Planning client thought-leadership sessions with relationship managers
Your firm wants a series of client thought-leadership sessions, and the people who know which clients care are the relationship managers, who are also busy.
The short answer
Relationship managers should shape topics and invitations, not run the logistics. Use them for three things: what clients are asking about, which clients should be in the room, and what follow-up conversation each client expects.
Give them a short, fixed brief and a clear time ask. A manager who is asked to review a full agenda each week stops replying.
What relationship managers know that the event team does not
They know the questions clients raise in meetings, which clients are comfortable speaking in front of peers, and which are in a sensitive period such as a dispute or renewal.
That knowledge is the main input to topic choice. A session on a subject no client has asked about is the commonest reason for low attendance.
Divide the work
| Task | Relationship managers | Content or thought-leadership team | Event team or project lead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topic selection | Bring client questions; vote on shortlist. | Propose topics and speakers. | Collect inputs; prepare the shortlist. |
| Invitation list | Nominate clients and flag sensitivities. | Confirm relevance. | Apply agreed criteria, track replies. |
| Client contact | Personal invitation to key clients. | No direct contact unless agreed. | Supply the invitation text, dates and reply link. |
| On the day | Host their own clients; note conversations. | Deliver content. | Run registration, rooms, timing. |
| Follow-up | Own the conversation with each client. | Provide materials. | Send agreed materials; collect notes. |
Protect relationship managers' time
Ask for a fixed number of tasks at fixed dates: one input meeting of 30 minutes, one nomination list, one hosting duty. Put them in a calendar early.
Send them a one-page brief for each session, including who is invited and what they might be asked. Do not forward a long chain of agenda drafts.
Sequence for a session series
- Run one short session with the relationship managers to collect client questions by segment.
- Shortlist three or four topics and test them with two or three trusted clients through their managers.
- Agree invitation criteria and who has the final say on exceptions.
- Send the managers a one-page brief per session with their hosting role.
- After each session, collect conversation notes in one template within two working days and agree who follows up.
Where this goes wrong
- Managers are asked to host and also to sell, so the session turns into a pitch. Agree the follow-up approach in advance, using defining marketing and sales follow-up.
- Two managers invite the same client, with different messages.
- A client in a sensitive period receives a general invitation from the event team.
- No one owns the notes, so nothing reaches the thought-leadership team afterwards.
Worked example · Fictional example
A quarterly client series for a fictional advisory firm
Fictional organisation and figures, illustrative only.
Nasihat Contoh Sdn Bhd (fictional) plans four evening sessions a year for about 30 clients each, with 9 relationship managers.
The event lead holds a 30-minute input meeting, gets 14 client questions grouped into 4 themes, and the managers each nominate up to 6 clients. A one-page brief goes to each manager 10 working days before the session, listing the clients they are expected to host.
Use this yourself
Relationship manager brief for one session
Send this to each relationship manager as a one-page document, filled in for the session.
- Session topic, date, time, place:
- Why this session matters for clients, in two sentences:
- Clients you nominated, and any you asked us to hold back:
- Your hosting role: where to stand, who to introduce, how long:
- Questions a client may ask you, and who to refer them to:
- What not to promise or discuss at the event:
- Date by which we need your confirmation:
- Follow-up: who contacts each client, when, with which materials:
- Where to send your notes after the session, and by when:
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- One or two sessions a year with a small, well-known client list.
- A thought-leadership team with an owner for each session.
- Managers who already attend client events as hosts.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- A recurring series where managers' time is the constraint.
- Several teams own parts of the client relationship.
- Nobody has time to collect nominations, chase replies and brief managers.
Want the series run without overloading your relationship managers?
A conference project lead can run the input meeting, build the shortlist, brief each manager in one page, track nominations and replies, and collect notes after each session. Topics, client conversations and follow-up stay with your managers.
Questions organisers ask
Should relationship managers choose the topics?
They should supply client questions and vote on a shortlist. The content team still proposes the topics and speakers.
How many clients should each manager nominate?
Set a cap when seats are limited, and tell managers how nominations are ranked if there are more than seats.
Can the event team contact clients directly?
Only if the managers agree. Many firms route the first invitation through the manager and use the event team for reply handling.
Related resources
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