Breaking Bread: The key things to remember about entertaining your clients

• Don't worry about the Bribery Act

Unless you are actually attempting to bribe someone, don't worry about the UK Bribery Act. The Secretary of State Guidance Notes, issued when the act came into force, cited Wimbledon and the Grand Prix, specifically stating that the law was not intended to deter companies from getting to know their clients better by inviting them to such events.

• Corporate Gifts are allowed

It is accepted practice that suppliers occasionally send gifts to their clients, and indeed, vice versa. Common sense should prevail in terms of value and timing. Of course it would be suspicious if you suddenly send a potential client a new laptop just as you are pitching for their account. However, sending seasonal and thank you gifts is customary and well within the confines of the Bribery Act.

• Nothing beats face to face time with clients

We polled leaders of today and tomorrow about the relevance of client relationships and all were unanimous about the importance of spending time, in front of clients, getting to know them better. All agreed that spending time socially with clients leads to even stronger, and more effective, working relationships.

• Nothing beats being your most fantastic self

Flick the switch to 'on' when with clients. Make the extra effort with your appearance – it's important – and be the kind of person you would like to sit beside at events: informed, attentive, funny even. Connect with your clients and potential clients on social media, but, social business events are the best way to build your personal network. Remember to say thank you and, if hosting, make sure all your guests are engaged.

• Don't forget to convert the business

Make sure that every single event you organise, includes a detailed and owned sales plan for following up business opportunities. Include a stated business objective behind every single invitation. There are many ways of tracking and managing this, but this is the only way to assure optimal return on event investment.

Five ideas for modern client engagement

Digital specialists, Th_nk, very kindly shared their Th_nkTank case study with us. It's for each firm to find their own ways and formats to engage their markets. The clear message emerging, is that introducing high value business relevant content is a great way for your clients to justify the time in attending your event. Of course, it does not have to be all about business – the opportunity to network with colleagues and contemporaries is a major part of the value and attraction of social business engagement.

A key learning from Th_nk was the creation of shareable assets for use on social media to extend the reach and elongate the return tail from your investment – pictures, infographics, video, illustrations. Create and share and add lasting value to your events.

• Small Bytes

Modern client engagement is not all about large-scale events. Smaller scale events can create higher value personal connections with your clients. Select one burning issue, book a venue – or use your own meeting space, invite your clients and share your smarts around the table, debate the issues and then share the insights on social media. Send a round-up note as a way to follow up with each attendee. Repeat as necessary.

• Breakfast roundtables

Moving out of the lunch time rush hour is a great way to open client diaries. Nothing screams business more than breakfast-with-content. Write a practitioner thought piece on a relevant hot topic. Gather a group of industry thinkers, not just your own clients, post some questions on social media – live? – and get the debate going. Create the assets and then share away.

• Your own TED-style conference

Everyone struggles to justify extended time away from the desk, yet everyone acknowledges the value of spending extended time with clients. Rather than a big one-hit party for 250, how about identifying your 50 most valuable clients or targets, curate a high impact programme of industry leaders and commentators and make it an overnight event, with dinner and following morning key note speaker. Why not include fun activities also, or practical hands-on sector related experiences, e.g. technology demonstrations. Be smart and make the location part of the attraction to attend.

• Put on a fringe debate

We heard from Lockheed Martin how they use established industry gatherings to get clients, and non-clients together, given the diary time is already marked out. Select a future focussed issue, secure an unmissable speaker and gather your clients, targets and stakeholders together. And why not throw in some hospitality to reward the time attending. Tweet the insights, share the speeches, generate the interest. Make it fun.

• After dinner thinkers

Nothing beats breaking bread with clients, in smaller, manageable numbers. Get a handful of your most valuable clients (your biggest supporters), your highest value target clients and then reach for the very top in terms of industry luminaries to secure as an after dinner speaker (use your network to find out who is in town then). No social media sharing here necessarily, just high level, high value dialogue and engagement around the table. Expect some priceless third party validation for your services, because for certain, the problems you are solving well for current clients, will be the same challenges experienced by the non-clients in attendance. It’s an an old school approach to modern client engagement.

And finally

It's all very well to talk about breaking bread with clients, but what about table manners? Not everyone is comfortable in formal dining situations, so, here are two links to Debrett's advice on How to Use Cutlery and the Basic Rules of Table Manners. Now you know.

How to Use Cutlery

Table Manners

Kevin Gallagher is co-founder of Mr. Sykes Modern Concierge. Check out Mr Sykes' guide to the top twenty client dining destinations in London: Twenty Rather Good Shouts