Four Steps to Growing Your Best Client Relationships
Every January offers a fresh opportunity to reset, plan and strengthen your most important relationships. Your top clients are the lifeblood of your revenue — keeping them engaged and valued isn’t just smart business; it’s strategic growth. But too often, sales teams treat the new year like just another quarter. The reality? A proactive start builds trust, uncovers opportunity and prevents churn before it starts.
Here’s a four-step strategy for how to treat the beginning of the year like a strategic inflection point with your best clients.
- Conduct a Strategic Account Review
The first step is to look back strategically so you can move forward with clarity. Begin by evaluating performance metrics from the prior year:
- What did you deliver well?
- Where did expectations fall short?
- Did you meet objectives/targets or expansion goals?
This isn’t about assigning blame — it’s about clarity and alignment.
Use this analysis to frame your first conversation of the year with each valued client. Go in with data and insights that show you understand their business and their journey with you.
- Deepen Communication Through a Goal-Setting Conversation
Now that you understand where things stand, actively co-create goals with your client for the year ahead. Research shows that bringing clients into the goal-setting process improves alignment and strengthens long-term outcomes. Begin each kickoff discussion with thoughtful questions like:
- Where do you see your business heading this year?
- What does success look like to you?
- What challenges are on your radar?
- What must happen for you to call 2026 a success?
Knowing what success looks like is critical to meeting and exceeding expectations. By involving your client in shaping up the plan, you demonstrate investment in their success—not just in your sales numbers. That shift builds loyalty and opens doors to strategic opportunities.
- Build or Refresh a Client Success Plan
Once you’re aligned on goals, put your plan in writing. A strategic client success plan helps you and your client stay on the same page throughout the year. Your plan should include:
- Clear objectives & success measures (How will we know it’s working?)
- Key milestones & check-in dates
- Communication expectations
- Growth opportunities you’ve identified
The plan becomes your shared roadmap — a contract of intent that keeps both sides accountable and forward-focused. It also signals that you’re thinking long-term, beyond just transactional interactions.
- Set communication expectations/frequency
Regular communication is not negotiable. A structured cadence — whether it’s monthly calls, quarterly business reviews (QBRs) or strategic check-ins — ensures you stay connected and relevant. Proactive outreach prevents misunderstandings and strengthens trust. Consider scheduling your Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) before leaving the meeting — not as administrative check-ins, but as co-strategic sessions to assess progress, pivot where needed and uncover new opportunities.
The Bottom Line
Valued clients don’t stay that way by accident. They remain loyal because you make them feel understood, aligned and supported — every step of the year. Start strong by:
- Reviewing the past year with insights and honesty
- Co-creating goals that tie your success to theirs
- Building a shared action plan with milestones
- Establishing a proactive communication rhythm
These aren’t just best practices — they’re relationship multipliers that protect revenue, drive growth and turn clients into advocates. Consider starting now – this week. The early year sets the tone for the entire 12 months ahead.
If you want some help with the meeting and thought starters, we’ve created an RAB Client Success Meeting Agenda. Just shoot me an email here, and I’ll be happy to share. Remember, sending an agenda in advance to clients puts you in the top 1% of sales professionals.
Think Big, Make Big Things Happen!
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