There’s Something to Be Said for Being Expected
Picture arriving for an appointment and hearing, “You must be Jen. We’re glad you’re here.” There’s a chair ready. The person greeting you knows why you’ve come. You can put down your bag without first having to defend your existence.
I have a soft spot for that kind of welcome. Someone took a moment to think about the person walking through the door. You can feel the preparation, even when you never see the work behind it.
Most of our business doorways look a little different now. They’re booking links, video calls, contact forms, and email introductions. The opportunity to make someone feel expected remains. It just takes a different shape.
Think about what happens after someone schedules a first conversation with you. They may be excited. They may also wonder whether they booked the right thing, whether they need to prepare, or whether the meeting link will arrive before the meeting starts. A confirmation that answers those questions gives them something solid to stand on.
“We’ll spend 30 minutes talking about your business and what you need help with. You don’t need to prepare anything. Your meeting link is below.” A few simple sentences can do a lot of work.
Preparation continues on your side, too. Reading the inquiry before the call means the person doesn’t have to start over. Checking a name's pronunciation, keeping a previously shared detail nearby, and knowing who made the introduction all help you meet someone with attention.
None of this requires an elaborate welcome package. A beautifully wrapped gift will struggle to make up for a missing calendar invitation. I would start with the invitation.
For an existing client, being expected might mean that the agenda reflects the concern they raised last week. Or that a new team member has been brought up to speed before joining the conversation. The client can spend the meeting moving the work forward instead of repeating the history.
This is where operations becomes part of hospitality. Someone has to decide which information to collect and where to keep it. Someone needs to check the details, send the right message, and make sure the next person has what they need. A warm experience depends on practical work.
That work deserves a dependable place in the business. A brief meeting-preparation checklist might be enough. A shared client record can hold useful context, as long as you collect only what you need and keep it accessible to the right people. A welcome email can explain the next step before anyone has to ask.
The tools can be simple. What matters is whether you prepare consistently, including on the busy Tuesday when you’re answering a question with one hand and trying to find your coffee with the other.
A useful place to begin is your most ordinary doorway. Follow the path a new client takes from their first inquiry to their first meeting. Read the messages they receive. Click the links. Notice the places where you’re relying on them to guess, wait, or ask for something you could have provided.
Then make one part easier. Add the missing instruction. Explain when they’ll hear from you. Make sure the person welcoming them knows they’re coming.
There’s something generous about removing a little uncertainty before another person has to carry it. It shows you’ve thought about their experience and gives the conversation a calmer place to begin.
When someone arrives at your business, what tells them you were expecting them?