In sales we are taught a very important discipline. You have to try and ensure that you are always on your customers mind when they think of their needs that you can fulfill. This becomes your reason to call them at regular intervals and develop your relationship with them.

I was reminded of the importance of this last week when I was in Manchester coaching some businesses (great ones by the way!). I was leaving a company when I received a phone call from someone whom I had met about two and a half years ago through the Enterprize initiative. We had stayed in touch as I liked him and his business idea (which revolved around the taxi business).

I had been helping him with the occasional phone conversation every now and then. When he phoned me, I told him I happened to be in Manchester. He wanted to see me and I explained to him that I was off for a meeting with a fellow Investor who is based in Manchester – and I only had 20 minutes to get to Salford from Manchester, so I couldn’t really talk.

Three minutes later, he came to pick me up (you could never do that in London!) and we had a conversation whilst he was driving me to my next meeting. He basically made a very impressive elevator pitch – but had 15 minutes to do it.

As it happens, the investor I went to see complained that he had not seen any good investment propositions recently. He wanted to see me to ask me if I had seen anything of interest. As he was the last person I had met – I was able to mention the proposition I had just heard. He was impressed when I told him how I got to hear the pitch; here was someone (the entrepreneur) making the most of co-incidence (me being in Manchester) and seized the opportunity.

He is going to meet the entrepreneur and may invest a considerable amount in his business. Of course there are no guarantees – but the entrepreneur has put himself in a great position and demonstrated first hand certain qualities.

I guess the moral is – that I am very cheap - a free lift or lunch will do it!

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