Client Interactions

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Building Rapport Quickly

Clients form impressions in the first few minutes of an engagement. Demonstrating preparedness, professionalism, and a genuine interest in their goals helps establish credibility early. Listening carefully and reflecting back what you’ve heard shows respect and builds the foundation for trust.

Navigating Difficult Conversations

Challenges arise when scope shifts, deadlines tighten, or budgets strain. These moments test your ability to communicate clearly without defensiveness. Successful professionals acknowledge concerns, offer solutions, and maintain focus on shared outcomes, turning potential conflicts into opportunities for stronger alignment.

Consistency Across Touchpoints

Every email, call, and meeting contributes to the client’s overall perception of your firm. Delivering consistent professionalism—whether from a senior partner or junior staff member—ensures that clients experience reliability and competence at every level of the organization.

suggested KPIs for this topic

These KPIs help you build client interaction habits that lower anxiety, increase clarity, and strengthen trust. They focus on preparation, listening, recovery from missteps, and connecting your expertise to the client’s needs without “selling.”

preparing for client conversations

  • Review client background and project context at least 24 hours before each meeting.
  • Create a short list of purposeful questions tailored to the client’s situation.
  • Define what you hope to learn — not what you hope to “pitch.”
  • Rehearse introductions and transitions to reduce hesitation or stammering.
  • Attend at least one internal practice session monthly to reduce discomfort.

asking better questions (the core skill)

  • Lead with questions in at least 80% of early-stage client conversations.
  • Ask follow-up questions until the client reveals deeper needs or constraints.
  • Track how often the client asks *you* a question — a sign of curiosity.
  • Use open-ended questions that encourage clients to talk about their challenges.
  • Document key insights from every meeting and share them internally.

managing discomfort & reducing awkwardness

  • Identify recurring sources of nervousness and discuss them openly with your team.
  • Use micro-practice (five-minute rehearsals) before major meetings.
  • Complete at least one “Terrible Client Meeting” practice each quarter.
  • Track improvements in confidence level before and after practice cycles.
  • Reduce reliance on scripts and increase comfort with spontaneous dialogue.

repairing missteps & resetting the room

  • Address client confusion or tension proactively within 48 hours.
  • Develop a simple “reset message” to use when meetings go off track.
  • Use the apology-and-restart method from the Terrible Client Meeting exercise when needed.
  • Track how often miscommunications are quickly corrected instead of ignored.
  • Share recoveries internally as learning moments, not embarrassments.

connecting expertise to the client’s needs (not selling)

  • Summarize what you learned before explaining anything about your services.
  • Frame all expertise as a *solution to the client’s stated challenges*, not a pitch.
  • Confirm you understood the client’s problem before describing your approach.
  • Ensure at least 50% of meetings end with clear next steps tied to client needs.
  • Track how often clients say “that’s exactly what we’re dealing with” after your summary.

improving meeting mechanics & team performance

  • Start meetings on time and end them on time with a recap.
  • Use minimal slides unless visuals are essential to understanding.
  • Reduce rambling explanations — aim for concise, conversational clarity.
  • Ensure roles in team meetings are clear (lead, scribe, observer).
  • Collect team critiques after each major meeting and track improvements over time.

Choose a KPI from each category to build client conversations that are confident, natural, and grounded in listening — conversations that make clients feel understood and make your team feel capable, instead of uncomfortable or “salesy.”

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