When potential clients come to meet you in your law firm, where do you first meet them?  Do you meet them in your office?  Or, do you meet them in a conference room?  This is a question that a lot of folks ask and do differently.

In the end, lots of attorneys have different preferences in terms of how they handle this decision.  Some attorneys like to bring clients into their personal office.  They may have their degrees hung in their office.  They get to sit at their desk.  They feel more comfortable.  They feel like this is the better move.

Other attorneys largely prefer a conference room.  Their office might not always be perfectly together.  There could be papers and work on their desk.  These papers and work could present the image of disorganization to a potential client.  For this reason, many attorneys prefer bringing clients to a conference room.

You also want to think about the walk the potential client will take to get either to the conference room or an office.  What will they see to get to the office or conference room?  If you are taking them down a hallway, or through a back area, to the office or conference, will that present the proper image?  Will papers and clutter be lying around?  This is something to consider.

There isn’t necessarily a right or wrong answer.  In some law firms, this might not even be a choice.  There might not be conference rooms even available for some law firms to bring potential clients.

But to the extent you have a choice, it’s important you are putting your best put forward with initial clients. No matter where you bring potential clients, you want the room — whether a conference room or office — to look put together.  You want it to look organized.   You want them to feel comfortable.

Ultimately, this decision can have a bearing on your ability to gain new clients.  So, be sure to think about it long and hard.

If you have any thoughts, feel free to share them below.