3 tips for hosting better client meetings today

When Vivienne Brownrigg, co-founder of The Gap, joined Connect4’s Andrew Jordon in an ‘It’s good to talk with clients’ series episode she shared three top tips for any client meeting.

Take these tips into your next meeting and experience the impact of The Gap’s pre-meeting magic.

1. Structure your meetings

How many meetings have you attended where there was no organisation before a meeting? Rather than walking into or logging in for a meeting that is only a title, it’s important to structure your meeting.

What does that include? Viv says ”You need to think about the meeting’s organisation. From the agenda to how the meeting will be structured. Since we are meeting less in person these days, it’s even more important that we have structure.”

2. Don’t be afraid to set your clients ‘pre-meeting work’

Ask your clients questions before the meeting as part of your pre-meeting work when preparing the structure to ensure people prepare and think in advance.

“Getting people to read reports before they come to a meeting is very important.” Viv shares “Just ask them three questions about the reports. And, have them feed that back to you before the meeting.”

3. Don’t sell yourself short because of a lack of structure

Business owners know that first and ongoing impressions matter. Take your client’s time seriously by having an agenda or formula that will help them make informed decisions and ultimately reach their goals.

Without preparation, Viv says, you can get stuck. “When a problem gets pointed out by a client in a meeting, our natural tendency is to give an immediate answer. How do we think we can give an answer in 5 mins flat.” Either come back with an answer at a later date (by setting an action) or if you have done your homework give an informed opinion.

Want to learn more from our conversation with Viv? Visit the full episode of It’s Good to Talk with Clients here.

To see how you could use these tips in Connect4, arrange a demo with our team.