At one of my previous employers, we had a customer worth five million a year. A great relationship, for years. One account manager did everything. Knew everyone, knew everything, solved everything. The perfect account manager, we said.
Until he left.
Within three months, the customer was gone. Not because we delivered poorly, but because no one else had a relationship with the decision-makers. No one knew what their expectations were. No one had ever had a strategic conversation with them. He always did that.
Five million. Gone. Because everything depended on one person.
The pattern we see everywhere
This is not an exception. We see it at almost every organization we enter. Multi-million-euro contracts that depend on one contact person. Sometimes on our side, sometimes on the customer’s side. Usually both.
It feels safe. You have someone who does a good job, knows the customer and has their trust. Why would you change that?
Because it is not a strategy. It is a vulnerability.
What if your contact at the customer retires? Or gets promoted? Or is replaced by someone who would rather work with another supplier? What if your account manager gets sick or moves to a competitor?
In all those cases, you are back at zero. Zero is where customers leave.
Why organizations let this happen
It is not that people fail to see this risk. They feel it. Three reasons why it nevertheless persists.
First: the account manager protects their position, consciously or unconsciously. If they are the only person who knows the customer, they are indispensable. That feels good, but it is dangerous for the organization.
Second: there is no structure that steers toward multiple relationships. No one asks in the quarterly review: how many decision-makers do we have a professional relationship with? The question is not asked.
Third: building a broader network takes time and effort. Everyone is busy enough already.
Web of Influence
At Tenacity, we work with the concept of Web of Influence. The idea is simple: build professional relationships at multiple levels within your customer organization. Not only with your day-to-day contact, but also with the decision-makers who determine whether the contract is renewed.
The rule of thumb: every manager in your organization should have contact with at least three people at the customer. One at the same level, one level higher and one level lower. If one thread breaks, the web remains intact. Exactly as a spider’s web works.
How do you know whether you have a professional relationship? Three criteria. When you call, they know your name. They see you as someone who can help them. When you ask for a meeting, you get one without having to sell it.
Simple? Yes. Count how many of those relationships actually exist at your largest customer. Most teams are shocked by the answer.
What you can do this week
Take your three most important customers. For each customer, write down: who are the decision-makers and influencers? Which of them do you have a real professional relationship with? Who on your team maintains that relationship?
If the answer is always the same name, you have a problem. Not tomorrow. Now.
Because the question is not whether that one contact person will ever leave. The question is when.
Do you want to know how strong your Web of Influence is? Get in touch for a conversation.
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