Client executives are busy
Sometimes it takes weeks to get on a client’s calendar. Yes, that’s even AFTER they’ve hired you to do work.
Get time when you can
Some of the best conversations you have with clients are the ones on the way back from meetings. Trust me on this one, when a meeting finishes, ask your client if it is okay to walk them back to their office. Walk and talk.
- You have their dedicated attention, even if only for 5 minutes
- It is authentic and personal; it’s how friends and colleagues relate to each other
- It is often a great follow-up to the meeting you just finished
Touch base = just like you do with friends
Often, the key things you want to say to a client are personal, and can easily be conveyed in a few minutes in an informal setting. It does not deserve an email, phone call or a meeting. Walk them back to their office.
A few other ways to have impactful, and brief interactions with clients:
- Share a coffee or a meal together
- Offer to help with a simple task (create graph, draft a communication)
- Send over an analyst report or benchmark study
- Type up meeting minutes, or interview notes and send over
- Connect your current client with other people in your network
- Help them identify and hire talented people