What's the problem with client relations exercises?
Relationship building and rewarding loyalty are the foundations of such events, but both have fundamental flaws. The former does not provide a sustainable competitive advantage, and changes in personnel or simply personal preferences, as well as the entry of an alternative's representative, can all undermine the foundations of these relationships.
Second, previous loyalty does not guarantee future loyalty. That is the point, you might say, but there are numerous factors that could prevent such an outcome. First, there are financial considerations, followed by better alternatives or changes in the client's core business, business model, or even....pandemics!
Ultimately, the solution may be to make these 'investments' in client relations even more valuable and to use them to collect actionable data to improve our businesses and offerings. This could generate value that outweighs the other factors mentioned above.
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