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There are tons of ways to start a conversation with somebody, but when you need to get down to business, it can be difficult to think of the right words to communicate the right feel to your client. If you come across as pushy, you may lose your client because you came on too strong. If you come across as shy or timid, your client may be unimpressed with your approach to sales in the first place. There are some perfect starters, and here are a couple that may be better than average.

What Can You Tell Me About You (and Your Organization)?

Remember, the key to a good starter is the ability to take good notes. This is a good business starter because it contains a bit of personal interest as well. When you ask the person across from you to tell you about themselves, you’re not asking for a sale or completely avoiding the idea of making a sale. Instead, you are snugly in between those two concepts. Ask about their business as well to really drive the point home.

What Do You Like About Your Job (or What You’re Currently Doing)?

When you ask about what someone likes about their job, you’re really asking them what makes their business worth your while. For example, someone might say they love communicating with their clients the most, because they get to get to know more people than they would have known otherwise. You know from an answer like that that the person you’re talking to cares about their customers and their business, which is more than some business owners can say.