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There is no doubt that we all have to get CLOSER to our customers or clients than ever before because that’s what differentiation boils down to.

Was a time when you could deliver the training or consultancy and just be satisfied to have done a solid days work. Not anymore. Trainers, consultants and speakers are ten a penny and most of their material is available to anyone online.

The differentiation is you, me, the human being, naked.

So recently a long standing client invited me to get involved in a political issue. I politely declined because I tend to avoid politics wherever possible. But the issue wouldn’t go away so I researched the pros and anti views. My client is pro and I, after due consideration, am anti. He wants to talk about it.

I have another long standing client who recently discovered that I fish. It’s the same sort of fishing he does and so he has suggested a day out together. Trouble is I am an introvert and so one of the reasons I fish is to put a bit of distance between me and the business world, just for a few hours. A days fishing with a client for me is a day’s work.

So I do believe that we have to get CLOSER to clients. And this does mean transparency; there will be no hiding place. I guess that the more transparent we are, clients will polarise. Some will like us for being the way we are, and others won’t.

I can live with that.