By Deb Feder
Many leaders recognize the urgency of succession planning, yet few feel confident executing it well—especially when it comes to transitioning client relationships. This piece challenges the traditional “baton pass” mindset, offering instead a slower, trust-building approach rooted in early introductions, clear communication, consistent engagement, and intentional collaboration across teams and with clients.
Studies show that while 86% of leaders think succession planning is an urgent and important priority, only 13% believe they do it well. Coupled with the shifts in retirement plans for boomers, as well as those choosing to stay in the market due to financial uncertainty, the transition of client relationships and successful succession planning has become an increasingly important conversation and corporate priority. Transitioning client relationships is often seen as a shuttle-run strategy. The new team is standing in front of you, not paying attention to your relationship and pacing with the client, but rather waiting for the day you hand over the baton. Yet, this forward-focused approach and the waiting game are often the downfall to most client relationship transitions to other members of your team.
Instead of the shuttle run plan, consider a slowly paced launch (like a dance that ramps up over time). As it builds momentum, new team leaders take over the pace and plan for nurturing the relationship and managing the work. While a seemingly daunting task that has no guarantees, leaving the transition (or at least sharing of the relationship) to be postponed for fear of losing trust jeopardizes the significant gains you have made nurturing the client for all this time. There is another way to transition client relationships and not lose trust, but instead, gain it and serve the client at a deeper level along the way.
Introduce Early and Often
The transition of a client relationship can start in micro-steps earlier on in the relationship and dependent on the scope of work. As new projects launch, it is often a great time to test out new team members and make introductions that allow the whole team to service the team together. These smaller moments of client exposure will enable the client to get used to a variety of personalities and advisors working on their projects, as well as allowing you to deepen the bench of experts and offer more significant expertise to the client. Waiting to introduce new team members or allowing others to build relationships at their own pace allows for the transition to happen someday in a more organic fashion.
Be Open About Timing and Intention
One of the most complex parts of a successful transition is the unknown factors involved in the professional leaving the client. When you might be unclear about the timing or certainty behind the transition, this often leads to a lack of communication or planning to make the client transition both smooth and intentional. This communication needs to be clear— especially when there might be hesitancy or a chance of changing the intended timing— and shared with your team in a way that not only helps them understand the timeline but allows them to prepare for the change in workload accordingly. Starting to plan early and adjust is better than hoping everyone can jump in and make a transition smooth when you are ready.
A suggested internal conversation regarding this timing might start with identifying those you want included, and offering “While I am not certain of the timing of the client transition, I do want to make sure I have a fully engaged team that is caring for the client and knows their leadership in a similar manner to me. With that, I would love to introduce you and collaborate on bringing you into the dialogue with a new frequency if this is something you are interested in discussing.”
While communication with your internal team and transition partners is important, it is also critical to loop the client into the conversation. Clients don’t want to feel like a “widget” that you can pass around and assume they will be happy, but often feel best when you appropriately include them into the conversation and planning. Once you have mapped out a plan and timing with your team, be clear on the leadership plan and approach that is tailored for the client and how you know they want to be serviced and cared for based on your years of building trust and a relationship through your work together.
Build Trust Through Simple, Consistent Conversations
Understanding how to use client conversations and building trust and rapport with the client team is paramount in transitioning a client relationship. Without this nurturing, clients may fill this void by looking around for a new source or replacement for you, your expertise, and services. Helping your new team to nurture the appropriate levels (including the more senior members of the client relationship) will help make the transition smooth and successful.
Starting with small talk, new team members can find their rhythm of rapport to get to know the client, learn their personality and approach, and show interest. From this simple launching pad that is one-third of the conversations we are having during the day, teams can find trust and opportunities to expand the client relationship in these more frequent conversations, finding ways to engage with the client face-to-face, and spotting new ideas that might tighten the client relationship. This starts by knowing where the client priorities are shifting in the near and long term and adjusting your team and proposed client connections to align with this plan. One of the best parts of the transition is allowing new partners to share their expertise and approach which might offer a new way to be present and significant to the client. At this point, stepping aside and letting the new team shine is critical. Finally, simple follow-up and follow-through conversations deepens the trust and starts moving the relationship to the new team. Launch this by offering that the client will be hearing from one of the new team leaders, and you look forward to them continuing the dialogue and support.
Consult from the Sidelines
When you are ready to step aside, you can consider staying involved as a consulting partner to allow the client and team to have access to your expertise, without being the manager and leader of the client relationship team. Stay interested and engaged while having a plan with your new team leaders on how they want you to engage or continue to nurture your relationships without stepping on those toes. Remember to communicate this plan and coordinate it with the client, rather than making the assumption that they will accept whatever is decided for them.
Transitioning client relationships is best done as a careful dance focusing on communication, conversations, and consistent interactions. Allowing the new team to shine and finding those that align in approach and expertise is key. Allowing yourself the time and space to find this alignment is the difference between hoping for the best and seeing the transition all the way through.
Deb Feder
