Why You Can’t Improvise Conversations With Potential Clients

Back‑to‑back meetings. Lunch meetings. Walking‑into‑the-room-still-reading-the-agenda meetings. When you were in corporate, you dashed from one meeting to the next without preparing. It was the only way to survive.

I even bought an Apple Watch so I could glance at my wrist while walking to see which conference room I was headed to and what the next meeting was about. And half the time, of course, we were having a meeting about another meeting.

In corporate, you could slide by with minimal prep because you were talking to colleagues. People you saw every day, who understood the context. People who were likely in the meeting you just came from.

If there was a big, important meeting, sure, there’d be prep. But the day-to-day for a double- and triple-booked executive is, quite honestly, improvisation.

What worked in corporate won’t work now.

When you’re an independent consultant meeting with potential clients, you can’t improvise your way through a conversation about working together. The dynamic is completely different.

You’re not meeting with coworkers anymore, but a potential client. In that conversation, you’re the vendor, and they’re the buyer—and buyers evaluate vendors.

The moment you hop on the Zoom call, you’re both doing a careful dance—like a high‑school slow dance to a Bryan Adams song, each person trying to figure out if the other likes them without getting their heart broken.

Your potential client is gathering information about your services, while likely withholding details about their budget, internal politics, and secret decision-makers.

You’re trying to determine if they’re qualified: do they have a problem you can solve, the money to pay you, and the authority to make the decision.

It’s a dance of controlled disclosure. And if you’re “winging it,” you’re losing.

Trusted advisors show up prepared.

The consulting work doesn’t start when the contract gets signed. It starts in the very first conversation. How you lead potential clients through the buying process either builds their confidence in you or erodes it.

Many people aren’t sure exactly what they need, or can’t articulate it clearly. They have a destination in mind, but need help figuring out the route.

You can show up like a passenger, just along for the ride. Or you can take the driver’s seat and show them the way. The difference is in your preparation.

Here’s what preparation actually looks like.

1. Get your mindset right.

The thoughts in your head are critically important because they trickle out into your actions. They change your body language, the pitch of your voice, the pace of your speech, and even the words you say.

If you’re joining the Zoom call thinking:

• “I really need this deal.”
• “I can’t afford to lose this opportunity.”
• “Getting this project could change everything for me.”

Then you’re not focused on serving the client. You’re focused on the sale. And that’s going to sabotage the conversation.

Remind yourself: You can’t lose what you don’t have. Most conversations won’t turn into client contracts. So relax, focus on the other person, and discover what next step, if any, makes sense.

2. Research the company and the person you’re meeting with.

Review notes from any previous conversations, emails, or LinkedIn messages. Look for the exact words they used to describe the problem or the desired outcome. Prepare to repeat their words back to them.

For example:

Last time we spoke, you were interested in “validating the internal work that was done” and you were looking for “white glove service.” Did I get that right?

When you mirror their own language back to them, they feel heard, and that builds trust.

Next, get on LinkedIn, Crunchbase, Glassdoor, and the company website. Look for anything interesting:

• Press releases
• Investor updates
• Leadership changes

Prepare to ask about and discuss anything that may be relevant.

3. Have a plan for the flow of the meeting.

Remember, you want to be in the driver’s seat, so create a plan for the meeting. I write a document for every conversation with the outline of what I want to discuss, specific questions to ask, and scripted opening and closing comments.

Every meeting should have four parts:

1. Connection: Skip chit-chat about the weather, the weekend, and the big game. Build real connection by asking deeper questions about their world.
2. Expectation-setting: As you’re transitioning to the main topic, set expectations for what will happen during and after the meeting. Say it out loud. Agree to it.
3. The main discussion: Lead the conversation with thoughtful questions you’ve prepared in advance. Until they’ve asked for a proposal, your job is to discover information—not pitch.
4. Clear next step: Script what you will say at the end of the meeting so you end with a clear plan. No follow-up, no chasing. Will there be another meeting? When? Who needs to be there? What is each person doing next? Decide together, and put it on the calendar.

If you prepare for these four parts, you will never have an awkward “so… we’ll talk soon?” ending again.

Improv is for comedians.

Corporate meeting improv won’t serve you when you’re being evaluated. Don’t leave the meeting to intuition. Prepare your mind. Research your person. Draft your script.

It’s normal to spend just as long preparing for the meeting as it is conducting the meeting. If it’s important, prepare.

When you show up prepared, you won’t be awkwardly swaying to Bryan Adams, you’ll be dancing the tango.