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UK-based. Working with sales teams across Europe.

Building Long-lasting Client Relationships

Move beyond supplier status to become a trusted adviser who strengthens client relationships, adds value and earns referrals.

Your customers need you to solve today's issue while planning for tomorrow's value. You balance handovers, changing stakeholders, renewals and growth targets — often with limited time for proactive account development. We understand that protecting trust and having a commercial conversation are not competing jobs. The AM Lab helps you connect them with confidence.

Two sellers role-playing a customer conversation while a colleague observes
The Sales House
Explore. Practise. Perform.

Duration

Half day · 3.5 hours per half day

Group size

8–10 delegates

Format

Online or face to face

Price — Face to face

From £1,150

+ VAT

Price — Online

From £900

+ VAT

where understanding becomes useful —

Why this course matters

A lasting relationship is built through the value of everyday interactions, especially when something goes wrong.

What you’ll explore in the Lab

Strong client relationships need more than reliable delivery: account managers, customer success and service teams, and relationship managers must demonstrate value, manage expectations and respond well when things go wrong. This half-day course develops the trusted adviser mindset, helping delegates build trust and add value at every client touchpoint.

It explores how to run valuable quarterly business reviews (QBRs), handle complaints constructively and recover relationships, alongside appropriate ways to request referrals and testimonials. Delegates leave better equipped to deepen trust with key clients, turn issues into opportunities to strengthen relationships and encourage satisfied customers to recommend their services.

a real challenge. a purposeful response.

The challenges this addresses

  • Reliable service not translated into recognised customer value
  • Complaints weakening trust because issue ownership is unclear
  • Client expectations left untested between important relationship touchpoints
  • Referral conversations avoided despite clear signs of customer satisfaction

What this can change at work

Lasting relationships are built in everyday conversations, including the difficult ones. Delegates develop a more deliberate approach to expectations, value reviews and complaint recovery, helping clients see an adviser rather than simply a service contact. Managers can reinforce clear ownership and thoughtful follow-through, while the business can support retention and recognise appropriate moments to ask satisfied customers for referrals or testimonials.

Expectations checked openly

Client meetings include explicit checks on expectations and perceived value, rather than assuming reliable delivery means the relationship is healthy.

Clear complaint follow-through

Account and service colleagues agree who owns the response to a complaint and keep the client informed about next actions.

Thoughtful referral requests

Relationship managers ask satisfied clients for referrals or testimonials at appropriate moments, connecting the request to value the client has recognised.

Explore. Practise. Perform.

Less theory. More application.

What participants will practise

Realistic sales scenarios, role-play and peer feedback around the trusted advisor mindset and regular value reviews (qbrs). Where helpful, participants work on their own live (or anonymised) opportunities.

What they’ll take away

Take-away materials with the questions, frameworks and techniques covered, plus a short personal action plan for the next customer conversations where the skill matters.

How we help it stick

Reflection and action planning are built into the session. Reinforcement such as manager guides, follow-up labs or coaching depends on the programme you choose and is agreed with you.

How we make learning stick

Inside the workshop

Working in a small group of 8–10, delegates explore the trusted adviser mindset through facilitated discussion, breakouts and peer-to-peer learning. Live practice focuses on structuring a valuable quarterly business review, managing expectations and responding to client complaints. Delegates leave with practical approaches to value reviews, relationship recovery and referral conversations, ready to apply with their own clients.

Make Building Long-lasting Client Relationships relevant to your business

Tell us where you want to make progress with the trusted advisor mindset. We can discuss suitable workplace examples, priorities and access needs before agreeing the scope. Choose live online or face-to-face training for your UK or European team, with delivery arrangements agreed before booking.

Discuss a customised version

What the training covers

The scope below sets out the subjects covered. Workplace examples and practice are shaped around your team within the booked format.

  • The trusted advisor mindset
  • Regular value reviews (QBRs)
  • Managing client expectations
  • Handling complaints and recovering relationships
  • Gaining referrals and testimonials

What’s included in your booking

Your booked time and format
Half day · Live online or face to face, agreed before booking · 8–10 delegates.
Included in every course
  • Interactive, facilitator-led learningLive, hands-on sessions built around practice and participation.
  • Group discussionsShared conversations about real situations, so people learn from each other as well as the facilitator.
  • Breakout exercisesSmall-group practice, role-play and problem-solving, online or in the room.
  • Take-away materialsCourse materials, tools and templates to use back at work.
Facilitated learning and practical application
The subject coverage, exercises and facilitator feedback described above, with space to connect the learning to relevant workplace situations. The workshop description sets out the specific plans, prompts or tools developed in this course.

Follow-up coaching, refresher sessions and additional delivery days are not automatic inclusions; any additions are agreed in your proposal. Travel, venue arrangements and any software licences are confirmed separately where relevant. Prices exclude VAT.

Outcomes

The capabilities delegates work towards through the training and practice:

  • Run a valuable quarterly business review
  • Strengthen trust with key clients
  • Turn issues into stronger relationships
  • Generate referrals from happy clients

the next conversation is where it counts —

Take it back to work.

Choose a real situation where you want to apply the learning. Use it to turn an outcome into a manageable first step, then reflect on what changes.

Choose

Start with one priority: Run a valuable quarterly business review.

Apply

Try the approach in a relevant task or conversation. Note what felt useful and what you would adapt.

Review

Reflect on what happened, seek feedback where appropriate and choose your next step. Follow-up support can be discussed separately.

Bring this topic to your next event

We can discuss adapting Building Long-lasting Client Relationships into a keynote or large-group session, focusing on the themes most relevant to your audience. Depth, activities, timings and any follow-up depend on the format and package you choose; an event session is not a substitute for the full course.

Explore Speaking & Events

More from Account Managers Lab

Flagship programme

AM Online Lab Pt 1:
Retain, Develop & Grow

Five live online labs that help account managers own their portfolio, deepen relationships, prove their value and spot genuine growth opportunities.

5 × 2.5-hour live online sessions (12.5 hours)Maximum 8 participants

Course synopsis

Every renewal and expansion starts long before the commercial conversation — in how well you know the customer and the value you keep proving. AM Online Lab Part 1 equips account managers with the skills to strengthen customer relationships, demonstrate ongoing value, proactively manage accounts and uncover growth opportunities. Across five live online sessions, AMs segment and prioritise their portfolio, run discovery beyond the original sale, build multithreaded relationships, deliver value-led business reviews and shape credible expansion plans. Each session is a small-group working lab with breakouts, role-play and personal coaching, and an agreed action to apply before the next session.

5 live sessions · 2.5 hours each

Outcomes — you'll be able to

  • Segment a portfolio by value, potential and risk and build actionable account plans
  • Run discovery conversations that uncover new customer priorities
  • Develop multithreaded relationships and engage senior stakeholders
  • Prepare and deliver an engaging, value-led business review
  • Identify expansion opportunities and build a compelling business case

Included in every course

  • Interactive, facilitator-led learning
  • Group discussions
  • Breakout exercises
  • Take-away materials

Live online

From £4,450 per group+ VAT

Course details

Flagship programme

AM Online Lab Pt 2:
Protect, Negotiate & Expand

Three live online labs to manage difficult conversations, protect existing revenue and progress renewals and expansion with commercial confidence.

3 × 2.5-hour live online sessions (7.5 hours)Maximum 8 participants

Course synopsis

Protecting a customer relationship sometimes means having the conversation others would rather avoid — and having it well. AM Online Lab Part 2 develops the commercial confidence account managers need to manage difficult conversations, protect existing revenue and successfully progress renewals and expansion opportunities. Across three live online sessions, AMs recognise early signs of risk, handle challenging conversations with empathy, defend value under pricing pressure and build mutual action plans that carry renewals and growth through to completion. Practice uses real-world account scenarios, role-play and personal coaching.

3 live sessions · 2.5 hours each

Outcomes — you'll be able to

  • Recognise early warning signs of dissatisfaction and churn
  • Handle challenging customer conversations with confidence and empathy
  • Defend value under pricing pressure without unnecessary concessions
  • Build mutual action plans that progress renewals and expansion to completion

Included in every course

  • Interactive, facilitator-led learning
  • Group discussions
  • Breakout exercises
  • Take-away materials

Live online

From £3,300 per group+ VAT

Course details

your sales team. your priorities. your programme. —

Build your own sales programme.

Combine courses, focus on your skills gaps and shape the learning around your sales cycle. Standard workshops run with 8–10 delegates; BDR and MEDDPICC sessions have a maximum of eight; Sales Leadership workshops run with 6–8. Smaller bespoke cohorts can be discussed, with pricing agreed for your programme.

Where better selling begins.

Your team doesn’t need more slides. They need skills that stick.

Know you need help? Book a relaxed, no-obligation 30-minute call. We’ll talk through your team and challenge, and you’ll leave with an honest view of the options — no brief or programme needed.