Most of us are guilty of having the events of the day dictate what we do and when we do it rather than planning each day's outcomes. The result is that we end up being a reactive resource rather than a proactive one. This is particularly true in a dynamic industry such as graphic design whereby the schedule can change drastically on the back of receiving a phone call.

Consequently it is vital that we take the time to regularly review our customer list and make sure that we have entered into a recent communication of some description with each of them (or certainly the top 20% giving you 80% of your turnover).

Ideally of course this would be face to face but failing this then the next preference should be a phone call and lastly an email just to ensure that the client is still happy with the service levels being achieved, that any issues are identified early and rectified quickly and as an opportunity for you to update them on your news and conversely to hear from them what's new in their world.

At the least this will continue to reinforce the relationship, show the customer that you care, nip problems in the bud and to ensure you keep the advantage from your competitors, and at best may lead to an enquiry for more work.

You can be sure that if you're not communicating in this way then someone else will be!