Do You Deserve Your Client’s Loyalty?

If you left your company would your clients come with you? Or would they continue to do business with your company?

If your clients had to go through the trouble of changing partners to retain you, would it be worth the time and the trouble to switch just to keep you? Would they believe the switching costs are too high to recoup by moving with you to your new company?

If your new company had a higher price, would your client pay that price, knowing that the premium they pay to keep you will be more than offset by the value you create? Would a higher price prevent them from moving because they believe that no greater value could be generated by working with you?

If your client was asked about what they do in your category, would they recommend you unequivocally? More to the point, would they send an email introducing you to make sure that you could engage the person and company who needs the help you can provide? Would they stay silent, not really believing that you make a difference worth bragging about?

If a new leader was hired into your client’s company, would your contacts and the rest of the organization defend you from being displaced, regardless of the initiative, and regardless of the political fallout? Would they suggest that you are indispensable? Or, would they allow you to be displaced simply because the new leader needs change, and you are difficult to defend?

If your main contact left their role with your existing client, would they take you with them to their next job because they couldn’t imagine not having you there to help them? Would they make waves in their new role because you are vital to their success?

If you recommended a complicated, disruptive change, would your client walk down that path with you, even if it was going to stir up the hornet’s nest of resistance that comes with a real change initiative? Would they believe that it isn’t worth the trouble to exert the energy to help you make change in their organization because you haven’t proven you will execute?