Building Long-Term Client Relationships

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻… 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸𝘆. After working closely with top coaches and consultants, I’ve realized something: It’s not that you fear visibility. You fear irrelevance. And worse, 𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱-𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲. Here’s what no one tells you: Personal branding isn’t about shouting louder online. It’s about 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁. And you don’t have to “show up everywhere” to make it work. Here’s how I explain personal branding to seasoned consultants/coaches: ✔️ 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴. Your brand is the 3 sentences people remember when you’re not in the room. ✔️ 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲. Strategic, professional, authoritative—but human. ✔️ 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴. You’re creating a network that already trusts your competence—but sees you more often. ✔️ 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. You don’t need to share your life to build a brand. You need to share your thoughts. If you’re holding back because you're worried about protecting your reputation— 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿: silence online doesn’t protect authority anymore. It erodes it. The market now respects leaders they can see and hear consistently. 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲. 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗔𝗹𝘀𝗼, 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟴𝟲/𝟯𝟱𝟬. 𝗣.𝗦. 𝗜 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀, 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗖𝗫𝗢𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁. 𝗗𝗠 𝗺𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻

Evolution… When I started working in the pharmaceutical industry in 2002, things were quite different if not simpler: Building the brand was always the objective, and companies used to dwell on and work a lot on nurturing relationships with doctors and designing strategies/tactics around them…. The focus was on building robust sales, market share, and leadership. Global brands and practices were limited. In those early days, my aspirations were shaped by what I saw around me: Indian companies building brands through a customer-focused approach and global MNCs balancing science with storytelling. I admired both these approaches, their structure, the data-led communication, and the depth that some iconic brands brought in. And I knew I didn’t just want to sell. I wanted to build trust through knowledge, impact, customer/ patient centricity, and purpose. Over the next two decades, the industry evolved, and so did I. 1.⁠ ⁠Regulatory Transformation → We moved from product-first promotion to purpose-led narratives. → Today, safety data, ethical promotion, and stakeholder engagement define our playbook. → This shift demanded not just adaptation, but leadership rooted in accountability. 2.⁠ ⁠Globalisation of Pharma Portfolios → Earlier, global campaigns and storytelling were the exception. → Now, MNCs and Indian firms partner to deliver cutting-edge treatments faster. → It pushed me to think beyond reach and revenue, to access and outcomes. 3.⁠ ⁠Patient Centricity at the fore → The real turning point? The patient’s voice grew louder. → Today, people don’t just receive care, they choose it, question it, and participate in it. → As marketers and leaders, that means we must earn trust, not just attention. With time, my goals shifted—from chasing success to creating significance. What began as a drive to build brands has become a responsibility to build confidence, clarity, and care. Today, working with future leaders we focus on driving access, ethics, and empathy in everything we do. What about you? How have your goals evolved as our industry transformed? #PharmaLeadership #HealthcareEvolution #PatientCentricity #PurposeDrivenMarketing #PharmaTransformation

#Insurance is unique. People buy it hoping they’ll never need to use it. It’s there for those “what if” moments—accidents, unexpected events—things we all hope to avoid. Unlike products that become part of daily routines, insurance often fades into the background, and that makes traditional “engagement” challenging. Nir Eyal’s book “Hooked” offers some powerful insights on building habit-forming products. His “Hook Model” has four steps—Trigger, Action, Variable Reward, and Investment—that make people come back to certain products. While insurance might not naturally fit into this, there are lessons we can take to add real value with the objective create meaningful relationships with customers: 1️⃣Use Psychology to Build Risk Awareness Eyal explains that people engage with products that relieve discomfort. For insurance, the discomfort is the fear, the possible financial loss. Helping customers truly understand the risks they face—and how insurance protects against them—connects with people’s needs. It’s about awareness, and going beyond just selling a product to addressing real fears and providing peace of mind. 2️⃣Make Insurance Simple and Accessible In Hooked, simplicity is key. The easier it is for people to take action, the more likely they are to engage. For insurance, this means clear proposition, jargon-free policies and a smooth customer journey—from buying a policy to making a claim. If customers feel confident they understand what they’re buying and how it works, they’ll stay connected to it. 3️⃣Encourage Small Investments in Risk Prevention. Eyal points out that when people invest even a little effort in something, they’re more likely to return to it. Insurance can leverage this by encouraging customers to take small actions that reduce risk. IoT or wearable devices, for example, not only lower risks but also make customers feel more connected to their policy. This shift—from covering risk to helping prevent it—can build stronger, lasting relationships. Insurance may not be a daily-use product; but when customers understand the value, find the product easy to understand, and see benefits in prevention, insurers can build better and more lasting relationships.

I don’t have to win the trust of my clients! That is not because I have lakhs of followers on my socials!  Honestly, even with 10-20k followers, clients used to trust me. Most designers struggle with constant revisions, endless feedback and clients who doubt their every design. At first, I was there too. The breaking point came during a brand identity project where the client had me create 15 different versions! That night, I rewrote my entire client process from the ground up. I understood their emotions and concerns at first because I knew that if I had to find a solution, I would have to understand the problem at its root cause. I understood that most clients fear the unknown. So, I started to present my creative process as a structured procedure with clear expectations to build trust. → I started explaining everything behind my decision-making. "I chose this typography because it communicates stability while maintaining approachability for brand building. Here's how it compares to your competitors..." → I established a concrete feedback framework. Instead of asking, "What do you think?" I asked, "Does this align with your core brand attribute of innovation?" & "On a scale of 1-10, how well does this communicate trustworthiness?" Today our service agreement clearly outlines the number of concept presentations and revision rounds. It is important to protect the integrity of the work. Trust is earned through confident expertise, transparent processes and consistent results, not with the number of followers you have. So, understand your clients because if you address their concerns and genuinely solve their problems, they will give you outstanding referrals. What do you focus on the most to improve client experience? #graphicdesigner

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗡𝗼 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁. You can push a SIM card. You can push a discount coupon. But you cannot push a life insurance policy. You Have to Earn Your Way In. As simple as that. Because people don’t buy insurance when they understand it. They buy it when they feel it. That’s the core difference. Insurance isn't sold through persuasion. It’s adopted through trust. India's insurance sales culture still rests on short-term closures, monthly targets, and commission-first mindsets. This leads to aggressive selling and a transactional relationship with customers, where retention and satisfaction are secondary. We need to reorient insurance distribution from transactional sales to relationship-building. We must design long-term trust into the system. A professionalized, service-oriented approach would look like this: 🟢 Incentivizing agents based on renewals and claim servicing—not just first-time sales 🟢 Embedding agents within communities as risk advisors, not policy peddlers 🟢 Offering structured post-sale engagement with regular servicing touchpoints This shift will take time, training, and investment. But the payoff is huge: better retention, higher upgrade rates, and improved claim experiences. Because, real insurance adoption isn’t driven by closing techniques. It’s driven by confidence. A policy doesn’t enter a household through persuasion. It enters through trust, and trust is always earned. #InsuranceInIndia #InsurancePenetrationInIndia

I talked with them for business but now they are like close friends!! It still surprises me how many of our best client relationships started with just a simple conversation: no pitch, no deck, just real talk. Early on at Torchlight, I believed sales was about perfect decks, clever pitches, and chasing every lead in sight. But as we started handling bigger accounts and more complex projects, one thing became clear: No one trusts a stranger with a big-ticket decision. Did you know a study by even LinkedIn shows that buyers are five times more likely to engage with someone who’s helped them before, even without a pitch. At Torchlight, this is how we work. We never just show up in someone’s inbox and start selling services. We spend time understanding what’s actually going on in their business, what’s working, what’s not, what keeps them up at night. Sometimes, it’s a simple conversation about what’s happening in their industry. Sometimes, it’s sharing a resource or insight, no strings attached. We’ve had deals that took six months to close, but those are the clients who stay with us for years. Because by the time we talk business, they already trust that we “get it.” We become their sounding board, not just another agency chasing targets. Why does this work? When someone feels you’re invested in their success, not just your own, it triggers what is called the “liking principle”, people want to do business with people they actually like and trust. Quick wins in sales are rare, and usually, they don’t last. But relationships? Those are the real long-term assets. They bring in more business, more referrals, and frankly, more satisfaction at the end of the day. So before you rush to pitch your next service, ask yourself: Have you earned a seat at their table, as a person, not just a provider? That’s where the real selling starts.

Can enterprise deals close in lightning speed? When you invest early in relationships, in building trust, yes absolutely. We just had a significant project close in less than a week. Call with the CMO outlining needs last Wednesday afternoon, signed contract last night. Abnormal? Sure. Repeatable? You bet. Invest in relationships. Build trust early and often. In reality, I've been investing in this project for years. It's with a CMO I've known for a very long time, has been to several of our CMO breakfasts and events, and is less than three months into a new role. The relationship and trust we've built over the years checked many of the early buying journey boxes we'd otherwise have to go through over time (weeks? months?) if the relationship started cold. This isn't unique to a services sale either. The buyer who loved your software at a past company but couldn't buy for any of a myriad reasons could buy quickly at their new gig. TL:DR: Play the long game.

As a VC, I don’t just back numbers. I back people. And you only see the real person when they’re out of their comfort zone. Most investor-founder conversations happen in the same setup: Polished tables, pitch decks, and 30-minute slots. But that format only tells me what a founder is building. It rarely shows me who they are. And as every VC will agree, it’s the founder not the spreadsheet that ultimately determines whether a company survives the storm. That’s why we created ISPL (Indian Startup Premier League). On the cricket turf, something changes: - Founders aren’t just “pitching,” they’re making quick decisions, leading teams, staying calm under pressure. - Investors aren’t just “evaluating,” they’re connecting as human beings, cheering, joking, building trust. - Conversations flow naturally not forced by slides or a timer. In Season 1 alone, we saw founders and investors walk away with more than just introductions. Partnerships began, mentorships clicked, and yes,  funding conversations too. To me, ISPL is proof that building ecosystems isn’t just about capital. It’s about building trust in environments where people can be themselves. And sometimes, that’s easier to see when a founder is chasing runs instead of chasing valuations. 

Building Trust and Brand in Insurance Sales: In the world of insurance, making a single sale is only the beginning. A customer purchasing an insurance policy for the first time signifies that the advisor has been able to convince them of the need for protection and security. This moment represents success, but it does not guarantee long-term business growth. True achievement lies beyond the first transaction—when trust is built, relationships are strengthened, and the reputation of the advisor or company grows into a trusted brand. When a customer comes back to renew a policy, buy additional coverage, or consider other insurance products, it is a clear sign that trust has been established. Insurance is not a one-time commodity; it is a long-term promise of protection for life, health, family, and wealth. Customers who return to the same advisor or insurer are demonstrating confidence that their needs will continue to be met with honesty and reliability. In such cases, the advisor is not just selling insurance—they are becoming a trusted financial partner in the customer’s life journey. The next stage of growth is when satisfied customers begin to refer others. Word-of-mouth referrals in insurance carry immense weight because they are based on real experiences of service, claim settlement, and advisor support. When customers recommend an insurance advisor to friends or family, they are not just endorsing a product; they are endorsing a relationship built on credibility and care. This is the point where an advisor or insurance company begins to evolve from making sales to creating a brand. Thus, in insurance, the cycle is simple yet profound: I) A sale is made when a customer buys a policy. ii) Trust is built when they renew or expand their coverage. iii) A brand is created when they share their positive experience with others. For insurance professionals, the focus must therefore shift from chasing one-time sales to nurturing lasting relationships. The true measure of success in this industry is not how many policies are sold in a day, but how many customers stay, grow, and bring others along. In essence, every policy sold is a door to building trust, and every satisfied customer is a seed for building a brand. #Trust #Brand #Relationship #Reputation

Most client relationships fail before they start. Here’s my system for building trust every time. But before that, let me give you a backstory first. When I started, I thought getting clients was a numbers game: • Send enough cold emails. • Get enough leads. • Seal enough deals. But it wasn’t long before I realized: That mindset was broken. And the results? • Mediocre work. • Short-term relationships. • No real connection. Then I flipped the script. I stopped treating clients like transactions. I started treating them like people. And everything changed. Think about the last time you felt truly understood: • Maybe it was a friend who listened - really listened. • Or a mentor who saw something in you that even you didn’t see. It felt good, didn’t it? • You felt valued. • You felt heard. Now imagine being a client. • You’re juggling problems. • Trying to grow. Trying to survive. And every service you’re offered feels… the same. Another one-size-fits-all solution. But then you meet someone different: 1. They ask questions no one else does. 2. They listen. 3. They take the time to understand your goals. And only then do they craft a solution that feels like it was made just for you. That’s when you know you’ve found someone good. This is what separates okay service providers from the ones people never stop recommending. And here's how I suggest you can be that person: Step 1 - Ask better questions. What’s their biggest pain point? What does success look like to them? Step 2 - Customize your approach. Forget cookie-cutter solutions. Show them you’ve built something with their needs in mind. Step 3 - Stay curious. Their business evolves. So should your understanding. So always try to learn more about them and their business. Always take the time to truly know your clients. Because that's when you solve real problems, and not just provide a service. And when they win? You win too. So stop chasing numbers. And start building relationships. It’s the fastest way to grow something real. —— ✍ Question: What’s one way you’ve built trust with your clients from day one? #Business #Founders #Contract #Law #entrepreneurs