Today’s email is for you if:
Your sales pipeline depends too much on finding the next customer.
You aren’t getting as many referrals or repeat sales as you should.
You've been blindsided by losing a customer you thought would never leave.
Most sales conversations obsess over how to get the deal. Fewer talk about what happens the day after you sign it.
That’s a problem, because that’s the part that determines whether you keep the client for one project or for ten years.
David Roy and I spent our Substack Live conversation today on exactly that gap. We didn’t focus on theory but on the actual mechanics of what to do once you’re in the door...or when the door closes.
Here are the most actionable moves we covered.
Onboarding & Kickoff
Run a “Pre-Kick-Off Huddle” 3–7 days before any engagement starts. Walk through logistics and other action items to set up the Kick-Off—and the entire project—for success.
Get an introduction to the AP/accounts payable contact during onboarding. Don’t wait until an invoice is late to meet them. It builds a second relationship and takes payment friction off your primary contact’s plate.
Proving Value On a Cadence
Set a recurring check-in cadence (weekly, biweekly, or monthly) specifically to show the customer what’s improved. Don’t assume they’re tracking it themselves.
Measure a baseline before you start (revenue, cost, whatever the relevant KPI is) so improvement is a number you can show, not a feeling you’re hoping they share.
Protecting the Account
Build a simple color-coded budget/risk sheet for high-value clients. (This is especially valuable for commercial service companies.) Flag what needs attention soon (yellow) vs. now (red), with rough budget ranges. It positions you as protecting their blind side, not being pushy.
Learn each client’s budget cycle (not everyone runs January–December) so you’re recommending replacements or upgrades when there’s actually money to spend.
Build relationships with multiple people inside the account…not just the decision-maker, but the day-to-day user, the influencer, the assistant. This way, if your main contact leaves, you’re not starting from zero.
Getting In / Staying In
Offer to be the “911 provider” for accounts that already have an incumbent. Even if you never win the whole account, being the emergency backup gets your foot in the door.
Keep a prospecting pipeline going even when you’re slammed. Never let your business development activity hit zero. Consistent BD protects you when an account changes hands or disappears overnight.
“Win” even with 2nd/3rd place finishes in RFPs. Staying visible and top-of-mind after a loss is often how you win the account later.
Drawing Out Honest Feedback
Let upset customers vent without getting defensive. Resolving a real complaint well often builds more trust than if nothing had gone wrong.
Reframe feedback requests as aspirational. Ask: “How can we take this to the next level?” Not: “What needs improvement?” You’re asking the same question, but people open up more when they don’t feel like they’re being negative.
Long-Term Account Health
Classify every account using the 4-Farmland Matrix (4FM)—new (farmland), underdeveloped, neglected, or lost. Each type calls for a different next move, whether that’s pursue, expand, staff up, or re-engage.
Don’t give up on lost accounts. Stay visible enough that when the new provider drops the ball, you’re the obvious call back.
If you want the full context behind each of these — the stories, the numbers, and a couple we didn’t have room for here — the full Live conversation is where we actually walk through it.
