Introduction
Getting and maintaining clients is challenging and more often than not, involves having the necessary skills. In today’s business world where competition is rife, it is important to be able to retain clients for a business to stay afloat. In the present case where a new manager, Fatema, poses the threat of loss of business, it requires a lot of skills and professionalism to convince her to continue doing business with my company. This paper explores the best strategies for winning over an individual who in this case is Fatema, the new manager, to a business deal when they have other options.
Winning a Client Over
To start with, preparations need to be done before the actual meeting with Fatema. One should research on the strong points of their own company and plan just how they are going to put these across to the new manager. It also helps to have some information about the person you are meeting. This helps in analyzing their personality and hence knowing how to deal with them in the best way possible. Anticipating certain possible scenarios helps in making one prepared to handle them well.
On the material day, one should dress impressively because appearances tell a lot about people and many people dismiss others based on how they present themselves without actually listening to them. In addition, body language and talk should be in tandem with the occasion. When visiting Fatema’s office, one should walk into the office with a smile; greet Fatema with a firm hand while looking straight at her and address her by her name.
This shows confidence and undivided attention to the person being addressed (Gallo, 2011). However, care should be taken not to overdo things. For instance, too firm a handshake can send the wrong signals, same as staring at her instead of just maintaining eye contact.
It is usually important to start with some small talk before embarking on the agenda of the day. One may for instance, compliment the new manager, Fatema, for being appointed and ask her how things are at her new place of work. While doing this, genuine interest should be shown so as not to appear artificial. Nevertheless, while all this is important, care should be taken and get down to business in the soonest time possible to avoid wasting the other person’s time or interfere with their schedule.
The talk with the new manager should extol the good relationship that the two companies have had over time and how good it would be if the relationship was sustained and developed to new levels. Dwell on the advantages of working together without appearing too desperate to maintain it. This should be able to convince the new manager to have a good opinion of the company and continue to uphold the relationship.
In addition, conversing with a strong voice and having a proper body language will earn many marks with the new manager (Wuorio, 2011). For example, sitting upright or leaning forward a bit shows that you are paying attention to what she is saying. Most importantly, it is advisable not to take over the meeting completely but to practice the art of listening.
Use of open-ended questions helps in getting adequate information from the person one is conversing with, as they do not limit answers to short no and yes responses. Again, probing is important in engaging the person one is talking with. Probing can take many forms, which include pausing while talking to give the other person time to ask a question or have time to ponder what you just said. Nodding shows that you are listening and is good for creating an impression of a focused person.
Towards the end of the meeting, one should be able to ask the new manager what the prospects are as regards their business relationship. This can be tactfully wrapped in such questions as when the next delivery should be if the business involves supply of certain goods or services. However, care should be taken not to appear desperate or imposing on the client as this may push them away.
In addition to that, one should not hesitate to ask what the new manager thinks of their company compared to the other competitors. This can be done in an indirect way, like inquiring whether the new manager has dealt with or knows other companies offering services similar to theirs. If there are extra services that can be given like discounts or special treatment, then they can be strong selling points to convince the new manager to stick with the company.
Concisely, dealing with clients needs tactics that impress both at professional and at the personal level. Appearance, body language and packaging of information in the right manner really assist in winning the trust and confidence of clients. Acting confident yet humble and having enough information about the products one is offering coupled with some knowledge of competitors’ products aids a lot in convincing clients that you offer the best.
References
Gallo, C. (2011, November 20). Five ways to win over customers.
Wuorio, J. (2011, November 20). Five ways to win over a dream client.