Editor's Note: This article is the second part of a three-part, exclusive RainToday series based on Andrew's new book, All for One: 10 Strategies for Building Trusted Client Partnerships. RainToday members can click here to read part one.

Why do some client relationships stumble along while others take off and grow? High quality work is always the starting point, and being in the right place at the right time—such as during a client crisis—can help. But there's much more. In this second article in this series on becoming a trusted client partner, I focus on a second key strategy: Institutionalization. Relationship growth will always be gated by the specific expertise of the lead professional in charge of the client, unless he or she takes specific steps to become a door-opener rather than a gate-keeper. 

Institutionalizing and Growing Client Relationships

One of the hardest journeys is evolving from an individual relationship to an institutional one, in the process broadening and growing the relationship. I like to think of this journey as a progression, from Contact—which is Level 1—to Trusted Partner, or Level 6:

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