How to Build Incredible Connections in Client Meetings

If you are in sales, an account executive, or business development, you want to stand out from all the other smart people who do what you do. Relying solely on your professional expertise will not be a differentiator. Professional expertise, by itself, is a commodity in your industry. You need something more. You want to follow the system outlined below to stand out, build strong relationships, and become the business partner clients cannot live without. The ROI will be incredible.

*Related – How to Be the Trusted Business Partner Your Client Can’t Fathom Life Without

The following applies whether you have a client meeting in person or virtually.

Before the meeting

• If they are an existing client, research your CRM system for their history, purchase history, hometown, and any that anyone from your company has collected and added to the client’s profile.
• Research their LinkedIn profile for things like what college they attended, who your mutual connections are, and any charities/associations they are part of.
• Research their company’s website.
• List your goals for the meeting.
• Fill in your FORD sheet.

Many clients we work with have easily customized their CRM system to add FORD fields, which you can check before or during an interaction with a client and update after. I want to show you a fantastic best practice we use at The DiJulius Group, and many of our clients have started doing the same with excellent results. Even though we have the FORD fields in our CRM system, we strongly recommend that when you are at your computer, you use a FORD tablet (see below).

This FORD tablet helps collect key customer intelligence during calls and is also a great tool to prep for a call. I will do a little prep before the call for any scheduled calls/meetings on my calendar. Typically, first thing in the morning, I will fill out what I already know from what I may remember, what we have in our CRM system, the city they live in, any FORD already documented, and their past purchase history. It reminds me to do some LinkedIn recon for mutual connections and find out where they may have graduated from. 

During the Meeting

• Be at least 10 minutes early if the meeting is virtual and 15 minutes early if it is face-to-face.
• Listen & take copious notes
• Update your FORD sheet
• Don’t interrupt – WAIT (Why Am I Talking)
• Create an action plan, next steps

Then during the conversation, I write down any additional info that comes up, using this and paying attention, I always find the conversation gift that allows me to follow up with something. It could often be a link to an article or video of a topic we discussed, an introduction, or some great restaurant suggestions for their upcoming trip. It takes less than 30 seconds to do a post-call. You can see the rest of the FORD Tablet has space available for the business discussion & call to action needed.

Priming the Mind for FORD

Did you ever buy a new car and were so excited because you had never seen your model in your chosen color, only to notice about a dozen of the same model and color while driving home from the dealership? Did a dozen others purchase that same model and color as you today? No! They were always out there, but you are just now noticing them. Your mind is primed to notice what it didn’t previously. Priming is how we focus our thoughts on seeing things—new perceptions. Whatever your mind is thinking is what will be noticed. That is why FORD tools that you see constantly when interacting with Customers are excellent ways to prime employees’ minds to notice and hear things they wouldn’t have otherwise.

Moonwalking Bear

To demonstrate the concept of priming, there is an excellent video on YouTube called “The Moonwalking Bear” that I love to show during my presentations. The video shows four people dressed in white and four in black. The narrator says, “This is an awareness test. How many passes does the team in white make?” The viewer watches as the white team passes the ball back and forth. The narrator returns and says, “The answer is thirteen.” Everyone is so proud that they got the number right, until the narrator says, “But did you see the moonwalking bear?” And people in my audience mumble, “What…?” Then they show the same video again, only this time you notice the bear moonwalking right in the middle of all the people passing the ball back and forth. And the video ends with this message: “It is easy to miss something you’re not looking for.” No truer words have been spoken. Due to the emphasis placed solely on productivity, many employees miss glaring FORD right in front of their faces.

*Related – Talking Less, Listening More: Can You Keep Quiet For Longer Than 18 Seconds?

After the Meeting

• Update their FORD profile in your CRM
• Follow up on the professional call to action
• Follow up on the conversation gift.
• Set alerts in your calendar about anything they may have mentioned about their upcoming family events, surgeries, and vacations.

*Related – A Great Way to Get Your Employees to Connect with Customers

If you’re ready to stop blending in and start standing out, it’s time to make your next move.

The most successful sales professionals we work with aren’t just knowledgeable—they’re unforgettable. At The DiJulius Group, we help account executives and business developers implement simple yet powerful tools like the FORD system to build deeper relationships, increase client retention, and become indispensable partners. Schedule a free call with one of our advisors today, and let’s map out how you can transform from “just another vendor” into a world-class service brand your clients can’t imagine doing business without.

We’ll listen to where you are today, where you want to go, and share actionable ideas you can start using immediately—whether you choose to work with us or not.

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