Sadly, many professionals think it is! Perhaps they believe that clients will think you lack confidence, or awareness.

But I think this view is sorely mistaken.

Imagine this situation: you have halfway through your first piece of work with an important client. The enlightened leader will have the view that it will be important to know if the team are delivering on all fronts:

• Are we responsive?
• Giving you regular updates on progress?
• Commercial advice?

In no way is this saying you are lacking confidence. If delivered with a strong demeanour, it’s saying this,

 ‘We know we are good. We know all clients are different and have different service requirements. We are dedicated to client service and will pull out all the stops to ensure we deliver on those. So please tell us…’

With markets becoming increasingly competitive, I believe that adopting such an approach will reap dividends. It’s such an easy way to provide evidence that you really do care about client service.

Just don’t do it all the time! That’s potentially irritating and could show a lack of confidence!