I am asked frequently why some lawyers create such amazing rapport with their clients.  Much of this stems from the art of the first impression .  The first client interaction is more about not making a bad impression than it is making a good one.

Here are 7 first client interaction blunders that virtually guarantee you won’t develop healthy client rapport:

  1. Talking only about yourself
  2. Revealing too much
  3. Not listening
  4. Not looking your best
  5. Trying to be cool or aloof
  6. Not being yourself
  7. Not listening to your gut

CONFESSION:  I stole these! …from genius (he denies it) Brad Isaac who invented Achieve-IT software, known as the Breakthrough Goal Setting Method.

He actually posted 10 First Date Blunders That Blow It Every Time on his Achieve-IT blog and I thought, hmmm, can we learn (transpose from one context to another).

You will note that there were 10 in his post and seven in mine –  as for the three I left out, I thought two were not relevant and thought better of including the third, they were:

  1. Going someplace where you can’t talk
  2. Bringing friends along
  3. Having sex or being too sexual

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:  Why would unappealing behavior in social situations be any more appealing in professional situations.

By the way, Brad’s blog has some very interesting posts – check it out!