Like any good business letter or report, a face-to-face meeting with a prospective client has three basic parts:  an introduction, a body, and a closing.  In addition, it provides an opportunity to get the prospect involved by encouraging questions and giving answers. See below for links to some additional articles on effective proposal meetings.

Introduction - Make a clear statement that your team is there because you want the business and think you can do a great job. Give a brief overview of the points you hope to cover.

Body - Benjamin Disraeli said ``Talk to a man about himself, and he'll listen for hours."  Go prepared with discussion on some concerns and priorities that the prospect has, let them describe their need, and they will listen to every word you say. Remember that proposing is a persuasive process.  To succeed, demonstrate that you know the issues and that your team has the experience to deal with them.

Closing - Summarize your key message(s) and any feature that will differentiate  you from competitors.  Remember to ask for the work.  Expressing eagerness to work with the prospect is important.

Want to know more? See these additional articles related to meetings with prospects:

• Effective Oral Presentations to Prospects
• Tips for Using Visual Aids Effectively

Return to the index page to see more communications articles.

Coming soon--Proposal Critique Service !!

Copyright 1997 by Kaye Vivian, ABC. (kvivian@cloud9.net) All rights reserved.
Permission to reprint is granted so long as the text is not altered and
this copyright remains attached.

Page last updated: January 4, 1999