Your manager just informed you that you have a new PPC client. How exciting!
Once the news settles in, questions begin to flow through your mind:
When do I start working with them? What services will I offer them? What does your business do? Where are they?
Overwhelmed and don’t know where to start? Here are some tips and tricks to help you impress your boss and absolutely nail the first meeting with your new client.
Preparing in advance is key
First impressions are everything. The client will not forget an analyst who comes to their first meeting unprepared. It is imperative to gather as much information as possible before going to this meeting.
Consider reviewing the contract the customer just signed. What paid media channels, organic search services and analytics projects are described? If you have questions about contract language, please check with your manager or business development team beforehand.
Review the client’s website. It will tell you about who they are and what products or services they offer. Examine how the website is structured. How have they grouped their products, services or industries? This may spark some paid media campaign structure ideas for you to jot down later. Bonus!
Want to be notified instantly of any important updates about your client? Set up Google alerts. You will receive an email whenever your customer’s name is mentioned in a news article. Have they won an award recently? The initial meeting is a good time to congratulate them on this. This will really knock their socks off!
Meet with your business development team, who just put in the blood, sweat, and tears to introduce this customer to your company. They can give you valuable insight into what the client is looking for in this new partnership, what expectations were set, and maybe even tips on how to wow them from the start.
I always meet with the business development team before I meet with any of my clients, and I usually come up with a list of questions based on my research.
Ok, now all your questions are answered and you are finally ready for this meeting. You might be tempted to jump straight into the first meeting and absolutely ask them questions.
Patience, young grasshopper. Let’s first create a thoughtful meeting agenda. Send your client the agenda before the meeting so they know what you plan to discuss.
Dig Deeper: Onboarding and unsubscribing clients: PPC agency guide
Take some time before you get down to business
Your meeting agenda is complete. The customer has it in their hands. The day of the meeting has finally arrived, and you’re eager to get inside. While it won’t hurt to put in the work, don’t forget that customers are people too.
Everyone is meeting each other for the first time. Take a moment at the beginning of your meeting to engage in small talk. Maybe use the first five minutes to do a round of introductions so everyone can get to know each other. Why not throw in a fun fact or a cracking question?
“My name is Christine Askew. I’ve been with my company for 3 years, but I’ve worked in the digital marketing industry for 8 years. I live in Denver, Colorado, and I’ve recently really gotten into sourdough baking.”
You may discover some commonalities with your client that you can bond with. This will only help you build a stronger partnership. Results are one thing, but relationships and results will really seal the deal.
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Ask your customer the right questions
With presentations out of the way, it’s time to get the information you need to do your job and do it well. Show them what you’ve already learned from your proactive research.
Don’t ask them questions they’ve already told your business development team. This will only frustrate them and make you lose credibility very quickly. Make sure you ask the right questions that get to the heart of what you need to build a solid strategy.
Are you clear about what they do or what they sell? Sometimes how a company makes money is not simple, so now is the time to ask.
Do you understand your target market? To create a solid digital marketing strategy, you need to have a good understanding of who they want to sell to. What are your goals for the marketing program?
One of my favorite questions to ask a client is, “What would be a homerun scenario for you in terms of paid media performance?” You hold the key to the treasure chest if you know what kind of results would really impress your client.
Dig Deeper: 6 Tips for Building Relationships with PPC Clients
Follow up right after the meeting
After all this preparation, the meeting ended. However, there’s one last thing you can do to make sure you land the initial meeting with your new client. After the meeting, consider sending your client a follow-up email that includes three main points:
Thanks for your time
They just took time out of their busy schedule to meet you and answer all your questions. The least you can do is say thank you!
Reconfirm everything you just heard
This sounds silly, but it’s very important. You won’t know if you accidentally misheard or misreported something the customer said until it’s too late, and there’s nothing worse than not being on the same page at the start of a customer relationship .
If you recorded the call, send the recording for everyone to see. If you took notes, summarize the key points and ask if you got everything right.
Clearly explain the next steps
Make sure everyone is perfectly clear about who is responsible for each action resulting from the initial call. I recommend outlining two sections for next steps: one for you and one for your client.
Bonus points if you can provide your client with estimated due dates for when you plan to complete each item. However, it is imperative that you set realistic deadlines, because missed deadlines will also become something your client won’t forget.
Dig Deeper: How to set and manage PPC expectations for teams and stakeholders
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