to you and your client.
Have a game plan for your meeting. What are you going to learn about your client? What are you going to learn about their needs? What new, beneficial information do you need to share with them? What are the questions you need to ask so you can be of more assistance to them?
 
People often say that practice makes perfect. A friend of mine says that’s false, that only perfect practice makes perfect. The time to practice is not when you’re face to face with your client. You need to be prepared and ready for the meeting.
 
Unfortunately, some people look at client meetings as an interruption in their busy day. Clients are never an interruption; they are your reason for being. Meetings are your opportunity to help your clients, and they are too important to be left to chance.
 
As I said earlier, when you go into a meeting, you should have a written plan that you use to gain information and to make sure you share important information with your clients. I know some of you are thinking you can’t use notes in a meeting. I’m a professional, and I don’t use notes.
 
But many highly paid professional TV journalists use notes. The president of the United States uses notes when he speaks even though he has a teleprompter. It’s not because they don’t know what they’re talking about, it’s so they can easily cover the important points. It’s maddening to me when I have a meeting with someone and an hour after it’s over, they call to ask me one more question. They should have asked it when they had my undivided attention. In my opinion, this person was not prepared.
 
During your client meeting, be sure to ask questions that relate to change. You should always be looking for change because that’s a sign of opportunities for you. It’s also an opportunity for you to help clients make educated decisions that will be of benefit to them.
 
Questions are important to know before the meeting, but you also need to know what your client expects from the meeting. If you don’t know what they want before the meeting starts, you can be on a crash course for a problem. You need to know what they want so you can be prepared.
 
You also need to educate them about your desired outcomes. By setting the expectations up front, it’s easier for both of you to succeed. It’s amazing how much more can be accomplished in a shorter period of time if all the parties involved know what to expect.
 
Speaking of time, investing a few minutes to plan and prepare for your meeting can often drastically reduce the duration of the session. That’s a good thing for both you and your client. Between speaking, writing and working with clients, I don’t have as much time for meetings as I use to. When vendors ask to meet with us, they better have a good reason and they better make it worth my time. Your clients have the same point of view. By preparing for your meetings, you may even find that you get more referrals. Clients like to refer people who make good use of their time.
 
You want your clients to see you as a prime-time player, the one who performs when the pressure is on. Reduce your meeting pressure by being prepared and having a plan.
 
Martin R. Baird is chief executive officer of Robinson & Associates, Inc., a consulting company that helps financial professionals measure and manage the quality of client service and improvements to their internal operations to enhance business performance and increase revenues. He is a highly regarded speaker in the areas of marketing and client retention and development. Baird is author of “The 7 Deadly Sins of Advisor Marketing,” a book that offers easy-to-implement marketing ideas for financial professionals. He may be reached at 206-774-8856 or mbaird@raresults.com.