ABSTRACT
Clients usually have a wide choice of suppliers for professional services. Firms want to become trusted advisers. Clients expect added value during a relationship. Experience shows that those firms that understand the different phases of relationship development are more likely to have a portfolio of loyal, profitable, Clients than those that just view Clients as transactional. Most firms would agree that their aim is to become the Client's trusted adviser, but that some relationships do not move beyond transactional or multi-service. One popular process of developing relationships with Clients can be likened to a cycle of Courtship, Engagement and Togetherness. Clients expect regular communication during their relationship with the supplying firm. A management team agreed to have a guest Client speak to them at dinner during a three-day residential workshop on Client management. The use of Client panels is on the increase as firms aim to satisfy Clients beyond provision of advice.
