How to prepare to talk with a potential client

Great news – you’ve secured a conversation with a potential new client. It’s an opportunity for you to better understand the client project, your role in supporting them, as well as if it’s a good fit for both parties. 

But what’s the best way to structure the meeting to showcase your expertise? After supporting and hosting calls and meetings with a range of consultants, we’ve put together the below formula that will help you cover all bases. 

Know your client

Before you even join the meeting, make sure you get to know both the client and their business. Read up on the person you’re due to meet and try to find out a little bit about their background and interests. Of course, it always helps to do some research into the current situation in the business too. Doing so will provide you with some much-needed context as to why they are hiring for this particular role, and how you can help to support them in the next phase of their growth.

Understand the client needs

Start the conversation off by discussing the client business and the current project that they’re looking for support on. This will help to give you more context around the role you’re applying for, and tailor the narrative around how you can work with them towards solving their challenges.

Explain your background

This is your chance to breathe life into your CV. Rather than simply listing off your past roles, try to pull out the successful projects and highlights that are most relevant to this project. It’s all about showing the client that you have the experience needed to be able to do the job.

Explore the project specifics

Make sure you come into this part of the conversation with some questions for the client to gain clarity. Sample questions might include: What’s your end goal for this project? How will success be measured? What have you tried in the past that worked / didn’t work? How would you like to communicate and work together on the day-to-day?

Outline your plan

Tailored to the clients answers, talk about how you would tackle the project. It’s an opportunity to show the client that you can take ownership and give them the level of visibility or involvement that they are looking for.

Wrap up

At this point, the client will likely outline the next steps. Thank them for their time and let them know you’re available if they need anything else before making a decision.

Remember that the Dweet team will be by your side throughout the hiring process. If you have any specific questions about the client or role, or would just like a little 1:1 coaching before you speak to the potential client, we’re here for you. Reach out to us via Dweet Chat and we can answer your questions or jump on a quick call together.