▁goods ▁and ▁services ▁produced ▁or ▁sold ▁through ▁a ▁company ▁alongside ▁customer ▁service ▁generally ▁determine ▁the ▁amount ▁of ▁sales ▁relative ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁compet ing ▁companies . ▁Although ▁groups ▁target ed ▁through ▁relationship ▁market ing ▁may ▁be ▁large , ▁accuracy ▁of ▁communication ▁and ▁overall ▁relev ance ▁to ▁the ▁customer ▁remains ▁higher ▁than ▁that ▁of ▁direct ▁market ing . ▁However , ▁relationship ▁market ing ▁has ▁less ▁potential ▁for ▁generating ▁new ▁leads ▁than ▁direct ▁market ing ▁and ▁is ▁limited ▁to ▁vir al ▁market ing ▁for ▁acqu iring ▁customers . ▁ ▁Ret ention ▁A ▁principle ▁of ▁relationship ▁market ing ▁is ▁the ▁ret ention ▁of ▁customers ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁ensure ▁repeated ▁trade ▁from ▁pre ex isting ▁customers ▁by ▁satisfying ▁requirements ▁above ▁those ▁of ▁compet ing ▁companies ▁through ▁a ▁mut ually ▁benef icial ▁relationship . ▁This ▁technique ▁bal ances ▁new ▁customers ▁and ▁opportun ities ▁with ▁current ▁and ▁existing ▁customers ▁to ▁maxim ise ▁profit ▁and ▁counter act s ▁the ▁leak y ▁bucket ▁theory ▁of ▁business , ▁where ▁new ▁customers ▁in ▁older ▁direct ▁market ing - orient ed ▁business es ▁are ▁gained ▁at ▁the ▁exp ense ▁of ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁older ▁customers . ▁This ▁process ▁of ▁' ch urn ing ' ▁is ▁less ▁econom ically ▁vi able ▁than ▁retain ing ▁all ▁or ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁customers ▁using ▁both ▁direct ▁and ▁relationship ▁management ▁because ▁se cur ing ▁new ▁customers ▁requires ▁more ▁invest ment . ▁ ▁Many ▁companies ▁in ▁compet ing ▁mark ets ▁redirect ▁or ▁allocate ▁large ▁amounts ▁of ▁resources ▁towards ▁customer ▁ret ention . ▁In ▁mark ets ▁with ▁increasing ▁competition , ▁attract