Opening and setting the agenda
"Thank you for making the time today — I'd like to cover [X, Y and Z], does that work for you?" sets a clear structure from the start, which makes the whole meeting easier to steer for both sides.
Clarifying without sounding unsure
"Just to make sure I've understood correctly, you'd like us to..." or "Could you clarify what you mean by..." both ask for clarity confidently, rather than sounding like you missed something. Clients generally respect a clarifying question far more than a wrong assumption acted on later.
Disagreeing or pushing back politely
"I see it a little differently — here's why..." or "That's a fair point, though one thing to consider is..." let you disagree without sounding combative. Avoiding disagreement altogether, to stay polite, often costs more credibility with a client than a respectful pushback does.
Closing with clear next steps
"So to summarise, we'll [action], and you'll [action], by [date] — does that sound right?" Ending every client meeting this way, even a short one, avoids the common problem of two sides leaving with different understandings of what was agreed.