Account Killer #3 — How Many of Your Key Client Relationships Depend on One Person?

Your key client relationships are assets to the business; they’re at risk when that relationship is overly dependent on an individual — not the organisation.

When too much control over a client relationship is anchored to one person, your business isn’t strong — it’s exposed.

This is concentration risk.

In finance, it means too much revenue tied to one client. In account management, it means too much influence tied to one individual.

And when that person moves, gets promoted, or loses relevance, the organisation doesn’t just lose a contact.

It loses visibility, access, and confidence. Growth slows. Continuity breaks. Sometimes, the account follows them out the door.

That’s not control. That’s exposure.

The Real Issue

This isn’t about individual performance. Account growth should never depend on the strength of individual relationships.

When one person “owns” the client relationship, the business starts to orbit around them — not the client. That’s over-dependence. It means:

• Information flow follows personal agendas.

• Influence relies on relationships, not insight.

• Understanding client decision-making becomes difficult.

• Growth and strategy both depend on individuals, not systems.

The warning signs are easy to miss:

• Little cross-functional connectivity within the client account.

• Infrequent reporting about the account’s progress and activities.

• Poor transparency into what’s really happening with the client.

• Relationship owners become protective or reluctant to let others in.

• Strategic opportunities that appear — or disappear — as a surprise.

This isn’t a people issue. It’s a lack of process and strategy — which means it’s fixable.

Why It Matters

The impact of concentration risk rarely appears straight away — but when it does, it’s sudden.

Whether it’s someone leaving from your side or theirs, the risk is the same.

• Clients tethered to one account owner lose trust and confidence during handovers.

• Internal teams react instead of anticipate — creating a suboptimal client experience.

• Knowledge lives in inboxes and memory, not systems.

• New account leads look unprepared, rebuilding trust from scratch.

• Growth slows because strategy isn’t shared or reviewed collectively.

• Competitors gain influence as your control erodes.

When access and trust sit with one individual, you’re not managing a relationship — you’re managing exposure.

The Fix

The answer isn’t more control. It’s better systems, strategy, and team-driven execution.

Continuity isn’t automatic; it’s built through structure and shared accountability. That means:

• Consistent, replicable account planning and execution.

• Regular strategic reviews for visibility and learning.

• Cross-functional teams aligned to client objectives.

In Perception Selling, I call this intentional relationship design — building trust, access, and influence deliberately, so they survive the people who hold them.

Relationships in business will always be personal. But they must be designed and managed to protect both client and company.

Trust takes time. Continuity requires structure. Both depend on systems that are repeatable, manageable, and scalable.

When one person holds the relationship keys, you don’t have control — you have exposure.

Hope waits. Strategy directs. Continuity is built.

If this challenge feels familiar, I’d love to hear how your organisation approaches it.

How do you ensure continuity when relationships evolve or change hands?📘 Missed last week’s edition? Account Killer #2 — When Strategic Clients Start Looking Elsewhere →

📅 Next week: Account Killer #4 — The Illusion of “We’re Fine.” The comfort story leaders tell themselves while relevance is already eroding.