Keeping In Touch - Tricks from CRM

I value the friend who for me finds time on his calendar, but I cherish the friend who for me does not consult his calendar.

- Robert Brault

You will hear busy executives say how much they’d like to spend more time meeting clients or suppliers. This even extends to catching up with old colleagues or school friends. Their calendar is full this week and when they try to book it for the following week the other person can’t make it. This back and forth usually results in the opportunity to connect being lost.

As a Relationship Manager with potentially 20-30 appointments a month not to mention catching up with friends, let me offer a few suggestions to improve your chances to connect

Have a Account Plan

Decide for the year the frequency you wish to contact clients and set a goal to achieve each quarter, month and week. This will be come the framework you will build on over time. An extension of this plan will be your contacts database. For another post by me on this go here.

Here and now

At the end of each meeting schedule your next. You both can check your calendars on the spot and agree a date. A commitment made in person is rarely changed. This time can also be a chance to find out a little more about them or for you to share information with them

Well Ahead of Time

If you don’t meet them frequently set a date 1, 2 or even 3 months into the future. It ensures you get a clear schedule and is rarely refused as people easily commit to something that is far away. This is even more affective if you do a bulk reminder at the start of every month to ensure you are back on their radar.

In One

Always try to complete a booking in one take. Offer a range of dates to pick from (saves the email tennis) and if you’re flexible about location, before/after work, by phone, etc, say so.

Contingency

Have some flexibility in your calendar but the trick, let them know about it! I rarely do an off site meeting on a Monday but I make no secret of it. Clients know that it’s there if they really need to move the schedule but they also know I won’t offer it up unless it’s urgent.

Go with the flow

Learn your clients work patterns and set your requests accordingly. I conference call one client at 5.30pm because he’s in his car on the way home, I get 30 minutes of his undivided attention . The flexibility might mean meeting them early, at their office or lunch. I knew one manager who use to change his flight at the last minute just to get quality time with a client on the flight home

A Challenge!

Take a look at your calendar for the next 3 months and ask yourself is there’s any client, colleague, business partner or supplier you’d like to spend time with? Make the appointment now, you won’t regret it.