In today’s world of ultra-competitive sales, winning a major account is no longer the final victory—it’s just the beginning. As customer expectations shift and competitors constantly circle, retaining your best clients requires strategy, attention, and a little bit of old-school charm.
“Let’s be honest,” said Dave Kahle, business coach, sales expert, and founder of Kahle Way Sales Systems. “The top 5% of your accounts often generate about 50% of your income. And yet, they’re the ones most at risk—because we get complacent.”
Kahle has worked with thousands of sales professionals across the country. He shares four proven rules that help sales teams lock in their most valuable relationships and keep competitors at bay.
Rule No. 1: Build deeper personal relationships
It’s simple: People buy from people they like—and it’s harder to fire a friend.
“Take the time to know your customers personally,” Kahle advised. “In my day, I’d take top clients and their spouses to dinner and a baseball game. My only rules were: I pay, and we don’t talk business.”
That personal investment builds trust, loyalty, and emotional connection. It creates a buffer of goodwill that a lower price or slick pitch from a competitor often can’t penetrate.
“In high-dollar accounts, comfort matters,” Kahle said. “And that comfort often comes from the relationship, not the product.”
Rule No. 2: Close the open doors
Complacency kills, and Kahle warns that any loose end is an open door for your competition.
“Maybe you forgot to process a return,” he said. “Maybe you’re slow on resolving a small issue. Or maybe you’ve let some product prices creep higher than the market rate. A sharp competitor will spot that and use it to create doubt.”
One of the most dangerous blind spots? Overpricing within long-term accounts. “It’s easy to get comfortable and pad margins over time,” Kahle explained. “But that’s a red flag. Competitors will sniff it out—and you’ll look like the one taking advantage.”
Rule No. 3: Host regular business review meetings
To reinforce your value and demonstrate ongoing commitment, Kahle recommends structured review meetings with key stakeholders.
“These aren’t sales meetings,” he clarified. “You bring the data—fill rates, order history, service stats—and you sit down with the client and your boss to talk about how the partnership is going.”
Kahle emphasized the power of this strategy: “It shows accountability. It closes gaps. And it deepens the relationship.” And more often than not, he said, it opens new doors.
“I can’t tell you how many times someone pulled me aside after the meeting and said, ‘By the way, we’re thinking about this…’ And just like that, you have a new opportunity.”
Rule No. 4: Bundle and lock in the business
The final—and most powerful—strategy is bundling the account into a structured agreement.
“Take those 15 SKUs they buy from you and package them into one contract,” Kahle advised. “Guarantee pricing for a year, and in exchange, ask them to guarantee the volume or exclusivity.”
To sweeten the deal, he recommended offering a rebate on new or additional volume—not existing spend.
“If they do $100,000 with you annually, offer a 3% rebate on anything above that,” he said. “The perceived value is high, but the cost to you is minimal when amortized across the full account.”
Kahle learned the power of bundling the hard way—when he lost a major hospital account because the competitor had the entire product line locked in with a rebate-driven agreement. “Even when I could beat their price by 30%, the client wouldn’t budge,” he said. “The contract meant more than the savings.”
The lost art of entertaining
Kahle also believes in the timeless value of hospitality and face time.
“We’ve lost some of that in today’s culture,” he said. “But meals, events, and casual moments outside the office are where the real relationships form. I brought my wife to these events. That made everything smoother. Sometimes I think we kept the account because their spouse liked my spouse.”
It’s not about flashy tactics—it’s about thoughtful habits
At the core of Kahle’s advice is this principle: Consistency beats charisma.
“Don’t wait for warning signs,” he said. “By the time a competitor is inside the account, it’s often too late. These four strategies aren’t reactive—they’re proactive. You do them to make sure the client doesn’t even think about switching.”
Whether you’re a seasoned sales rep or a new account manager, Kahle’s message is clear: Your best clients are always someone else’s target. The key to keeping them is showing up, standing out, and staying intentional—every single day.
