Surprise your clients with extra time.
No one in the history of attending meetings has ever complained when a meeting runs shorter than anticipated. Yes, you may have important issues to address, yes, you may even like the people you’re meeting with, but a meeting which ends early is always a delightful surprise.
Why not build that delight into every client meeting? Try scheduling a “20 minute buffer zone” at the end of every client meeting. Simply schedule your meeting to run twenty minutes longer than you anticipate the meeting actually taking.
If the meeting ends according to your mental plan, your clients will be happy to finish “early.” If the meeting runs long, or someone shows up late, the 20 minute buffer should make it so no one’s schedule is unduly impacted.
The inclusion of the buffer also provides ample time for clients to voice concerns or offer questions you may not have anticipated.
It can be a real relief to have an extra ten or twenty minutes to reset yourself or make notes after a meeting, too. Even better, you can get a quick “just thinking of you” call into other clients or prospects with the extra time.
(Photo credit: wwarby)
