Meeting with potential clients is a skill. Like any skill, it needs practice to perfect.
When you're meeting with a potential client, do you do most of the talking? You shouldn't. Your potential client should be doing most of the talking.
Having a hard time getting them to open up? Ask questions and ask the right questions. Let the client tell you the answers. Each answer will set you up for the next question(s).
Ask open-ended questions. Closed-ended questions are great for clarifying something, but they aren't great for getting a conversation going and getting information.
Listen. Listening is a crucial skill. A lot of business people aren't very good at it. Most of the best business people are very good at it. Shut up and listen.
Take notes. It's not rude, it's flattering. Clients will see that what they're telling you is important enough to you that you are writing it down. DON'T hide behind a laptop typing out your notes. This is rude, and puts up a barrier between you and your client. You lose eye contact, and you'll end up losing your client. Type your notes into your laptop AFTER the meeting is over and the client has left. Better yet, wait until you're back in the office.
Follow-up. Send a quick email saying how much you enjoyed meeting with them and would be more than happy to answer any further questions they might have. Dial it up a notch and send a personal hand-written note in the mail. You'll stand out.
Let your enthusiasm show. Your potential client should see your enthusiasm, positive attitude, and genuine love for your work. Learn to love meeting with potential clients. It will show, and your clients will see you as genuine. Your booking rates will soar.
Meeting with potential clients is not a chore. Like anything else that is worth doing, it's worth doing right. Practice, strive to better yourself at it, and enjoy it! If you can't, your business is going to show it.
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