Business is all about making a good first impression, but as digital marketing takes over and organizations are spending less time in person interacting with their potential clients, it’s easy to lose touch with that human element that’s so important for building lasting relationships.
Practice makes perfect, and when a sizable chunk of your interactions with clients are over Teams or Zoom, you may find that you struggle during in-person presentations and meetings, which is only natural. The important thing is that you want to get better; even if the majority of your work is conducted digitally, these sorts of situations are crucial for making an impact, and they can easily make or break securing someone’s custom.
In this short article, you’ll learn three tips for getting started with rebuilding your confidence in this area.
1. Relearn the Basics
Naturally, much of the skill involved in mastering in-person meetings comes from your ability to effectively communicate in a way conducive to good business, which necessitates a fine balance. You’ll need to be both personable and to the point, and it’s important to speak clearly and confidently while also knowing when to hang back and listen.
One of the best ways to practice is to record yourself speaking as if you were conducting a pitch, and then listen back for where you could improve. Another great method is to join a public speaking club – there are usually one or two available in most cities.
Above all else, this is something that comes with practice. It’s not about perfection – you simply need to recognize your mistakes, learn from them, and strive to do better next time.
2. Have Worthwhile Materials Ready to Go
A meeting should rarely consist solely of you talking. It’s always important to bring along relevant materials, both to inform the prospective client further and to use as talking points or anchors for the discussion.
It could be that you use a tablet containing key imagery or infographics, or you could go a step further with custom presentation folders. These allow you to present all the relevant information you need to convey in a stylish, cohesive manner, showcasing your brand image favourably and negating the need for loose bits of paper.
3. Follow Up Promptly
It’s also key to focus on what happens after the initial meeting. It’s important to follow up promptly to both remind the potential client and to reiterate your interest in working together.
This can be a simple, polite email or letter, expressing how much you enjoyed meeting with them and how to contact you for further details. You don’t want to overblow it – keep it concise and to the point.
Wrapping Up
You should now have a better idea of what to work on for that all-important first impression. The above sections don’t cover everything, but they’ll get you a good part of the way there. So long as you always remain eager to learn and genuinely care about doing a good job, you’ll get there. Good luck!
