Building Rapport with Clients as a New CEO or MD

Joining an organisation in a key leadership role can be likened to receiving a baton from the previous runner in a relay race. The baton is more than just a stick – it not only symbolises the effort invested by everyone before you, but also highlights your responsibility to maintain or improve the momentum set by them. Even as you assume your new position in the company, you are inheriting the legacy of the previous leader, from the personnel under you to the existing client relationships forged by your organisation.

Resistance to change is part of human nature, and manifests in the business world just like in the wider world. Any change to the status quo will invite an element of unease to your clients. With a new person at the top, they will wonder if business practices and conventions will change. They will also be concerned about your ability to meet or exceed the standard set by your predecessor in delivering continued success. How will you manage these concerns?

The first big step any new senior leader must take is to reach out to clients. As businesspeople, clients will appreciate signs of demonstrated interest and commitment to maintaining good relationships. As regular people, clients will also appreciate the warmth and comfort brought about when you reassure them that they can continue to expect success with your organisation. From an emotional perspective, channelling this sense of comfort can chip away at clients’ innate doubts and resistance to change.

Once they understand that you are indeed dedicated to helping them find success, that’s when they will open up to you, sharing about the challenges they’re facing. When you can work with them to tackle their challenges and devise solutions, your rapport with clients is firmly established. By understanding their concerns and pain points in detail, you can further capitalise on this window of opportunity and build on this rapport.

As you attempt to demonstrate your ability and commitment in delivering success to clients, they will be judging your performance. At the very beginning, you should be prepared to work with limited trust by clients – both you and your company’s relationship with them are on probation. This trust will naturally make its way to you when they see real progress by your organisation in helping them find success.

You may be judged on different standards like sales numbers, problems solved or campaign executions, but one thing will stay the same regardless of context; clients will trust you when you deliver, and the more you deliver, the more they’ll trust you. Your first deliverable is particularly important, because it sets the client’s expectations in place. Do an excellent job and you start the relationship on a stronger note.

When clients meet you for the first time, they don’t know what your track record at your new organisation looks like, but they have a reference point for the business relationship – experience working with your predecessor. Only when you deliver success will you have an opportunity to write your own success story with the clients.