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:
- Talking only about yourself
- Revealing too much
- Not listening
- Not looking your best
- Trying to be cool or aloof
- Not being yourself
- 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:
- Going someplace where you can’t talk
- Bringing friends along
- 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!