DEVELOPING a multi-level network of contacts within client organizations is vital if these business relationships are to survive in the long term.

One man who has an intimate understanding of building a ‘web of influence’ within client organizations is John Gamble, founder of leading US client retention consultancy, Tenacity.

Over the years, Gamble has worked with many companies who have nurtured a single relationship within a client organization – only to find that when communication with that person is lost they face the risk of losing that business.

Peril of having a single point of client contact
Gamble says: “If you rely only on your relationship with one person, then your value to that organization leaves when your contact does.

“You cannot allow your business success to be dependent upon any one person in the client organization, no matter how high up that person is. That person may retire, leave or get sick.

“To avoid this becoming a threat it’s vital that you have a web of influence inside your client’s organization.”

Gamble says this web should include the people “who can hire you, the people who can fire you and the people who can influence that decision”.

Don’t be blocked off by key client contacts
He comments that in the course of offering expertise to companies, Tenacity has witnessed many contract managers allowing themselves to be blocked from other people in the client organization by their direct liaison.

Gamble says that typically, a client liaison might claim that it’s not important that you know anyone else from within their organization, because you communicate through them, and them alone.

“If we allow ourselves to be blocked from the organization we allow ourselves to not have relationships at multiple levels inside the client organization,” warns Gamble. “What we’ve seen happen when this occurs is that when your liaison leaves, there’s a void in the communication; no one else knows what you’ve done, because they haven’t communicated with others in their organization. “They promised you they would, but they didn’t.

How to build a web of influence with client organizations 
Gamble explains that in such a scenario, the value that you’ve delivered through your client liaison becomes in an instant unknown to others within that organization.

He adds: “You need not only a direct relationship with your counterpart [in the client organization, but relations with one person up in that company, and one person down.

“Then, if the relationship disappears it’s being supported from above and below. This is critical to your survival.”

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