It’s good to talk to your clients, but it is better to see your clients face to face.

It has surprised us how much our clients have cut their travel to see their own clients and their other offices around the world. For some reason businesses seem to think that it’s OK just to telephone a client to see how they are and how they are been affected by the current credit crunch.

Yes during this credit crunch we’re all looking for more cost effective options, but surely we should be going the extra mile. This is the time to stay in personal contact and to go and see their clients face to face?

A year ago most businesses wouldn’t think twice about jumping on the Eurostar from Ebbsfleet to Paris for lunch or having a round of golf with a client.

We should all be trying to work hand-in-hand with our clients to provide cost-effective solutions that make a real difference to their bottom line, this can not be done by just sitting behind our desks and waiting for it to blow over.

So why spend years building up your reputation only to throw it away because you thought you could just telephone a client rather than go and see them?

‘This shall pass’ is an age-old phrase that is very apt in these uncertain times.

Mark Gettings