Sometimes you do great work with a client but struggle to broaden your relationships within the client’s organization. You get stuck in a holding pattern.
Not long ago, I talked with a frustrated colleague that happened to. He’d been working with a new client for weeks, and everything was going well. But he was having no success meeting others in the client’s organization, even though he was sure he could help in more areas.
I knew exactly how he felt. I’ve been there more than once. As I told my colleague, we usually hit the relationship wall for one of two reasons: either the client intentionally blocks our attempts to branch out, or the client doesn’t know or fully understand what else we can do.
Converting a Controller
One common obstacle to extending your relationship network is working for a “controller,” and I don’t mean the accounting kind. This is someone who supports your project, but keeps a tight rein on your access to others, especially if they are not directly involved in your current project.
Typically, a controller insists on knowing about every meeting you have, wants to approve the meeting agenda in advance, and demands to review all material before anyone else sees it. Often, you have to arrange the schedule so the controller can attend every meeting too.
read more http://mindshareconsulting.com/breaking-relationship-walls/
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