Those of us who started the year afresh with a new business development plan may be getting into the swing of things with breakfast, lunch, or dinner meetings. We have determined the best contacts who have the highest probability of sending us clients, researched target clients, made our lists, and have a plan for effective introductory meetings and follow ups. We have hopefully made a few calls and set up a few meetings.
People refer business to those they like and trust, and both are equally important. Someone may believe we are the best at what we do, but if they don’t really like us, they are not going to refer business to us. Similarly, someone may think we are exceptionally kind, funny, and compassionate, but may not be assured we can accomplish a client’s goal, in which case they will be hesitant to refer business to us. So, how do we begin to inspire trust and confidence in the first meeting?
Before the meeting, spend some time…
