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Unfortunately I had occasion to attend a family funeral a few weeks ago. I realised we hadn't seen many of the congregation since the last 'occasion'. Are we really so engrossed in modern living that we only meet up on 'special' occasions like births, marriages and funerals? I find moments like these serve two purposes: Firstly an excuse to catch up with relatives who otherwise wouldn't have been seen; and secondly to remind ourselves of the transient nature of our existence.It was a few weeks later that a parallel struck me between modern living and modern business. We only seem to catch up with such relatives on these 'happy' or 'sad' occasions, much like we only catch up with our customers at 'networking dos' or when we are trying to sell them something. I know from personal experience that there are some clients and associates who I bump into regularly at awards functions, event dinners and annual conferences. Outside these organised gatherings, we may email or speak on the phone but generally feel secure in the knowledge we are but a few weeks or months away from the next 'industry bash'.So how do things fare with clients? Do we call them at their regular time-slot and when we are trying to renew their contract, or do we also make an effort to contact them outside these fixed and predictable occasions? I am sure that if a client has always had a call from you in February, they may be intrigued as to why you are calling to arrange a coffee in June, but is there some mileage in this? Are we missing a trick or two by regularising our contact? Perhaps we have a process that drives contact: Telesales first, a face-to-face meeting to sign the documentation and then a chasing call from the accounts department. This is followed by a brief on-site visit and finally delivery of re-book contracts on the morning of day three.Not all clients are going to relish regular contact, especially where there is no business need or derivative benefit to them, but I am sure many relationships would grow and develop with well thought-out and crafted secondary meetings. We know from research over the years that many clients would respond more positively to a face-to-face visit, but economics shape our approach. If your client is only a short tube ride or cab journey away, maybe it's worth the effort to arrange a face-to-face meeting. A two-minute 'update' call to alert them to a looming deadline or new marketing feature could be of value to both of you. And perhaps that exhibitor training day could add value and cement the relationship further?Spend a few minutes revisiting your account management strategy and reviewing which clients would benefit from and respond positively to extra effort. After all, happy exhibitors spend more money and are with us for longer. EN Hatchings, matchings and despatchingsSimon Naudi looks at ways sales executives can challenge themselves to maximise their value.THE SALESGURU exhibitionnews.co.uk maY 2011 37sales ExHibitioN NEwSSTAFF YOUR EVENT WITH CONFIDENCE!The Intelligent Staffing SolutionLeon Hidderley 02476 150 662. University educated, reliable and flexible workforce. Fast, efficient, Nationwidecoverage. . A cost effective solution for ALLof your eventsWe can supply a range of staff including:. Stewards. Box Office Staff. Stand Assistants. Porters/Preparation Assistants. Cashiers. Interpreting Staff