Did you hear about the new MD who in his first week left pairs of shoes in the corridors of his organisation? He wanted to get the message across to his staff that they should try to see the world from their clients’ perspective.

“Stepping into the client’s shoes” is a pretty hackneyed phrase these days. But it’s still important. Understanding where your client is coming from reduces misunderstandings, mis-alignments and miscalculations, and work that runs more smoothly is more profitable. Delivery can happen faster, reducing strain on the client – and you.

Understanding your client also builds rapport, strengthens the relationship with the client and increases your chance of growing revenue from that client. Clients who feel that you get where they’re coming from are much more likely to return to you with more business.

Perhaps you feel that you fully understand your clients’ worlds. But if you think you could improve, a programme of carefully-crafted client feedback interviews is a great place to start. Much deeper than a survey, these interviews can explore your client’s perspectives and shed light on what you need to do to make that relationship work for you.