Approaching Clients and Partners [Meetings 101]

I have talked extensively on marketing yourself and your business, but getting a meeting takes a special touch. If you just want someone to walk in your store, make a purchase, and leave; you send them a direct mail piece or do some PPC advertising. If you want them to be a lifelong client though, you approach them as a person.

There are two things that I do to get someone’s attention. I ask for an introduction or I introduce myself. Notice, neither of those two ways are hands off.

Asking for an introduction

I know a lot of people. Those people know a lot of people. Based on my prospecting, I have a pretty good idea of who I want to target for business. But there is one thing missing – the personal touch.

Often, I will go to the connector (the person standing between me and the person I want to meet), and ask him/her for an introduction. It can be done through email, telephone, or face to face. The reason this is so crucial is that the connector has already built a trust with the potential client. They already have a reputation. So, by default, I must be a good guy or else I wouldn’t have been afforded the introduction. See where I am going?

These person to person introductions are where 80% of my business (and my money) comes from. Without personal introductions I would be lost. The key is to ask for them! Tell your friend you want to meet so-and-so. See if they can arrange a lunch or a hook-up at an event. Before you know it, you will be closing deals.

Making the introduction myself

This is quite a bit harder than it sounds. Going back to your college days, try to think about what it was like to be single and at a bar. There are all these people who you would love to meet, but it’s so hard to get in front of all of them. Eventually, you just gave up and went home alone!

What if you picked out one girl (or guy) and made them the center of your world for that evening. You tried to strategically position yourself at the bar when they needed their next drink or you watched them to see if they talked to anyone you knew. At all costs, you were just looking for an opening.

Business is the same way. Why go to a conference trying to get face time with 15 people? It’s impossible. But pick out 2 or 3 prospects, do your research on them, and your odds are suddenly much better at landing a meaningful conversation.

The Follow-up

People don’t do follow-ups’ justice. The follow up is the thing that distinguishes you from everyone else. Only about 10% of people take the time to follow up with a new contact, and it’s often these 10% who land new jobs.

In fact, the follow-up is so important that I am going to devote a whole entry to it. Believe me, following up on new leads is your CRITICAL failure point in all business interaction.

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