A “client champion” is a client who champions you and your business to others in their organization. When they have a need, they immediately think of you and your company. When someone in their organization asks for a suggestion, the champion suggests your company—they bring you in as part of the team.

In any small business-to-business company, you are constantly chasing the big client, the big order and the big bucks. You are so focused on your needs—like staffing levels, the marketing plan, sales numbers and even the low level of paper towels in the bathroom—that you sometimes forget the needs of the client champion.

If you are lucky enough to have a client champion, follow these rules and you just might keep them:

1. You don’t make the rules, the champion does

Understand and accept this right away and you will be better off. Your champion values the relationship because it gives them little resistance. Don’t build speed bumps.

2. You must be available around the clock

The champion is in charge of many people and programs. Questions arise any day, any hour. Your champion has been promoting you because you respond at 12 a.m. on Saturday.

3. All communications from the champion (e-mails, phone calls, texts) must be answered right away

No matter how routine the request may seem to you, it could be an urgent issue on their end. Even if you don’t know the answer yet, answer with “I’m on it!”

4. Bring something new to the table

No matter how hard you are already working for the champion, remember they are working hard for you. Bring a new way of doing things, a new process, a more efficient gizmo, something. Show them you know and understand their business and you are a resource to help them.

5. Don't get caught up in the invoice game

You need to get paid for your work. But there is nothing the champion dislikes more than signing invoices or putting them through for payment. Come to an understanding right up front about how they would like to be invoiced—perhaps a monthly summary. You do not want to be perceived as nickel and diming.

6. Don’t assume you are irreplaceable

There is always another business out there that can replace you. They are probably calling on your champion as you read this.

I learned the hard way that rule No. 1 is the most important rule. My client champion became a great business friend. My company and I became an essential element to how this client got the job done. We were brought in for brainstorming sessions and asked, “You are the expert, so how do we get this done?” Our business with this client champion increased three fold in one year. Business life was great with them.

It’s hard to say exactly what went wrong with our relationship. Was it because we once said, “We just can’t do it the way you want it this time.” Was it the time one of our people said, “It’s Saturday night. Can I get back to you Monday?” Or maybe it was because 14 invoices somehow arrived on the client champion’s desk on the same day, and one was incorrect. Was it one thing, or all those things plus a competitor calling on our client champion?

We've learned a valuable lesson. Unlike losing a bid, or job or a project, losing the client champion hurts both emotionally and financially. The lesson learned is to pay attention to the rules and pay attention to your client champion. You don’t know what the “client champion” is worth until you lose them.

OPEN Card member Mike Buell is Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Evolution Impressions. Evolution is a premier Marketing Solutions Provider to the Media, Retail, Gov’t, Pharm, CPG and Financial Services industries.