What a Rock Band Can Teach B2Bs about Relationship Climate
Updated: Oct 17
Imagine a rock band playing but barely interacting with the audience. That's akin to businesses treating customers as mere names on a spreadsheet, as contacts in a CRM. Yet, when you face your fans, and fine-tune their experience along six specific dimensions, you hit the melody of a Trusted Advisor relationship.
What is a Relationship Climate?
The Motivating Riffs and Rhythms of Customer Loyalty
In our research into B2B sales, we’ve identified 6 Dimensions of a Trusted Advisor. Six perceptions you must plant in your audiences’ brains if you expect to build a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship. We call this the “Relationship Climate” between a buyer and a seller.
6 Dimensions: The Satisfiers
Initially, your fans are simply listening for these basic riffs, the basic “Satisfiers”:
Integrity – It's that consistent drumbeat the fans can tap their foot to. Can they rely on your groove, trusting you'll always keep the beat alive?
Competency – This is about mastering your craft, and honing your skills, experience, and expertise. You’ve sold them tickets and promised them a show, can you actually deliver a great performance?
6 Dimensions: The Motivators
Our past posts have explored these first two Dimensions of Trusted Advisor relationships: Integrity and Competency. Yet, the real magic, the iconic anthem, emerges from the following four dimensions, the “Motivators" - the intoxicating, magnetic forces that bond a buyer and a seller:
Recognition – Does your audience feel like they're all in the front row, or are some feeling lost in the crowd? Does each feel you appreciate them showing up? Show them that their name sparkles just a tad brighter on your stage.
Proactivity – Anticipate! Sing the unsung melodies of your customer’s heart before they even hum the tune. It's a good sign of emotional intelligence. Can you sense the next big hit, anticipating fan favorites before they even chant for an encore?
Savvy – Do you understand the concert of their lives, their dreams, and their passions? It's about walking in their shoes and playing tunes that reflect their needs, hopes and desires. In short, does your setlist demonstrate you get them?
Chemistry – It’s the secret sauce, the spark. Do they eagerly await your next show? When jamming, is there an unspoken sync between your band and their organization?
Together, these six dimensions form the "Relationship Climate". A climate, not of weather patterns, but of emotions, expectations, and elation. A climate of buyer perceptions that turn fleeting, transactional melodies into iconic anthems that fans hum long after the show.
And, oh boy, this climate has a pulse, a beat. You can measure it, dance to it, and even influence its tempo!
Relationship Climate is the score that should fuel all your tracks.
The Impact of Relationship Climate on Customer Experience and Loyalty
Compared to simple client satisfaction or single-question NPS feedback, one-hit songs that few remember, Relationship Climate captures the spirit of the entire experience. Rather than simply counting fans/non-fans, Relationship Climate deeply understands the story behind each fan’s experience.
When clients feel recognized and appreciated, they are more likely to be satisfied with the relationship and remain loyal. When they see a proactive approach instead of a reactive one, this level of investment and commitment to their cause inspires a genuine feeling of partnership.
How The 6 Dimensions Build Customer Loyalty
Trusted Advisors are expected to have Integrity and be Competent. Clients should know that you can get the job done at a high level. Like any band, having the talent and tools is the minimum requirement to be a Trusted Advisor.
What makes fans keep coming back are the Motivators. Savvy advisors should be able to provide valuable insights and guidance while navigating market trends in the Client’s favor. Chemistry creates a cooperative ambiance and smoother work dynamics. Customer loyalty relies on what makes you stand out as a salesperson or an account manager. It's the difference between an "okay show" and an "awesome experience!"
Any great band should be able to play in harmony. Each of these Dimensions plays a pivotal role, while simultaneously reinforcing the others. Recognition can fuel Proactivity, Savvy can bolster Recognition, and all factors can enhance the Chemistry within a Trusted Advisor relationship.
So, grab that guitar, hit the stage, and let Integrity and Competency, Recognition, Proactivity, Savvy, and Chemistry drive your legacy and motivate your fans. Take the lead, become that Trusted Advisor, and let customer experience and loyalty be your greatest hit!
Measure Relationship Climates and Improve CX
By understanding the importance of Relationship Climate and implementing appropriate techniques and strategies to cultivate them, Trusted Advisors can build robust and successful partnerships with their clients. However, such relationships are not built through a one-size-fits-all approach. It is through a customized process, unique to each buyer and seller that uncover gaps and opportunities between business relationships.
Accurately measuring relationship climates will give you the key to understanding your client's experiences. Most businesses don't even know they should be measuring their client relationships. And because it can be daunting to do all this, Encompass-CX automates the process for you, from perception-based survey creation to actionable solutions!
Learn how Encompass-CX can give your B2B smooth Customer Experience Management!
