You do lots of things with regularity. You brush your teeth twice a day (some people do it three times–I see them in the men’s room at the office). You have a routine.

In fact, you’ve got a bunch of routines like calling your mother on Sunday, bathing once a day, exercising daily (maybe), and eating lunch. These routines serve you well. You don’t think about them. You just do them.

I’d suggest a new routine for you. I’d suggest that you call all of your clients twice per week and give them an update. Call before noon on Wednesday and call again before the end of the day on Friday. Tell them what’s happening. If nothing’s happening, tell them that as well. Don’t wait for them to call: initiate the call. Of course, if they’ve already called and talked to you before the deadline, you can wait until the next deadline.

The key here is to get in the habit of working through the list twice a week. Never let a client go more than two business days without a call. Be proactive, not reactive. Don’t wait for the call.

Clients are afraid, nervous, and uncertain about what’s going on. They want to know that you’re looking after their interests. They want to be in the loop. They want to know whether things are moving in the right direction and, if they’re not, they’d like to know that it’s not because of your inattention. Calling twice a week addresses all of these issues and keeps you on good terms with your clients. This simple routine will solve more than 95 percent of all problems with upset clients.

Adopt a new habit. Make the call. Wednesday before noon. Friday before you go home. Do it, and you’ll have happy clients.