From Sale to Fail: The Sale Isn’t the Win-Stewardship Is

The day I decided to get my hands dirty in this messy yet exciting industry, it was with the desire to decode one simple—yet so crucial—question found in almost every business: HOW DOES A COMPANY BUILD LOYAL CUSTOMERS?

When we think about marketing, closing a sale often seems like the ultimate goal. Ooh boy—that’s far from right. Closing is only half the game. The real win comes from mastering “The relationship Cycle—Discovery, Engage, Solicit, and Stewardship”. Miss a step and you don’t just lose a customer; you create an avalanche of critics who give leverage to your competitors.

Discovery seems simple: put out a good ad, build a solid funnel, and boom — someone finds you. Engagement is where brands start small, earning attention through low-stakes asks. If you connect emotionally and meet a need, then happy interactions happen—like a kid in Disneyland. Solicit is the high-stakes ask when the relationship matures (like a girl waiting for the engagement ring): the purchase, the enrollment, the commitment.
But the cycle doesn’t stop there. Stewardship is the real reason all this effort exists—the ongoing delivery of promised value. It’s marriage, and now I expect to enjoy the results.

This is where too many organizations fail. Take Miami Ad School. Students discover the school through flashy ads. They engage via webinars, campus tours, fun social media posts, and info sessions. They apply, pay tuition, and commit. But in stewardship, the promise of world-class creative education breaks down. The result? Students leave frustrated, and they make sure the world knows—on Reddit and beyond. It’s a messy divorce where word-of-mouth becomes your worst enemy, poisoning the very discovery stage where new students should be entering the funnel.

The lesson is clear: when brands don’t deliver what they’ve sold, they don’t just lose revenue—they lose trust. Stewardship isn’t optional; it’s where loyalty, advocacy, and growth are built. Do it right, and your best promoters carry your story for free, bringing new customers through referrals from people they personally trust. That’s pure GOLD.

CRM systems help map this cycle and show where relationships break. Did the customer buy? Yes. But are we keeping our promises? That’s the difference between a brand full of critics and a brand full of champions. In the end, a good relationship—in business or in life—isn’t built on the “I do” moment. It’s built by honoring the cycle, especially the part where you keep your promises.

Topic: The Relationship Cycle - Discovery - Engage - Solicit – Steward