“Better three hours too soon, than one minute too late.”
~ William Shakespeare
If you have set up an appointment with a client or customer and they have set time aside to meet with you then you bet it’s important! An interesting situation happened to a friend of mine who owned a small company a number of years ago. He arrived early for an 8 a.m. appointment. The buyer was delayed by a winter storm and my friend was the only person in the office waiting room. He was soon greeted by an older gentleman who invited him in to his office for a cup of coffee. It turned out that the gentleman was the president and founder of the NASDAQ corporation. They hit it off and by the time the buyer arrived, the president was so interested in my friend’s company that he set up another appointment with him. Nine months later, he acquired it. It pays to arrive early.
Why? Because it shows that you appreciate your customer’s time and gives the perception that you are prepared. No one wants to be stood up or delayed. Respect their time and they will respect you.
How? Give yourself additional time when traveling. It will help you mentally and physically when you arrive ahead of time. There are always things that can interfere with your commute. Plus, with a smartphone you can get caught up with email or phone calls prior to walking into the building. Something else to consider is leaving your phone in your car or off at an appointment. Remember to respect their time and with less interference your meeting will go smoother and be more productive.
