When a potential client walks into the office of an entrepreneur whose services they are considering, they often feel apprehensive about facing a more or less aggressive sale. I have found that not meeting their expectations in this regard is a much better approach. Instead, I suggest going through a process that will make the new client feel excited about having qualified to work with you.
 
At Pareto we call this the FIT-process. When you meet a prospect for the first time, the sole purpose of the meeting should be to determine if you and the client are a good match, and if you will be able to build a long-term relationship based on trust.

Go over your information, ie how your practice works, and then set up a time to speak two days later. The 48 hours allow both you and the client to make the right decision, and not rush into something. This process clearly impresses the prospect, who doesn’t feel a push to “buy”, and it also communicates the message that you’re not desperate, and that working with you is a privilege.

David Miller

This entry was posted on Friday, June 6th, 2008 at 12:31 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.