What Long-Term Client Relationships Teach Us About Serving Every Client
What a Long Relationship Builds
Each new project starts ahead of the game.
Each new client relationship begins with a period of learning.
On the first project, we're laying the foundation: how the client wants the work done, what they'll approve, and how they want to hear from us. Over time, that knowledge accumulates, and the questions become fewer because we understand what the client needs before they have to ask.
Years into a relationship, reaching out to the client is as easy as calling a trusted colleague, and each new project starts ahead of the game.
As a relationship matures, projects become more efficient, and that efficiency shows up directly in the product. Early on, we delivered the work one way. Now we know exactly how this client wants it, and that's how they receive it. There's very little back-and-forth, which saves time and money for everyone involved, and it all stems from the groundwork laid at the start of the relationship.
Those relationships pay off in three ways:
The client's projects move faster and cost less.
The landowners we negotiate with receive answers sooner.
Every client who comes to us next benefits from the practices and systems those relationships have built.
Approvals Already in Hand
Speed is one of the most significant advantages of a long-term relationship, particularly in leasing.
Early in a leasing project with a new client, we're still learning their parameters and what we're authorized to offer.
For example, if a mineral owner or surface owner requests
we go back to the client for approval.
As the relationship matures, that back-and-forth largely goes away.
We know what the client will approve, so we can review the request, give the landowner a yes or a no immediately, and keep the client focused on their own work.
There are still exceptions, but the process shifts from asking for approval on every request to moving the project forward with confidence.
From Title Run to Cradle to Grave
One long-term client relationship shows how far a single title project can grow. Our work has continued with them for more than a decade.
Our engagement with this client began with title work: cursory searches and full abstracts.
After that first project, the client added leasing.
All of it could shift quickly depending on a property’s location and the level of competition in the area.
From there, we began building units the client could operate, which led to trades with other operators, buy-and-swap agreements and the associated due diligence.
When the client was ready to drill, we established a curative process.
Today we manage title, multiple units, trades, curative and large leasing efforts for that client, along with the contractors performing the work, so they understand the client's expectations as clearly as the client does.
What began as a title project is now a cradle-to-grave engagement, from the first search through drilling and on to the next unit. Each new piece of work grew out of the success of the one before it.
It’s all one big long train, and you have to make sure the last car is moving with the front.
Values That Show Up in the Deliverable
Dudley's core values are at the center of every long-term client relationship. We're a service business first, and every relationship begins with how we treat people and how we communicate with them.
Our People
- We treat others as we expect to be treated.
- We are humble.
- We recognize the merit and achievements of others.
- We hold ourselves and others in high regard.
- We smile and laugh.
Our Service
- We know that service separates us from our competition.
- We serve with a sense of urgency.
- We are accountable for results.
- We are honest with ourselves, our teams, and our clients.
Our Product
- We deliver a memorable product.
- We provide a quality product for the greatest possible value.
- Our work is organized and visually appealing.
- We adapt, improve, and evolve our work product.
Our Example
- We cherish the Dudley brand.
- We are unique within our industry.
- We foster an innovative spirit.
- We embrace personal and professional growth.
- We are fully present for our team and clients.
The First Project Sets the Course
Every long-term relationship began as a first project, so how that first project is set up matters.
Pick up the phone
With a new client, a call is the fastest way to learn what they want and expect.
Get the addendum list
On a leasing project, having it from the start makes us more efficient from day one.
Set clear expectations
Once the client explains what they need done, we can evaluate the scope and give them a realistic timeline.
Stay transparent
When a timeline isn't realistic, we say so clearly and explain what is achievable.
Long relationships also make us better for the clients who come after.
KuduOver more than 45 years, Dudley has continued to invest in the systems that support this work, like Kudu, our proprietary project management software. We can tailor a report to a client's specific requests, adjusting both what it shows and how it presents the information. Every client wants something slightly different, and our systems allow us to deliver what each one needs.
That commitment to looking ahead and finding more we can offer clients is our core value of service at work.
Just as Sharp in Year Ten
Complacency has no place in our long-term relationships.
The relationship itself is what keeps us sharp: after years of working with the same people, we hold ourselves accountable to them, and we're lifting each other up.
This is also a fast-paced, constantly evolving industry, and keeping up with it is part of being accountable for our results. Over the years, that accountability is why clients keep coming back to us with more work.
Much of that accountability comes down to communication. We keep the client informed of where the project stands, and if a deadline shifts, we tell them why.
Sometimes you just have to roll your sleeves up and get to work.
When a New Landman Joins the Client's Team
After many years on a project, it's inevitable that a new landman will join the client's team. When that happens, there's a natural period of getting to know each other: we relearn what they want, and they see firsthand why their company has stayed with Dudley for the long term.
- 01What do they need?
- 02How do they want it delivered?
- 03What would they like done differently?
Kudu integrates our data and produces reports quickly, so once we understand what a new landman wants, we can tell them,
“We’ll get it for you.”
We can also tell them clearly what’s feasible, what isn’t, and why.
We keep proving ourselves because we want to be memorable. We want to be the first choice.
Long-term client relationships make projects faster and more efficient for the client, get landowners their answers sooner, and give every new client the benefit of what those relationships have taught us.
If you're looking for a land partner who learns how you work and keeps getting better at it, let's talk.
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