I had the good fortune of working with my friend Mark Hill (former president of Baker Hill Corporation) for eight years in Carmel, Indiana.  Like most successful entrepreneurs Mark had a few philosophical beliefs he was very passionate about.  One of the more memorable was his philosophy around the term “Client” versus “Customer”.

Mark always insisted we use the term “Client” because he wanted the company to think in terms of ongoing, long-term relationships. It was his belief the term “Customer” implied a transactional, once-and-done, take it or leave it thing.

Whether you prefer to use the term “Client” or “Customer” is not really the issue. The issue is if you forge a mutually beneficial relationship with your clients. Successful organizations always treat their clients with respect. They also provide great service, great products and value. They have a long-term view of the relationship and do not try to take advantage of an opportunity at the client’s expense.

The recent economic troubles have been a test for a lot of organizations. I believe the survivors will be the ones with the solid relationships with their client base. Clients are not stupid. They can discern the good companies from the bad ones. They too value relationships. What about you? What’s your philosophy around clients? We’d love to hear your take on the situation. You can email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it