Rahul Jain asked me to write an article on how to impress your clients via the comments on one of my articles Top 10 things You should not say to your Boss. Actually, I might not be the right person to write on this topic. The reason is simple. I don't try to impress my clients. As a matter of fact, most of my clients find me and call me. When that happens, they had already done their research on me. Thanks to the powerful C# Corner community and Microsoft MVP award.
So anyway, what I can do is, write on what I think you should do to impress your clients and try to win their business.
Background: I've been doing software consulting since 2000. The points listed here are based on my experience and clients in software consulting related fields only. Here client means a person or a company who is trying to hire you or your team for a software project.
Prepare
Before you meet a potential client, be sure to prepare. Make sure you understand who your client is and what his/her business is. Be sure to do some research. Be sure you look at their company website, their products and anything else you can find on the Web. Also don't forget to learn their names, the company history, what they do the best.
You may also want to be sure to refresh your previous work, client testimonials and references. Your client may ask about your previous work and clients.
Meet
Be sure you know names and their roles of the meeting attendees. Don't be late and do be polite. Try to connect. Don't sell.
Your first goal should be to listen carefully and understand the client's concerns and needs. Try to propose a solution, not make a sale. Think as a partner who is trying to solve a problem, not a salesperson. Be truthful. If you don't know about something, there is no need to lie about it. During the conversation, provide examples of your previous work that is related to this client and how you solved a problem and how much money or resources you saved.
During the conversation, try to read people in the room. When you talk, watch the body language and interests. If you see people are getting bored, such as playing with pens, looking around or yawning, you need to cut it short.
Be concise. If there is further interest, they will ask for more details in a follow-up conversation.
Wrap up
Before you leave, be sure to exchange emails, contacts and/or business cards. Also be sure to confirm the preferable medium to communicate. Don't assume. Some people prefer emails over phone calls. Also, don't forget to ask what is the best day and time to contact.
Follow up
If you don't follow up, everything you have done so far will go down the drain. Be sure to write a thank you follow-up email. If you do not hear back anything, be sure to send another follow-up after a couple of days and ask for the best day and time to contact.
Good luck!