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Marc’s monthly marketing tips: successful first meetings

Mar. 15, 2013 — It's been said that every person you meet can be a potential client. The problem is that many business people take this concept literally and dive right in with their sales pitch, often resulting in short conversations and lost opportunities.

Here are five tips to help you get the most out of that first face to face introduction:

• Don't
  talk business – unless they want to. Let the other person guide the
  conversation. Talking about food or sports could lead to a very
  productive conversation.
• Take a genuine interest in them. Learn about them and their business. Think of this as the purest form of market research.
• Don't
  waste your time – or theirs. You're not going to connect with everyone
  you meet. If that chemistry isn't there, politely end the conversation
  and move on.
• Play match maker. Referring contacts and resources
  makes you a person worth knowing. And your thoughtfulness will come back
  to you many times over.
• Follow up. Propose a phone call or
  meeting to continue the conversation. Ask if they're on LinkedIn. Be
  sure to send an email letting them know you appreciated their time. Keep
  it personal and light. The business part will take care of itself.

Marc Gordon is a professional speaker and marketing consultant. Get more marketing tips on his website, www.marcgordon.ca and on his online show, www.marctv.net.