For lighter conversations and a change of pace, consider meeting with a client over a cup of coffee.
“Sometimes people enjoy having a different atmosphere,” says Rosemary Smyth, owner and coach with Victoria-based Rosemary Smyth and Associates, which specializes in coaching financial advisors. “The office is quite formal.”
Of course, you should be selective when choosing a setting for your meeting over a cup of “Joe.”
Follow these tips to ensure your casual coffee meeting still has a professional touch:
> Know your purpose
Be clear about why you want to meet that client, Smyth says.
Ask yourself: What is the objective for the meeting? What am I planning to discuss?
Be sure that the purpose of the meeting is appropriate for a coffee shop. For example, Smyth says, appropriate occasions to meet at a local café include dropping off a document, getting a signature or just catching up with the client.
Deeper conversations, about issues that involve a sizeable estate or investment decisions involving specific amounts of money, should take place in a private office or boardroom.
Further, a coffee meeting should require a relatively short block of time. It should last between 30 minutes and an hour, says Joshua Zuchter, a business and life coach in Toronto. For longer conversations, consider a different venue, such as a restaurant or your office.
> Get your client’s opinion
Talk to your client about what he or she expects before the meeting.
Ask if there is anything he or she would like to discuss, Smyth says. If it seems the topic is too serious for a café, recommend that you move the location to your office.
As well, make the client feel comfortable by offering to let them choose the location, Smyth says. Just be careful that it is a place where you can sit down with relative privacy and have a conversation.
> Choose a familiar place
If the choice of location is left to you, suggest a café that you know and feel comfortable in.
There is a greater risk that something will go wrong — one of you getting lost on the way or the venue being too noisy — if you have never been there before, Zuchter says.
However, you should also avoid places where you’re considered a “regular,” Smyth warns. You don’t want the meeting to be constantly interrupted by people coming over to say “hello.”
> Evaluate the environment
Think about the café’s ambiance before inviting a client to meet there for coffee.
Consider factors such as the noise level of patrons and music, the seating and the air quality, Zuchter says.
Watch out for potential problems outside of the building — for example, if the only seating available is by the door and there are people smoking outside.
IE