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Your first meeting with a prospective client can set the entire tone for your relationship. Here are some guidelines to ensure that your relationship has a positive start:
- When meeting the client at her home, knock on the front door instead of ringing (just in case someone's sleeping) and take your shoes off at the front door.
- Shake hands and introduce yourself first. A firm, friendly handshake is best.
- Maintain eye contact without getting into a staring match.
- Pay attention to seating arrangements. If you're meeting a couple at their home or apartment, try to move them to the kitchen table. The living room is for company; the kitchen is where friends and family typically feel most comfortable. If you're meeting in a public place, try to arrange it so that your back is facing a wall so that you receive the full and undivided attention of your clients.
- If the client offers you a non-alcoholic drink, accept it or ask for water.
- Some small talk can break the ice and establish you in the eyes of your client as not only a salesperson but a human being, but don't force it, and always avoid discussing sex, politics, religion, or schools.
- Smile!
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