Eighty per cent of your productivity comes from 20% of your activity, says Duncan MacPherson, co-CEO and co-founder of Pareto Systems Inc. in Kelowna, B.C. “In other words,” he adds, “[in one day,] most people have 80% of their impact in about an hour.”

So, how do you get the most out of that crucial hour? Dedicate it to client-relationship management activities, MacPherson says.

Here are five ways to plan an effective relationship-management hour:

> Include any activity that strengthens client relationships
Do you call clients to check in with them? That would be a task to perform during this hour. You can also send personalized cards to commemorate special occasions or call new clients to welcome them to your practice.

Any action in which you proactively contact clients fits into this hour.

> Avoid activities that don’t involve direct contact
Omit activities such as checking your social-media sites, reading the news and researching the markets. These tasks do not involve direct contact with clients.

While those activities may contribute to your business, this hour calls for pursuits that develop further the personal tone of your client relationships.

> Treat it like an appointment
Regard this hour as you would an important appointment with a client. You will be more likely to stick with it.

“If it’s not ritualized,” MacPherson says, “it will just be put off to the side and it will be forgotten.”

Make a date with yourself every day at the same time to follow through on these tasks. Should emergencies or higher priorities come up, you can move the appointment. However, remember that you must be as consistent as possible in order to see results.

> Understand the benefits
When you make this hour a daily priority, MacPherson says, you are “competitor proofing” yourself by regularly reminding your clients why they should stick with you. The fact that you send handwritten notes to mark a client’s birthday, for example, or you call a client and ask how he and his family enjoyed their family reunion, shows your clients that you care about the details that matter to them.

Another reason to include this hour on your daily to-do list is that you are positioning yourself for possible referrals. Says MacPherson: “Strengthen the relationship so that clients can go out and convince other people on your behalf.”

You’re not asking for referrals, but simply keeping yourself top of mind with clients who may think of you when talking to their family members or friends.

> Involve your team
“In a perfect world,” MacPherson says, “you would spend 80% of your time on the 20% of clients who generate 80% of your business.”

That leaves your team to manage the relationships with the remaining clients, who produce 20% of your revenue.

By dividing your roster, you can focus personally on the clients you want to replicate. Your team can call and send cards to the rest of your client base so that group still feels connected.