Ep. 129 — Client Loyalty Drops to 37%: Why Strong Relationships No Longer Guarantee Future Work - with Matt Dixon

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Client loyalty is collapsing.

This episode explores why you need more than a strong relationship to secure follow-on work.

Matthew Dixon, co-founder of DCM Insights and co-author of The Activator Advantage, says consulting growth is breaking away from its traditional model. Despite strong delivery and trusted client relationships, firms are increasingly forced to compete for work they once would have won by default.

Matthew unpacks the structural decline in client loyalty, the rise of broader and AI-driven buying processes, and why most partners are still operating with outdated assumptions. The conversation explores the shift from reactive selling to proactive demand creation, and what distinguishes high-performing “activators” from the rest.

You’ll learn:

1. Why strong delivery no longer guarantees repeat consulting work
2. What’s driving the drop in client loyalty from 75% to 37%
3. How AI is reshaping how clients shortlist consulting firms
4. What top-performing partners do differently to create demand early
5. How to build momentum before the client defines the need

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Matt Dixon is open to connecting. If you would like to exchange perspectives, reach out to him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewxdixon/

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Sammy and SAWOO offer a B2B community-building service that establishes you as a thought leader in your industry and helps you build genuine, human-to-human relationships with your dream clients.

Get in touch with Sammy Gebele on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammygebele/

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For more episodes and insights: https://www.leadersinconsulting.com/podcast