In a recent More Clients TV video I mentioned that value is what gets you repeated attention from your potential clients.

You'll hear a lot about how you should use techniques like open loops or cliffhangers or other “tricks” in your communications to get people to stay tuned in and anticipate your next missive.

These can help, of course. But they shouldn't be your primary focus.

Because no matter how clever the cliffhangers are at the end of a TV show, if we find we're not actually enjoying the show itself, we'll stop watching.

At the end of the day, what really drives people to keep tuning in to business communications or keep up a business relationship is the value they get from it.

Deliver value in your communications and interactions with your potential clients and they'll come back for more.

They'll seek you out and they'll give you their time.

But value doesn't mean that every single time you interact with a potential client or send them an email that they get life changing advice from you they immediately implement and get massive results from.

Not only is that pretty much impossible for you to do, it's also pretty much impossible for them to cope with.

The best action movies aren't action all the time. The best comedies don't have a joke in every sentence.

You need light and shade. The chance to breathe. Relaxation after tension.

When it comes to delivering value, there's “big value”: a significant change and improvement in their business or life.

But most of your communications will be “little value”. A snack to tide them over before the main meal.

Little value can be many things.

It could be little hints and tips.

Or an interesting idea or concept.

It could be an inspiring story that motivates and gives hope.

It could be relevant news. Or useful resources they can access.

It could be a discount or special offer (for people who are ready to buy).

Or it could just be something amusing, fun or entertaining that makes them smile and brings a little ray of sunshine into their lives.

(Actually, strike the “just” from that previous sentence. The older I've got, the more I've come to believe that bringing a smile to people's lives is perhaps the most important type of value there is).

My point, I guess, is that there are so many ways to give “little value”.

If you find yourself struggling to come up with something to email or a video to make or content for your website, it might well be you're trying to do too much “big value” and not enough “little value”.

Let yourself off the hook a little bit.

No one expects everything you do to be filled with earth-shattering new ideas. In fact they'd soon get worn out if it did.

It's much better to keep your relationship bubbling along with regular “little value” than to pop up with “big value” once in a blue moon.

And I hope this example of “little value” has maybe inspired you to do the same yourself :)