If you’re hosting business clients at your home for meetings, or if that’s something you’ll need to do in the near future, the following tips will help you win more contracts and make a great impression.
1. Have food and snacks ready
No matter how formal your business meetings are, it’s always a good move to have some kind of food on hand. If you’re going formal, make some trays with charcuterie or bake some frozen appetizers before your client arrives. If your meetings are more casual, start baking a pizza just before their appointment. Better yet, cook your pizza outdoors and host your meeting in the backyard to create a delicious experience!
Science has proven that people love the smell of pizza baking in the oven, and it has the power to increase happiness. If you start baking a pizza while your client is arriving at your home, it could have a positive impact on their perception of you and the business you’re doing together.
2. Ask about pet allergies beforehand
It’s polite to ask clients if they’re allergic to the animals you have in your home. Depending on the severity of their allergy, they may need you to host the meeting elsewhere. Otherwise, vacuuming and putting your pet in another room may be all that’s required. Just don’t wait until they get there and start having problems to tell them you have pets.
3. Allow your client to park in the driveway
If parking is on the street and it’s usually scarce, make sure to reserve your driveway for your client. The night before or early in the morning, park your car on the street to make room for their car. They might not want to park in your driveway, but let them know they have that option. Trying to find street parking can be frustrating and you don’t want to get off to a bad start, especially if it’s your first meeting.
4. Ask people to leave the house if they can’t be quiet
Most of the time, you probably won’t need to ask anyone to leave the house, but if you live with people who tend to be disruptive and/or can’t be quiet, don’t be afraid to ask them to leave for a while. If they’re roommates, pay them if you have to. Spending a little extra cash is worth having a peaceful meeting.
5. Choose a designated spot to host your meetings
Don’t wait until your client arrives to figure out where you want to host them, and don’t ask them if they have a preference unless you’re asking if they want to be inside or outside on a nice day. If they’ve never been to your house before, they won’t know where the best place is to conduct business. That’s your job to figure out, so plan ahead and set up your space before your meeting.
It’s best to have a separate space for client meetings, like a spare bedroom-turned-office, or even an alcove. If you have a basement that is furnished and looks nice, you can use that, too.
When you have a regular space for meetings, it will be easier to prepare the space for each client and if it’s a dedicated room, you can put all the right furniture inside with a mini fridge to hold snacks and drinks.
6. Don’t hide your normal way of life
There are probably some things that should be kept out of sight from clients, but aside from things that may be too personal or outright offensive, don’t worry about hiding all signs of your daily life. Tidying up is perfectly okay, but hiding your kids and spouse is going too far.
It’s your home so you set the rules. If you have a family to care for, your clients will just need to accept that your living room will be full of toys and people. Don’t go too far out of your way to present a spotless house to your clients. They will notice your anxiety. If it bothers you that much, rent an office for the day instead and keep your peace of mind.
Don’t aim for perfection – it doesn’t exist
Although it would be great if every business meeting were perfect and ended in your desired outcome, that may not always happen. Don’t worry too much about perfection. Business meetings are all about appearances anyway, and most people won’t hold those imperfections against you.
