ABSTRACT
Relationship management extends across the complete consulting life cycle. It touches the account management process, how consultancy is sold and how it is delivered. Relationship management should achieve three things. First, it should develop insights into the client and its business, and apply these to the engagement and account management processes. Second, it should allow the consultancy to learn incrementally about the client, so that over time it knows more about the client and its business. Third, it should seek to develop selective relationships that are consensual and deep. One of the early actions that consultants should take when working with their client is the drawing up of a relationship strategy. From a cultural perspective, relationship management has a national and organizational dimension to it. Within the national dimension of culture it is worth considering how important trust is to fostering effective relationships.
