First words: What do you say to a prospective client?

FIRST WORDS

Nicola Brittain
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For the second time in your life, your first words will mean an awful lot to somebody, except this time it could secure you new business. But it isn't only about words…

You’ve got an hour. The usual length of that first - often free – meeting, and in it you must convince potential clients that you can be trusted. First impressions count, so where do you start? According to Brett Davidson, consultant at FP Advance, the one thing you must never do is introduce the word ‘trust’ into the conversation. “Never, never tell clients how honest you are, you’ll scare them and sound like a second-hand car dealer,” he says.  A second thing you must avoid, Davidson says, is talking too much. James Harvey, managing director of James Harvey Associates, agrees. “A...

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