Account Management Secrets

Connect with Greg on LInkedIn

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Why Customer Satisfaction Doesn’t Predict Retention | EP105

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 00:01:00 -0600

Your happiest customers might be the first ones to leave. That is the uncomfortable finding behind why customer satisfaction doesn't predict retention, and new data makes it even stronger. Some of the most demanding, hardest to please customers turn out to be the ones who never walk away.

Greg Daines, founder and CEO of ChurnRx, returns to Account Management Secrets for his second appearance with host Alex Raymond. Their first conversation ran back in episode five, and the pattern they found then has only gotten stronger since. Daines now calls the strongest version of it customer bonding, the point where a customer becomes nearly impossible to lose. His customer bonding and retention research explains exactly why.

Daines explains why does NPS predict retention is the wrong question to ask, and why your loudest, most demanding accounts are often your safest ones. He unpacks measurable results customer retention data showing how one tangible win can move a customer into a category that almost never churns. The talk turns to customer satisfaction vs retention through a story from inside a major enterprise account, one that forced Daines to rethink how account managers earn trust. Raymond and Daines also revisit quarterly business reviews and what separates a real account management retention strategy from one that just fills time on a calendar.

Press play to hear why customer satisfaction doesn't predict retention, and what actually keeps your best accounts from walking away.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Welcome Back Greg Daines to the Show

02:23 Does the No Correlation Finding Still Hold

08:34 NPS as a Misleading North Star Metric

09:21 Is Customer Loyalty Even a Real Thing

15:07 Exogenous Churn and the Noise Floor

16:31 Customer Bonding Is a Real Phenomenon

21:58 The Reverse Correlation Between Happiness and Bonding

26:34 The Intel Story and Pushing Back on Clients

34:08 Segmenting Your Portfolio by Real Risk

47:18 Rethinking QBRs Around Value Not Updates

Connect with Greg Daines:

Visit the ChurnRX website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Daniel on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

How to Prevent “Green-to-Gone” Accounts | EP104

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 00:01:00 -0600

Most account teams don't lose customers overnight. They lose them slowly, through signals nobody caught in time. Knowing how to identify at-risk customers before they churn is the difference between a controlled loss and a surprise that blindsides the whole business.

On Account Management Secrets, host Alex Raymond talks with Daniel Santiago, Senior Vice President of Customer Success at OrthoFi, about the net revenue retention strategy that took his team from 85% to 108% net revenue retention. Daniel explains the watch list system he built to catch what he calls "green-to-gone" accounts before they slip away.

Daniel walks through how OrthoFi worked to reduce customer churn in the first six months of a relationship, and how his team aims to keep churn forecasts within a plus-or-minus-five-percent tolerance. He also breaks down how quarterly business review best practices changed at OrthoFi, shifting QBRs from tactical fixes to conversations built on real data. Along the way, he unpacks net revenue retention vs gross revenue retention and what that fifteen-point spread reveals about a customer base.

Listen to hear how Daniel built a culture where flagging risk early gets rewarded instead of punished, and what it takes to run a customer success team on outcomes instead of instinct.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Welcome and Daniel Santiago's Path to OrthoFi

06:45 Splitting Customer Success From the Sales Org

11:48 Fixing the First Six Months to Cut Early Churn

18:35 How to Identify At-Risk Customers Before They Churn

21:00 The “Green-to-Gone” Problem and Building Psychological Safety

24:52 Minimizing Forecast Variance for Accurate Renewals

29:01 Turning QBRs Into Real Business Conversations

36:17 What Private Equity Expects From Customer Success

40:00 Net Revenue Retention Targets and Staying Power at OrthoFi

Connect with Daniel Santiago:

Visit the OrthoFi website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Jamal on LinkedIn

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How Account Managers Keep Losing Executive Access (And How to Stop) | EP103

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:01:00 -0600

Most account managers can quote the theory on building relationships with executives, but the real test starts after the deal closes. That's when the senior sponsor hands you off to someone three levels down. Jamal Reimer has lived that handoff from both sides. He spent 26 years in enterprise software sales, including a $53 million deal while at Oracle, and he learned exactly how to build executive relationships in account management once the introductions end.

On this episode of Account Management Secrets, host Alex Raymond talks with Jamal Reimer about strategic selling vs transactional selling, and how that distinction shapes an enterprise sales strategy for account managers who inherit a client relationship instead of starting one from scratch. He shares the nine-month renewal sales cycle that grew a $10 million run rate to $53 million, and the single meeting that changed how he read a room for the rest of his career.

Jamal also shares his two-part method for staying connected to a senior sponsor after the handoff, something he calls micro commitments. It is a practical way to think through how to get access to decision makers before the relationship goes cold, and he explains why so few companies run functioning executive sponsor programs.

If you want to know how to talk to executives in sales without sounding like every other vendor, this episode breaks down exactly how to build executive relationships in account management and keep them. Press play to hear Jamal's approach in his own words.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why $50 Million Deals Aren't the Real Story

02:55 Jamal's First Ten Years Struggling With Transactional Selling

05:15 Getting Fired Twice and Finding Strategic Selling

08:00 The Meeting That Changed How Jamal Read a Room

11:00 How to Build Executive Relationships in Account Management

12:37 Leading With Knowledge Instead of Generic Questions

14:32 Turning a $10 Million Renewal Into $53 Million

16:27 New Logos vs Existing Accounts and Building a Brand

18:45 Crossing the Chasm From Sponsor to Operator

24:17 Why Micro Commitments Keep Relationships From Going Cold

25:15 Why So Few Companies Run Executive Sponsor Programs

27:41 Reading the Mountain: Bottom, Middle, and Executive Priorities

31:58 Pitching the Right Insight to the Wrong Level

34:22 Why Being a Little Wrong Opens the Conversation

38:02 The Lost Art of Whiteboarding With Customers

Connect with Jamal Reimer:

Visit Jamal's website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Carlos on LinkedIn

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GRR vs NRR: What Private Equity Firms Really Evaluate in Customer Success | EP102

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 00:01:00 -0600

Private equity firms don't care about your health scores or QBRs. They care about one question: what makes this business worth more tomorrow than it is today.

Carlos Granda spent 30 years running post-sales at Google Cloud, Salesforce, SAP, and Oracle before he started advising the private equity firms buying up software companies. That vantage point gave him a name for a problem most executives never see coming: the GRR time bomb. A healthy net revenue retention number can hide real churn underneath it, and by the time anyone notices, the damage is already baked into the company's valuation.

Why do so many leaders celebrate 103% NRR without asking what they lost to get there? Carlos breaks down the math and makes the case that gross revenue retention, not NRR, is the number that actually tells the truth.

He also pushes back on a phrase every account manager has heard a hundred times: "it's too expensive." That's rarely the real reason a customer leaves, and Carlos explains what's usually hiding underneath it. His bigger argument is that post-sales professionals are underappreciated because most of them have never learned to translate their work into the language of enterprise value. What would change on your team if a support ticket and a churn risk were understood as the same conversation PE firms are already having about your company's worth?

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Private Equity Cares About Enterprise Value, Not Health Scores

06:48 Connecting Account Management to Enterprise Value Creation

16:04 What Private Equity Firms Actually Evaluate in Post-Sales Teams

20:02 NRR vs GRR: The Metric That Tells the Truth

27:04 Building a GRR Get Well Plan

34:43 How to Pitch the Same Initiative to a CEO vs a PE Firm

44:11 The Future of Post-Sales: AI and the Disappearing Line Between Sales and Support

Connect with Carlos Granda:

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Visit the Escalent website

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Account Manager vs Project Manager: Why Smashing the Roles Together Backfires | EP101

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:01:00 -0600

Account manager vs project manager isn't just a title swap. Smash the two roles together, and you get the worst of both worlds, with no time to do either job well.

On Account Management Secrets, Alex Raymond talks with Stephan Schroeder, Vice President of Global Sales and Client Services for the Automotive and Mobility Practice at Escalent. Escalent works with almost all major global automotive manufacturers, from Ford and GM to Toyota and Honda, as well as global suppliers like Lear and Magna. It is account management inside a concentrated industry, where the traditional pool of potential clients is finite and every relationship needs to generate business for years, not just months.

Stephan lays out the account manager career path as a fork in the road. One track leans into client relationship management and sales, eventually taking responsibility for larger books of business. The other builds solutions, project delivery, and subject-matter expertise. He walks through the triangle every account manager has to manage at once: the client, the team, and the boss above them. Get that balance wrong, and the pressure quickly compounds.

Stephan also explains why account managers are often the first to recognize emerging client needs. He describes account management as the canary in the coal mine when it comes to identifying what customers may need next. He also shares a tiered system he used earlier in his career to move new account managers onto larger clients without setting them up to fail. Listen to the whole episode to hear why separating account management from project management can create clearer career paths, stronger client relationships, and better results

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Meet Stephan Schroeder and Escalent's Automotive Practice

02:44 Working With Global Automakers and Major Suppliers

05:15 Revenue Goals, Retention, and Client Satisfaction Scores

11:41 Account Management Inside a Concentrated Industry

14:41 Growing the Business Through Innovation and New Markets

18:38 How Account Managers Surface New Product Ideas

25:51 Choosing a Sales Track or a Delivery Track

31:58 Account Manager vs Project Manager: Why the Roles Get Confused

41:16 The Client, Team, and Boss Triangle

47:49 Advice for Breaking Into Account Management

Connect with Stephan Schroeder:
Connect with Stephan on LinkedIn

Connect with Alex Raymond:

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What 100 Conversations Taught Me About Post-Sale | EP100

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 00:01:00 -0600

Most account managers can’t clearly explain what their job is, and that gap costs them money, energy, and career momentum. This episode of Account Management Secrets delivers the account management career advice Alex Raymond has collected across 100 episodes and two years of conversations with account managers and customer success leaders around the world.

Alex breaks down the five lessons that mattered most. He explains why post-sales work still lacks a shared definition and how that gap leaves teams recreating systems and processes that should already exist. He also tackles the account management vs. sales mindset head-on. By reframing selling as delivering value before revenue is earned, Alex offers a different perspective on how to grow in account management without losing the trust customers depend on.

Alex makes the case for net revenue as the single metric worth rallying an account management team around instead of chasing a dozen scattered KPIs. He shares why no one is coming to save your career and what that means for anyone serious about post-sales career growth. The episode also includes the story of one account manager who grew a single account from $50,000 to $10 million, proof that the growth department account management movement is real and already changing how the role gets measured.

Press play and walk away with account management career advice you can use this week, not someday.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Celebrating 100 Episodes and Two Years of Lessons

02:25 Guests Spanning Every Industry and Account Size

04:51 Why Post-Sales Still Has No Standard Definition

09:43 Reframing Selling as Value Before Revenue

19:29 Making Net Revenue Retention the North Star

24:15 No One Is Coming to Save Your Career

29:00 The Growth Department and Joanna's 200x Account

33:54 Closing Thoughts and Thanks to the Community

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Bradley on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The Customer Success Competencies That Made the Relationship-Only CSM Obsolete | EP99

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 00:01:00 -0600

Keeping customers happy no longer protects your job. Buyers want measurable business outcomes, and the customer success competencies you leaned on in the last decade will not carry you forward.

Host Alex Raymond sits down with Bradley Lawrence, former Global Head of Customer Experience at Coursera, who has led customer teams for more than fifteen years. Bradley names the five customer success competencies every CSM needs now, from a revenue-aligned commercial mindset to executive influence. He also draws a hard line on AI in customer success and identifies the three parts of the job humans should never hand over.

Alex shares a stat you will remember. Bring the C-suite to your QBRs, and you create significantly more expansion opportunities. Leave the meeting to junior contacts, and churn risk climbs. Bradley turns this into QBR best practices and a coaching move for reaching decision-makers you have never met. He rolled out an AI layer built for a thirty percent productivity lift, then explained why the win goes to your team, not your headcount. You will also hear why the relationship-only CSM is running out of road, and which customer success manager skills matter more than pure rapport.

Bradley also examines customer success leadership, why humility beats seniority, and how leaders can replace the customer happiness myth with a focus on business outcomes. Press play to learn the five competencies your career needs as AI reshapes post-sales work.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Alex Raymond Opens Account Management Secrets

02:20 The Biggest Misconception About Customer Success

03:46 Building Customer Success Competencies Through Strategic Priorities

06:37 Why Most QBR Training Falls Short

08:05 The Relationship-Only CSM Is Becoming Obsolete

11:14 What It Really Means to Be Strategic

15:14 Coaching CSMs to Reach the C-Suite

17:53 The Data Behind C-Suite Engagement and Churn

20:09 Evaluating and Investing in AI Tools for Customer Success

22:38 What Humans Should Never Outsource to AI

25:55 Rolling Out Cora.ai and Measuring Productivity Gains

31:25 The Five Competencies Shaping Customer Success

34:56 Leading with Humility in Customer Experience

36:58 Replacing Customer Happiness with Business Outcomes

Connect with Bradley Lawrence:

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with James on LinkedIn

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Private Equity Due Diligence and the 20% Nobody Sees Coming From Customer Churn After Acquisition | EP98

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:01:00 -0600

Private equity due diligence rarely accounts for the customer base itself, even though it may be the asset most likely to drive an acquisition’s success.

On this episode of Account Management Secrets, host Alex Raymond sits down with James Lawson, a veteran of PE-backed software companies, to unpack why so many deals underperform after the ink dries. James has spent over two decades cleaning up the aftermath of buyouts where customer churn after acquisition quietly erodes the numbers everyone celebrated at close.

James explains how a single missing relationship, often the person who quietly held a whole account together, can trigger a wave of churn that private equity operating partners never see coming until the damage surfaces. He and Alex dig into why retention gets deprioritized in favor of fast new business wins, and how teams sacrifice post-acquisition customer retention for a quick logo count.

The conversation turns to what separates firms building a real portfolio company growth strategy from those chasing an 8x to 12x multiple with no plan for the people running the business. James shares the audit process he uses to find blind spots before churn quietly hits the growth number by 20% or more, and why private equity due diligence needs curiosity as much as spreadsheets.

If you work anywhere near the post-sale side of a PE-backed business, this conversation will change how you read a data room.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Meet James Lawson, Fractional Operating Partner to SaaS Firms

02:33 Why Acquired Companies Rarely Match Their Cover Story

06:13 Private Equity Due Diligence and the Hidden Cost of Acquisition

09:59 How Churn Quietly Hits the Number by 20 to 25 Percent

12:12 Setting Growth Goals Before You Buy a Company

13:19 What PE Firms Want From an 8 to 12X Exit

14:53 Why Some Portfolio Companies Struggle to Exit on Time

17:12 The Risk of Chasing Top Line Growth Over Retention

20:16 Building an Audit Process for Newly Acquired Companies

22:38 The Weight Loss Metaphor for Running a Company Audit

24:28 Org Design and Account Manager Workload

26:30 Running Risk and Opportunity Meetings Across Departments

29:06 Aligning ICP Between Sales and Post-Sales Teams

30:24 Should Customer Success Report to the CRO

34:01 Why Revenue Should Never Feel Icky to Post-Sale Teams

37:00 Making the Case for Investment as a CS Leader

40:25 Pitching a Capital Allocation Plan Like an Entrepreneur

43:23 What the Best PE Firms Understand About Growth

45:33 One Thing PE Operating Partners Should Do Differently

47:27 Final Advice: Stay Curious and Keep Asking Questions

Connect with James Lawson:

Visit the River Consultancy Group website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Josh on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

From High-Volume to High-Stakes: The Enterprise Customer Success Manager Career Path | EP97

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:01:00 -0600

Running one global enterprise account is nothing like running 120 small ones, and the enterprise customer success manager career path proves it.

Josh Chapman is a Principal Customer Success Manager for Global Strategic Enterprise at Adobe, where he runs one of the company’s largest accounts. On this episode of Account Management Secrets, host Alex Raymond traces Josh's career from Ticketmaster to Salesforce to Adobe, and what the evolution of his portfolio reveals about the CSM career progression most people never plan for.

Josh's portfolio shrank with every move he made. He went from managing a large book of roughly 120 accounts to a smaller set of higher-value Salesforce accounts, then to four enterprise accounts, and now to one global strategic account at Adobe. Fewer accounts, higher revenue, and a completely different set of demands.What started as time prioritization and reactive firefighting evolved into executive relationship building, cross-functional orchestration in customer success, and owning ROI at the enterprise level. For Josh, running 120 accounts is small business franchise work. Running one is CEO work.

The conversation gets specific about managing large enterprise accounts across multiple business units with competing goals. Josh walks through building internal champions, rallying cross-functional teams, and showing up as the one person every stakeholder knows they can call. He also talks about why early career CSMs need to be the megaphone for their own work, and why the emerging AI Engagement Manager role is the next natural landing spot for strategic CSMs.

If you are building your strategic account management skills and trying to map out what comes next, this episode lays out the full career arc from reactive portfolio management to enterprise-level ownership.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 The Enterprise Customer Success Manager Career Path Explained

02:23 Why the CSM Job Title Means Something Different at Every Level

06:25 From 120 Accounts to One: Josh Chapman's Career Progression

13:30 How to Scale a Large Portfolio Without Losing Client Value

18:33 The Portfolio Numbers Behind Each Career Move

20:31 Why CSMs Must Be the Megaphone for Their Own Work

26:00 Building Executive Relationships That Actually Stick

29:23 Driving Product Adoption and ROI at the Enterprise Level

33:27 Cross-Functional Orchestration as a Core CSM Skill

39:26 Where the Best Career Opportunities Are for CSMs Today

42:54 The AI Engagement Manager Role Every Strategic CSM Should Watch

Connect with Josh Chapman:

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Your QBR Is Probably Killing Your Client Relationship: How to Run a Better QBR | EP96

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:01:00 -0600

Most QBRs are slow, forgettable, and quietly kill your client relationships.

That's the uncomfortable truth Jason Scott sat with after watching a major enterprise account stagnate for over 12 months. As a seasoned account manager with experience managing portfolios worth more than $100 million across healthcare, insurance, and technology, Jason realized the problem wasn't the account. It was the meeting.

On this episode of Account Management Secrets, host Alex Raymond and Jason Scott dig into how to run a better QBR by throwing out the old playbook entirely. Jason shares how ditching the slide deck, calling an executive listening session, and reframing the entire meeting as a growth roundtable helped him take one account from $3 million to $7 million in a single year.

The conversation gets into the real mechanics of quarterly business review strategy, including how to show up as a peer rather than a vendor, how to earn C-suite attendance and keep it, and what it actually means to lead a meeting instead of just reporting in one. Jason and Alex walk through the three things executives actually want from these conversations, and why most account managers never deliver any of them.

If you've been looking for practical account manager tips that go beyond surface-level advice, this episode is it. The shift from vendor to strategic partner doesn't happen by accident. It happens when you stop treating QBRs as status updates and start treating them as strategic account management tools built around client retention and growth.

Jason's story is proof that one meeting, run differently, can change everything.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Most QBRs Are Quietly Killing Client Relationships

02:15 Meet Jason Scott: Enterprise Account Manager and QBR Strategist

02:33 When a QBR Becomes a Status Meeting and Accounts Go Stagnant

04:08 How to Run a Better QBR by Starting with an Executive Listening Session

09:23 Building the Growth Roundtable to Replace Outdated QBR Formats

13:50 Shifting from Reporting to Leading in Client Meetings

16:00 What Happened When Jason Renamed and Restructured His QBRs

18:23 Why Executives Ghost QBRs and How to Get Decision Makers to Show Up

21:12 The Data on C-Suite Attendance and Account Growth Opportunities

22:21 The QBR with No Slides That Doubled Account Revenue

25:39 How to Lead a High-Stakes Meeting When You Have Nothing to Lose

28:00 From $3 Million to $7 Million in 12 Months

30:27 What a QBR Should Actually Accomplish for Both Sides

32:01 How to Co-Author a Joint Success and Innovation Roadmap

34:07 Keeping Clients Accountable Without Losing the Relationship

36:47 How Jason Brought His New QBR Framework Back to His Team

39:56 Jason Scott's Advice for Account Managers Ready to Make a Change

Connect with Jason Scott:

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Alan on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Account Management in Private Equity: How to Grow the Customer Base as an Asset and Win in the Boardroom | EP95

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:01:00 -0600

Most account managers at PE-backed companies are playing by the wrong rules and don't even know it.

Alex Raymond and guest Alan Gonsenhauser, an 11-time CMO and private equity advisor who calls himself a "customer capitalist," reframe what account management in private equity means and why the way most post-sale leaders talk about their work is costing them credibility in the boardroom.

Alan breaks down how PE sponsors think about the customer base as an asset with a five- to seven-year window to grow its value before a sale or IPO. Retention isn't a customer success problem. It's a business issue that belongs at the C-suite level, on every board agenda, and in every strategic planning conversation.

They cover why gross revenue retention benchmarks and net revenue retention strategy are the real signals investors watch, what cross-functional alignment actually looks like in practice, and why the CFO is the most important relationship most post-sale leaders aren't building.

For anyone leading post-sale leadership B2B inside a PE-owned company, Alan offers a mindset shift that changes how you show up internally. Stop asking for budget. Start speaking the language of capital allocation for customer success and frame your work as an investment with a measurable return.

Account management in private equity isn't just about keeping clients happy. It's about proving that the asset is growing.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 The Customer Base as the Most Valuable Asset in a PE-Backed Company

02:13 Meet Alan Gonsenhauser, the Customer Capitalist

03:18 Why Retention Drives Long-Term Financial Results

07:58 Gross Revenue Retention Benchmarks and What Best-In-Class NRR Looks Like

10:58 Cross-Functional Alignment and the ICP Governance Framework

13:41 Acquiring Bad-Fit Customers Is Acquiring Debt, Not Growth

19:29 How Private Equity Sponsors Think About the Five to Seven Year Value Creation Window

21:33 How Account Management in Private Equity Directly Impacts MOIC and EBITDA

26:06 Customer Centricity Inside PE-Owned Companies

28:20 Earned Growth, NPS 3.0, and Closing the Feedback Loop

30:26 Framing Post-Sale Work as Capital Allocation

32:50 Why the CFO Is the Most Important Relationship Post-Sale Leaders Are Ignoring

34:46 Who Really Owns Retention and Why It Belongs at the CEO Level

Connect with Alan Gonsenhauser:

Visit the Demand Revenue website

Subscribe to Alan's YouTube channel

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Jenny on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The Customer Success Credibility Problem Every Customer Success Leader Must Fix | EP94

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:01:00 -0600

Customer success credibility is in trouble, and the profession earned much of the blame.

On Account Management Secrets, host Alex Raymond sits down with Jenny Anderson, VP of Customer Experience at Sovra, to unpack why so many CS teams struggle to prove their value in revenue terms. Jenny recently gave a talk on customer success credibility at the Customer Success Collective's Denver Summit, and this conversation expands her argument into practical guidance for every account professional.

The problem is plain. CS teams are held to a growth standard without the training or framing to meet it. CS leaders are turning over at rates close to CROs. Renewal conversations still open with satisfaction scores instead of revenue impact. Jenny and Alex walk through gross revenue retention, net revenue retention, and the profit story most teams never tell.

Jenny also explains why an account segmentation strategy matters beyond organizing a book of business. Smart segmentation builds the foundation for commercial thinking and positions the team as a revenue driver instead of a support function. She makes a strong case for financial fluency for CSMs as a required skill rather than a bonus, and she shares how a customer success leader earns trust with executives by speaking the language of the business.

Anyone who manages accounts or leads a CS team will leave this episode with a sharper view of where their credibility gap starts.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Meet Jenny Anderson, VP of Customer Experience at Sovra

02:20 Why Customer Success Credibility Is Eroding Right Now

03:46 GRR and NRR Are Now Part of the CS Job

05:27 Oversized Portfolios and the Training Gap

06:40 Account Segmentation as the Foundation for Scale

11:54 Rebuilding Your Proof of Existence With Every Stakeholder

17:43 CS Leaders Are Turning Over as Fast as CROs

20:33 Why Your Playbook Needs a Profit Tab

23:22 Using AI to Read Customer and Market Signals

27:07 Ballooning Portfolios and the Case for Moving Upmarket

28:29 Financial Fluency Every CSM Needs

34:29 The Profit Conversation Nobody in CS Is Having

39:32 Growth Lessons From a Two-Sided Marketplace

46:57 Career Advice for the Next Era of Customer Success

Connect with Jenny Anderson:

Visit the Sovra website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Digital Customer Success at Scale: How a Small Team Supports 10,000 Customers | EP93

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:01:00 -0600

10,000 customers. One small team. A retention strategy strong enough to make sales rethink account coverage.

Andrew Carothers has built digital customer success at enterprise scale, first at Cisco across hundreds of thousands of accounts, and now at Proofpoint as Global Head of Digital Customer Success. On Account Management Secrets with host Alex Raymond, he makes the case that the way teams think about coverage, touch, and retention needs to evolve.

The accounts you're not calling aren't automatically lost causes. With the right scaled customer success program, digital-first customer segments can produce far better retention results than many teams expect. Andrew’s team proved that at Cisco, where sales eventually asked them to take on larger account segments after seeing their retention results. The secret wasn’t more headcount. It was a smarter customer retention strategy built around behavior change rather than communication volume.

This episode is for anyone who has ever wondered how to grow accounts without growing the team. Andrew gets specific about product adoption metrics, how to use telemetry data to understand who is getting value, and why time-to-value can signal churn months before renewal season arrives. He also walks through how upsell and cross-sell automation fits into a digital-first customer experience without crossing the line into marketing spam.

If you manage a book of business at any size, this conversation will change how you think about what it means to actually cover an account.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 What Is Digital Customer Success at Scale?

05:07 Operating at Scale: Cisco, Proofpoint, and What That Actually Looks Like

06:42 The Metrics That Matter in a Scaled Customer Success Program

12:25 Why Behavior Change Beats Communication Volume

19:29 How a Digital Team Outperformed High-Touch on Retention

23:02 Building a Multichannel Programmatic Outreach Program

35:00 Using Data Science for Upsell and Cross-Sell Expansion

40:08 Where AI Is Headed in Digital Customer Success

Connect with Andrew Carothers:

Visit the Proofpoint website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The QBR Test: Why Your Customer Success Renewal Forecast Starts With Who Shows Up | EP92

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:01:00 -0600

The QBR you think went fine might be the clearest sign your account is at risk.

On Account Management Secrets, host Alex Raymond makes a case that the quarterly business review for account managers is the single most important strategic meeting in your toolkit. More important than health scores, dashboards, or AI tools. And yet, most account managers are running through QBRs like a checklist and missing the one signal that tells them everything.

That signal is attendance. Getting C-suite in the room is not a bonus, it is the whole game. Alex pulls in data from past guests and real account situations to show that QBR executive attendance is your customer success renewal forecast in its most honest form. Senior leaders showing up means you are seven times more likely to open an upsell or cross-sell. Senior leaders bailing means you are four times more likely to lose the account.

Alex gets specific about what separates a strong QBR from a forgettable one. It has nothing to do with your slide deck. It comes down to whether your clients view you as a partner worth their time. Empty chairs before the renewal conversation happens are data, not a scheduling inconvenience. When you start reading attendance that way, your forecast gets sharper and your leadership sees someone who actually knows what is going on.

The episode breaks down executive business review best practices by pulling focus away from tactics and toward the thinking that drives real outcomes. For account managers ready to change how they run these meetings, Alex is opening QBR Mastery, a program inside his Amplify community focused on the mindset shift that makes the results possible.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 The Quarterly Business Review for Account Managers: Why It Matters More Than You Think

02:25 The QBR Prep Trap and What Goes Wrong

07:15 Why the QBR Is Your Highest Leverage Strategic Meeting

09:36 What a Good QBR Actually Looks Like

14:23 QBR Executive Attendance as an Early Warning System

16:51 Getting C-Suite in the Room: The Real Test of Account Control

23:44 Why the Right People in the Room Make You Impossible to Surprise

28:33 The Real Cost of a Bad QBR

30:56 Renewal Conversations Done Right

33:18 QBR Mastery Inside the Amplify Community

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Jennifer on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Account Management Team Charter: Why Your Framework Keeps Failing and How to Fix It | EP91

Fri, 29 May 2026 00:01:00 -0600

The problem is not that account management leaders lack strategy. The problem is getting that strategy out of the document and into the rhythm of the team.

On Account Management Secrets, host Alex Raymond is joined by Jennifer Pinter to recap Building the Growth Department, a program inside Amplify. Together, they get honest about why so many account management leaders know what they should be doing and still struggle to get traction.

The conversation pulls from a real cohort of leaders across industries and company sizes, and the pattern was hard to ignore. Knowledge is not the problem. Operationalizing it is.

That gap is exactly what a well-built account management team charter is designed to close. Not a document that gets filed away, but a living tool that gives account management leaders a clear mandate they can defend, communicate, and build on. Alex and Jennifer break down why most teams already have pieces of this in place and why those pieces keep failing them anyway.

The episode also gets into the three commitments Alex and Jennifer see as most important for stronger account management execution. A smart account segmentation strategy helps your team focus on the right accounts. Account plans for your most critical accounts create a clearer growth strategy. A customer success risk register makes churn less of a surprise by giving leaders a better way to spot warning signs and act earlier.

The piece that tied it all together for cohort members was cadence. A structured meeting rhythm, anchored by regular executive briefings for account management leaders, is what keeps frameworks from getting ignored. It is also the piece many leaders skip, and one reason good systems lose momentum.

If you are ready to stop knowing what to do and start actually doing it, this is the episode to tune in for.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Welcome to Account Management Secrets

02:05 Why Account Management Leaders Face the Same Challenges Across Every Industry

04:44 Why Account Management Charters Get Ignored

15:13 How to Use a Risk Register to Prevent Client Churn

25:39 How to Segment Accounts Beyond Revenue

28:31 Why Meeting Cadence Is the Engine That Holds Everything Together

30:19 The Case for Quarterly Executive Briefings

37:08 How to Get Started with Amplify

Connect with Jennifer Pinter:

Visit Jennifer's website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Melissa on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

AI-Powered Customer Success: What Changes When Your Team Is the Product | EP90

Fri, 22 May 2026 00:01:00 -0600

When the team is the product, AI-powered customer success stops being a support function and starts being the entire business.

That's the reality Melissa McMillan stepped into when she joined Virio as Head of Customer Success in January. Three months later, she was General Manager. On Account Management Secrets, host Alex Raymond sits down with Melissa to unpack what that shift means for how post-sales teams operate, hire, and measure success in a services as software world.

Virio produces LinkedIn content for B2B brands using a Neo Services Model, where the human team runs the product on behalf of the client. That changes everything about customer success account management. There are no proxy metrics or usage dashboards to hide behind. The content either drives pipeline and engagement or it doesn't. Melissa treats that accountability as a strength, and the team is built around an ownership mindset that reflects it.

Virio originally planned for each account manager to handle 20 accounts. Melissa's account manager capacity planning process told a different story. The real number was seven. She mapped every weekly activity, estimated the time each required, and let the math make the case for headcount.

Hiring looks different here too. Because AI handles the bulk of content production, Virio needs account managers who are also strong writers with a sharp LinkedIn content strategy for B2B. That hybrid profile keeps margins healthy and gives clients one dedicated person across strategy and delivery.

Melissa closes with a clear-eyed take on AI adoption. The account managers who will lose ground aren't being replaced by AI. They're being replaced by a more AI native account manager who figured out automation sooner.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Welcome and Guest Overview

02:14 From Head of Customer Success to General Manager

04:42 How AI-Powered Customer Success Works at Virio

09:32 Acting Like an Owner in a Neo Services Model

11:35 Retention Goals, Gross Revenue, and Upsell Economics

16:25 Breaking the Cost-Center Perception in Customer Success

20:10 Account Manager Capacity Planning: 20 Accounts vs. the Real Number

23:07 Why Virio Combines Account Management and Content Strategy in One Role

27:22 How to Re-Strategize When Content Is Not Delivering Results

30:20 Hiring and Coaching an AI-Native Team

32:38 How Account Managers Should Prepare for the AI Transition

Connect with Melissa McMillan:

Visit the Virio website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Karen on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Revenue Leakage Prevention: What Goes Wrong Between Sales and Account Management and How to Fix It | EP89

Fri, 15 May 2026 00:01:00 -0600

The sales to account management handoff is where client relationships are won or lost before the real work even begins.

On Account Management Secrets, host Alex Raymond sits down with Karen Loiterstein, a revenue leadership veteran with experience at TierPoint, Equifax, and Express Scripts, to dig into one of the most costly and overlooked problems in B2B. A deal closes, everyone celebrates, and then the account manager walks into the kickoff meeting and asks the client to explain goals they already covered during the sales cycle. Trust erodes. The client stops feeling like a partner and starts feeling like a transaction.

Karen's approach to revenue leakage prevention starts with behavior, not technology. CRMs capture data but rarely capture what actually matters, the emotional weight behind a purchase, the risk a buyer took to switch vendors, the relationship dynamics that shaped the deal. Her system uses two practical tools. The Why Memo, a short voice note from sales that transfers human context before the account manager enters the room, and the Golden Three, the documented customer goals that should anchor every post-sale conversation.

The episode also covers sales and account management alignment as an organizational issue. Without a shared system, the client onboarding handoff process breaks down in ways that compound quietly over time. Karen's concept of pattern spotting helps teams catch recurring failure points before they reach the client, and she makes a strong case for revenue enablement as the function best suited to own that work.

Reducing churn in B2B accounts starts at the handoff. Karen's customer success handoff best practices are practical enough to use on your next deal.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction: Why the Sales-to-Account Management Handoff Costs Companies Millions

02:19 The Kickoff Meeting Mistake That Destroys Client Trust on Day One

08:07 What Is the Why Memo and How It Transfers Critical Client Context

13:05 The Golden Three: How to Document Customer Goals for a Seamless Handoff

19:25 De-Risking the Handoff: Questions Account Managers Should Ask Early

27:08 How a Poor Handoff Leads to Churn and Revenue Loss in B2B Accounts

31:31 What a Perfect Sales and Account Management Handoff Process Looks Like

35:33 The Role of Revenue Enablement in Closing Handoff Gaps

37:51 Where to Start If You Want to Improve Your Handoff Process Today

Connect with Karen Loiterstein:

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Jacques on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

How to Sell to a CFO: A Former Charles Schwab CFO Reveals What Works | EP88

Fri, 08 May 2026 00:01:00 -0600

The CFO is not who you think they are, and that misunderstanding is costing account managers deals.

On Account Management Secrets, host Alex Raymond sits down with Jacques Sciammas, a former CFO at Charles Schwab, McGraw-Hill, and Standard & Poor's, to break down how to sell to a CFO and what it takes to build a lasting executive relationship. Jacques is now the President at Selling to Executives, where he coaches B2B sales teams on C-suite engagement, and he brings a perspective most account managers never get access to.

The CFO is not the budget gatekeeper. They are the CEO's strategic partner, accountable for outcomes across the entire organization. Every vendor interaction gets evaluated through that lens. If your B2B account management strategy treats the CFO as a financial approver rather than a business leader, you are already starting from the wrong place.

Jacques is clear that demonstrating value to executives is not a pre-sale activity. It is the entire job. From the CFO's point of view, the deal is not done when the contract is signed. It is done when the results show up. Account managers who shift into product mode after the close and stop speaking in business outcomes are the ones who lose renewals. A strong renewal and expansion strategy means staying outcome-focused well past the signature.

Vendor trust and transparency are not nice-to-haves in this framework. They are survival requirements. Jacques is direct about what ends a relationship fast, hiding bad data, downplaying a problem, or showing up without anything of value to say. When things go sideways, the account managers who come in with a clear picture of where things stand and a plan to fix it are the ones who keep the business.

Engaging C-suite executives well also means knowing when not to reach out. The CFO does not want a check-in. They want information that helps them do their job. Showing up without purpose signals that you do not understand the room.

For account managers who feel outranked in these conversations, Jacques has a counterintuitive take. You know more than they do about what works. Use it.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 How to Sell to a CFO: What Account Managers Get Wrong

02:59 The Real Role of the CFO in Your Client's Organization

07:27 Why the Deal Is Not Done at the Signature

10:13 What It Actually Means to Be a Strategic Partner

14:56 How Often to Engage C-Suite Executives (and When Not To)

24:17 A Real-World Story of a Vendor Who Almost Lost the Deal

29:08 Building Trust With the Finance Team After the Sale

33:34 Why Discounting Signals You Have Not Proven Your Value

37:35 How to Make a Business Case When There Is No Budget

Connect with Jacques Sciammas:

Visit the Selling to Executives website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Chris on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Customer Churn Prevention Starts Before the Renewal Is at Risk | EP87

Fri, 01 May 2026 00:01:00 -0600

Customer churn usually starts long before renewal, and strong account managers know how to spot the risk before the customer walks.

On this episode of Account Management Secrets, customer churn prevention takes center stage with Alex Raymond and Chris Rauch, an experienced Chief Customer Officer who has led post-sales teams at Salesforce, Sage, and Supermetrics. Chris calls out a common problem in post-sales work. Too many teams rely on simple CRM churn reasons that make the board deck look clean, but fail to explain why the customer really left.

Real churn rarely comes from one event. It builds through missed support signals, unclear value, product gaps, weak follow-up, and customer concerns that never get enough attention. By the time a competitor appears, the account may already be gone.

Chris makes the case for customer churn prevention as a daily operating practice. Stronger churn forecasting and renewal forecasting help teams see which accounts carry revenue risk and where action is needed. For account managers and customer success leaders, this is where real account management retention begins.

Alex and Chris also discuss why quarterly business reviews often miss the mark. A strong QBR should not be a vendor report. It should be a focused customer conversation about business goals, value, friction, and trust.

The episode also looks at chief customer officer growth and the growing expectation that post-sales leaders own more than retention. Customer success growth now requires commercial awareness, better incentives, and a clear link between customer value and expansion.

For account managers, CSMs, and post-sales leaders, this episode is a reminder that renewal is not the starting line. Better questions, earlier action, and deeper customer context are what keep accounts from slipping away.

Episode Breakdown:

00:03 Account Management Strategies for Client Retention and Growth

02:20 Why CRM Churn Picklists Miss the Real Reason Customers Leave

06:12 The Give a Damn Line and How Contract Value Changes Churn Risk

09:02 Churn Forecasting and Revenue Risk Before Renewal

10:56 T-Minus Renewal Forecasting for Customer Churn Prevention

15:04 Why Quarterly Business Reviews Fail Customers

19:43 Chief Customer Officer Growth and the Shift Beyond Retention

36:54 How AI Can Improve Customer Success and Account Growth

Connect with Chris Rauch:

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Nate on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Expansion Revenue Strategy Built on Systems Instead of Heroics | EP86

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:01:00 -0600

Revenue stalls when companies treat growth like a handoff instead of a system, and this conversation shows why expansion revenue strategy lives or dies in the customer journey.

On Account Management Secrets, Alex Raymond talks with Nate Skinner, Chief Revenue Officer at 8am about what separates random wins from repeatable growth. The heart of the discussion is expansion revenue strategy and the idea that post sale revenue gets stronger when marketing and sales and customer experience all move in the same direction. Nate brings an unusual lens to the CRO role because his path ran through marketing, and that perspective shapes how he thinks about alignment, brand consistency, and the work required to make growth stick.

This conversation is for account managers and revenue leaders who are tired of hearing vague advice about retention and upsell. Nate explains why a dedicated customer sales team can unlock real opportunity when it focuses on accounts that have already seen value. He also shares why net revenue retention improves when sales stays accountable after the contract is signed and when customer success protects trust instead of trying to sell during support moments.

Scale changes the rules. Automated customer onboarding, early warning signals, and a next best offer model help teams spot risk sooner and surface the right offer at the right time. That creates a better customer experience and a stronger business case for growth. Nate also makes a clear argument for renewal automation. If a product is doing its job and customers are getting the outcomes they expected, renewal should feel like a continuation of value rather than a forced event.

If you want a clearer view of account growth, this Account Management Secrets conversation offers a useful model for building a business that expands with more focus, more trust, and far less waste.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Account Management Secrets Intro and Expansion Revenue Preview

02:27 Why a Marketing-Led CRO Brings a Different Go-To-Market Strategy

07:00 Expansion Revenue Strategy and the Modern Customer Journey

10:21 Durable Revenue Systems That Reduce Churn and Drive Growth

14:44 Automated Customer Onboarding and Early Warning Systems at Scale

17:15 Next Best Offer Model and How to Earn the Right to Expand

22:08 Customer Sales Team Structure and Customer Success Alignment

26:51 Net New Sales vs Customer Sales Skills and Role Differences

30:59 Renewal Automation and Why Renewals Should Not Feel Like an Event

33:53 The Economics of Expansion Revenue and Net Revenue Retention

40:25 How to Build Scalable Revenue Systems Starting With the Problem Statement

Connect with Nate Skinner:

Visit the 8am website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Nakul on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Quantifying Customer Value to Prevent Surprise Churn | EP85

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:01:00 -0600

Why do “healthy” accounts still churn? Because sentiment is not the same as quantifying customer value.

On Account Management Secrets, Alex Raymond speaks with Nakul Kadaba, Manager, Technical Account Management and Head of Retention at ServiceNow, about a problem many account teams know too well. A customer seems happy, the dashboard looks strong, and the business still slips away. This conversation explains why quantifying customer value matters more than positive sentiment when retention and growth are at stake.

Nakul breaks down how strong post sales teams connect their work to customer business goals instead of relying on surface level signals. He shares a practical way to tie customer success metrics to the outcomes different stakeholders care about, then use those insights to guide smarter conversations over time. The result is a stronger approach to consultative account management where discovery stays active, assumptions get tested, and each interaction serves a clear purpose.

This episode also shows why value work needs structure. Teams that do real prep, use handoff details well, and show up with informed ideas build more trust and create better conversations. That matters even more when the day to day contact sits far from the decision maker and does not hold the full strategic picture. Nakul explains how this discipline helps teams spot renewal risk earlier, focus effort where it counts, and make better choices across a book of business.

When teams understand value at the account level, they create a stronger account expansion strategy and give customers clearer paths forward. This is a useful listen for anyone who wants account management to feel more strategic, more credible, and more tied to real business results.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Account Management Strategies for Retention and Growth

02:17 Why Happy Customers Still Churn

06:25 How to Quantify Customer Value in Account Management

10:49 Why Discovery Should Never Stop After the Sale

16:45 How to Reduce Renewal Risk with Executive Alignment

19:27 Real Example of 4X Account Growth

24:29 How to Segment Accounts by Value and Engagement

34:21 The Consultative Value Positioning Framework Explained

Connect with Nakul Kadaba:

Visit the ServiceNow website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Lori on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

To Grow the Business, You Have to Know the Business | EP84

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:01:00 -0600

Account leadership is at the center of this episode, and that matters for any agency trying to build stronger client partnerships and create more value from the account role. On Account Management Secrets, host Alex Raymond talks with Lori Bartle, author and advisor at Cultivagency, about why agency account management needs a clearer mandate and why account leadership should be treated as a growth function, not a coordination function. This is a useful listen for people who know the role can do more than manage timelines and keep projects moving.

Alex and Lori unpack the tension around account management vs project management and show how that confusion limits decision making, ownership, and career growth. They also look at client relationship management in agencies as work that should influence trust, retention, and the quality of client conversations. A big takeaway is that account leadership plays a direct role in organic growth within account management, especially when teams are trusted to bring stronger judgment, better questions, and a clearer point of view.

For people working in agency account management, this episode puts better language around the gap between what the role is and what it could be. It also makes the case that business acumen for account managers is now part of the job. More than anything, it offers a more credible standard for account leadership and why it deserves a bigger place inside the agency model.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Account Management Is Misunderstood in Agencies

01:29 Account Leadership vs Account Management

10:06 Why Agency Account Management Has an Identity Crisis

12:19 Account Management vs Project Management

17:26 The Drivers of High-Value Account Leadership

23:58 Client Relationship Management in Agencies

29:04 How Account Teams Influence Creativity

38:59 Organic Growth in Account Management

42:16 Business Acumen for Account Managers

Connect with Lori Bartle:

Visit the Cultivagency website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Jennifer on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Proactive Account Management: The Post-Sale Strategy That Turns Reactive Teams Into Growth Teams | EP83

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 00:01:00 -0600

Proactive account management sounds simple until you are leading a team under constant renewal pressure, support issues, weak handoffs, and last minute surprises. On Account Management Secrets, host Alex Raymond sits down with Jennifer Pinter, Fractional Customer Success Leader and Expert in Account Management to break down what proactive account management actually requires when you want stronger retention, cleaner expansion paths, and more credibility inside the business. This conversation is for leaders who know reactive service is no longer enough and need a smarter post-sale strategy that gives account managers more clarity and more control.

You will hear why a customer success risk register matters, how a consistent account management operating rhythm helps teams spot risk sooner, and why revenue-driven customer success can strengthen trust when teams stay focused on customer outcomes. Alex and Jennifer also connect proactive account management to net revenue retention and make the case that better alignment across sales, product, and post-sale teams creates better results for customers and the business. If your team is tired of firefighting and ready for proactive account management that drives growth with less chaos, this is a useful place to start.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Proactive Account Management and the Shift From Reactive Post-Sale Work

02:29 Building the Growth Department Around Keep, Grow, and No Surprises

05:15 Customer Success Risk Register Best Practices for Account Managers

10:09 How to Identify Churn Risk, Expansion Risk, and Customer Health Signals

15:01 How to Get Sales and Product Teams Aligned Around Customer Risk

18:18 Why Net Revenue Retention Should Be Everyone’s Shared Goal

20:08 Revenue-Driven Customer Success and the End of the Helper Mindset

26:36 How Strategic Account Management Builds Trust and Drives Growth

32:18 Building the Growth Department With a Strong Post-Sale Strategy

34:30 Account Management Operating Rhythm for Better Visibility and Results

Connect with Jennifer Pinter:

Visit Jennifer's website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Benjamin on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Government Account Management and Why Total Account Ownership Matters in GovTech | EP82

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:01:00 -0600

What does government account management look like when your customer is a city, county, or state agency? In this episode of Account Management Secrets, Alex Raymond sits down with Benjamin Stidham, VP of Account Management at CivicPlus, to unpack why government account management requires a different mindset than traditional SaaS roles and what it takes to succeed in this environment.

Benjamin shares how govtech account management is shaped by structure rather than urgency. Success depends on understanding public sector buying cycles, aligning to long-term initiatives, and working within procurement systems that move at their own pace. This shifts the role of the account manager from a reactive relationship holder to someone who can plan ahead, read timing, and operate with precision.

The conversation centers on total account ownership and why it becomes critical when a single customer may use multiple products across different teams. One weak experience can impact the entire relationship, which means account managers must coordinate internally while keeping the customer experience simple and consistent.

Alex and Benjamin also discuss how CivicPlus is evolving its model to support this. That includes tighter alignment between account management and customer success, clearer territory design, and a stronger focus on gross and net revenue retention. For anyone focused on account management in SaaS, this episode explains how growth shifts when expansion and retention carry more weight than net new sales. You’ll come away with a better sense of how to build a stronger post-sale motion when government customers are the focus.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Government Account Management and Why Selling to the Public Sector Changes the Job

02:04 GovTech Account Management vs Traditional SaaS Sales

04:24 Government Procurement Rules and Why Public Sector Customers Are Stickier

07:16 Public Sector Buying Cycles and Buyer-Aligned Account Management

10:48 Using AI and Account Visibility to Support Government Accounts

13:14 Total Account Ownership in Complex GovTech Customer Relationships

17:44 Scaling Account Management Across 10,000 Government Customers

19:15 Aligning Account Management and Customer Success for Better Expansion

22:45 Territory Design, Account Ratios, and Digital Customer Success Strategy

27:19 Improving Gross and Net Revenue Retention in GovTech

31:15 Why Account Management Is a Core Growth Function in SaaS

39:17 How Account Managers Can Use AI to Level Up in 2026

Connect with Benjamin Stidham:

Visit the CivicPlus website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Julio on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Account Management Strategy: The 4 Things Customers Actually Care About | EP81

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:01:00 -0600

Most account teams get rewarded for being responsive, but the teams that actually grow revenue follow a sharper account management strategy. In this episode, Alex Raymond talks with Julio Franco of Zappi about how strong account teams stop acting like vendors and start acting like business partners. This conversation is useful for anyone who wants an account management strategy that ties day-to-day client work to real outcomes, clearer priorities, and stronger commercial results.

Julio breaks down why a smart voice of the customer strategy starts with understanding what the customer is trying to achieve, not just reacting to requests. He explains how his team uses a simple framework to guide better conversations, reduce friction, and create alignment across sales, post-sale teams, and customer leaders. You will also hear how account planning best practices and quarterly business review best practices help teams measure progress, adapt when priorities shift, and show value in a way executives care about.

This episode also makes a strong case for a more commercial mindset. Julio shares why customer success revenue strategy matters more than ever and why customer teams should not shy away from revenue accountability. A clear account management strategy connects customer goals, measurable outcomes, and revenue growth. It offers a strong framework for anyone trying to make account work more strategic, measurable, and commercially relevant.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 The Account Manager Mindset That Drives Revenue and Business Impact

05:37 Customer Centric vs Customer Obsessed Strategy

09:14 How to Identify Customer Goals That Actually Matter

11:33 The Four Value Drivers Framework for Customer Success

20:10 How to Measure Customer Impact and Prove Business Value

25:11 Account Planning Best Practices That Align Teams and Goals

34:35 Why Customer Success Teams Must Own Revenue

39:11 The VHAG Framework for Customer Value Health Advocacy and Growth

Connect with Julio Franco:

Visit the Zappi website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Chris Deren on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Why Most Pharmaceutical Key Account Management Programs Fail (And How to Fix Them) | EP80

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:01:00 -0600

Pharmaceutical key account management can make or break growth in complex health systems, and this episode shows why so many teams still get it wrong. Alex Raymond talks with Chris Deren, Founder and CEO at ClarityCX1, about what pharmaceutical key account management requires inside large organizations where short-term sales pressure often works against long-term account growth. If you work in key account management in pharma, this conversation offers a sharper view of what large customers expect and what pharma teams need to change.

The episode looks at why a strong pharma account management strategy needs more than training or a new title. Chris explains why executive support, cross-functional alignment, and stronger customer insight matter in the healthcare key account manager role. He also breaks down what strategic account management healthcare systems expect and why it depends on coordination, preparation, and a clear understanding of account priorities.

You will also hear why pharma customer relationship strategy has become a major point of difference when products look similar, why many programs lose momentum early, and how better planning helps teams avoid confusion inside major accounts. Pharmaceutical key account management is becoming more important across the industry, and this episode highlights the habits and structure that help teams earn trust, stay aligned, and grow the relationship over time.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Pharmaceutical Key Account Management Explained in Pharma

03:53 Who Pharma Key Account Managers Actually Serve

06:35 Why Pharmaceutical Key Account Management Requires a Long-Term Strategy

11:52 What a Strong Pharma Account Management Strategy Looks Like

19:43 How to Measure Success in Key Account Management in Pharma

26:08 The Customer Experience Mistake That Hurts Pharma Accounts

36:04 How AI Is Changing Pharmaceutical Key Account Management

Connect with Chris Deren:

Visit the ClarityES1 website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Gillian on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Chief Customer Officer Role And Net Revenue Retention Strategy For B2B SaaS Growth | EP79

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 00:01:00 -0700

Most SaaS companies obsess over new revenue but underestimate what it takes to keep it. The Chief Customer Officer role becomes essential once a company moves beyond early traction and into real scale. In this episode, Alex Raymond and Gillian Core, Global Chief Customer Officer at 360Learning, examine what the Chief Customer Officer role actually demands when B2B SaaS revenue growth is on the line.

If you lead post-sales or own expansion targets, this episode will change how you measure success. The Chief Customer Officer role is not about reporting churn. It is about building a disciplined customer retention strategy that protects margin and drives net revenue retention at the board level. Gillian explains how positioning retention as saved ARR shifts executive perception and strengthens credibility inside the C-suite.

They also unpack CRO vs. CCO responsibilities and why separating those roles can unlock focus as complexity increases. For leaders focused on account management leadership, this episode offers practical insight into executive alignment, forward planning, and owning the numbers that compound over time. If you want to elevate the Chief Customer Officer role in your organization, this episode makes the business case clear.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why the Chief Customer Officer Role Matters in B2B SaaS

03:17 When to Hire a Chief Customer Officer at 50M+ ARR

07:00 Net Revenue Retention Strategy and Planning Three Quarters Ahead

13:39 CRO vs CCO Responsibilities and Upsell Ownership in SaaS

20:46 Working with the CFO on NRR, Subscription Margin, and Rule of 40

31:36 First 90 Days as a Chief Customer Officer and Building Executive Credibility

Connect with Gillian Core:

Visit the 360Learning website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with John on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

How to Improve Forecast Accuracy for Renewals: The 4 Questions to Ask | EP78

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 00:01:00 -0700

Forecast accuracy is the fastest way for a post-sales team to earn trust or lose it with leadership. In this episode, Alex Raymond sits down with John Huber, Founder and Principal CS Consultant at Customer Success Architects, to break down what drives forecast accuracy when executives expect predictable revenue from existing accounts.

John shares the story of a renewal that looked safe at 94% and closed at 78%, creating a seven-figure gap. Instead of treating it as bad luck, he turns it into a framework any team can apply. You will learn how renewal forecasting improves when teams stop relying on optimism and start running a disciplined renewal process months before the deadline. He outlines four questions every account manager and CSM should answer before committing a renewal, including confirmed budget with the economic buyer, measurable outcomes, and what changes if the deal slips. This structure strengthens forecast accuracy because it replaces assumptions with verified customer signals.

The conversation also expands into churn forecasting and customer success forecasting. Strong forecast accuracy is not only about what is coming in, it is also about what might walk out. John explains how to build cross-functional alignment so risk does not live in silos. When churn forecasting becomes a shared responsibility, teams can protect gross retention and create a more reliable view of revenue.

If you want renewal forecasting and customer success forecasting that hold up in executive reviews and reduce end-of-quarter surprises, this episode offers a clear path to forecast accuracy you can defend.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Forecast Accuracy in Post-Sales and Why It Drives Executive Trust

02:23 Renewal Forecasting Fail: 94% Commit Missed by $1.2M

09:13 Improving Forecast Accuracy: Commit Discipline and No “Happy Ears”

12:53 Renewal Process Strategy: 6–9 Month Planning for Predictable Revenue

18:35 The 4 Renewal Forecasting Questions Before You Commit

31:45 Churn Forecasting and Gross Retention: A Cross-Functional Playbook

Connect with John Huber:

Visit the Customer Success Architects website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Value Before Revenue: The Post-Sales Mindset Shift | EP77

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:01:00 -0700

The recurring revenue model is comforting. Contracts renew. Revenue repeats. Forecasts look stable. But that assumption hides risk. When renewals are treated as automatic rather than earned, blind spots form. A strong customer retention strategy requires more than waiting for renewal dates. It demands clarity around outcomes, proactive engagement, and a disciplined post-sales process that makes value visible long before a contract is up.

That is where the idea of value before revenue becomes transformative. In his book, The Growth Department, Alex Raymond explains that revenue is not something you chase. It is something that follows documented results. When your account management strategy focuses on defining success, measuring progress, and consistently demonstrating impact, commercial conversations become natural. Customer success renewals feel aligned rather than pressured. Expansion becomes a continuation of delivered value rather than an upsell.

Alex also addresses the structural gap between sales and post-sales. Sales teams operate with defined systems, predictable forecasting, and visible playbooks. Post-sales teams often rely on effort and heroics. Leadership trusts structure. Without a standardized post-sales process, account management is seen as reactive rather than strategic. Applying value before revenue creates the discipline and visibility needed to shift that perception.

If you want renewals to feel predictable, revenue growth to feel earned, and your account management strategy to be viewed as a true growth function, this episode provides a practical framework. Moving beyond the recurring revenue model positions post-sales as a strategic driver of retention, expansion, and long-term customer success.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Account Management Drives Revenue and Renewals

01:01 The Growth Department Mindset in Post-Sales

04:18 The Myth of the Recurring Revenue Model

05:47 Active Retention as a Customer Retention Strategy

11:00 Value Before Revenue in Customer Success Renewals

15:21 The Value Revenue Chain Explained

20:20 The JV vs. Varsity Gap in Post-Sales Teams

24:52 Building Systems for Predictable Growth

29:39 From Heroics to Scalable Account Management Strategy

31:40 Implementing a Disciplined Post-Sales Process

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Learn more about The Growth Department

Alex’s book:

Get your copy of The Growth Department on Amazon

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

How Advertising Agencies Grow Revenue Through Account Management | EP76

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:01:00 -0700

Why do advertising agencies keep adding account roles, yet revenue growth is hard to account for?

In this episode of Account Management Secrets, Alex Raymond talks with Chantal Sagnes, founder of Chantal Sagnes Consulting, about what actually happens after an agency wins the work. Chantal has spent years on both the business development and account leadership sides, and she shares what she has seen play out inside agencies when revenue growth stalls, even though everyone is busy and the work is getting done.

They get into the tension most account teams feel between maintaining the relationship and growing it. The conversation touches on the hunter versus farmer mindset, why curiosity matters more than pushing a sale, and how unclear ownership often leaves revenue opportunity on the table. It is less about big pitches and more about what happens in the everyday moments that shape client trust and momentum.

With agencies dealing with consolidation, tighter budgets, and more pressure to “do more with less,” this episode comes back to something simple. Growth does not come from adding more tasks. It comes from account teams who take ownership of the relationship and think beyond delivery.

If you work in account management or lead an agency and want existing client relationships to contribute more meaningfully to revenue, this episode is actionable.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Agencies Have So Many Account Roles

03:00 Hunter vs Farmer Account Management in Agencies

10:00 Curiosity as a Revenue Skill in Account Management

14:00 Building Executive Relationships Through Contact Mapping

23:00 How to Protect Account Strategy From Day-to-Day Work

32:00 Agency Account Management Trends for 2026 and AI

Connect with Chantal Sagnes:

Connect with Chantal on LinkedIn

Visit the Chantal Sagnes website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Niko on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Account Management in the Music Industry: Client Retention, Revenue Growth, and Operating with Discipline | EP75

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:01:00 -0700

Account management changes when your clients are artists, creators, and public figures. There are no predictable renewals. Attention fades quickly, and relevance is earned every day.

In this episode of Account Management Secrets, Alex Raymond sits down with Niko Ivanov, Partner and Head of Account Management at NOX Media, to explore how account management works when traditional SaaS metrics fall short. NOX supports artists and creators whose success plays out publicly, where timing, trust, and proactive leadership matter more than dashboards.

This conversation makes the case for account management as an offensive discipline. Niko shares how clear systems, weekly account health checks, and red-yellow-green definitions help teams stay ahead of risk instead of reacting to it. He also unpacks the mindset required to lead under pressure, including emotional steadiness, short-term memory, and the ability to guide clients without taking things personally.

If you want to strengthen retention, prove value before problems surface, and lead accounts with confidence in high-stakes environments, this episode is worth your time.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Account Management Beyond SaaS in Talent and Digital Media

00:02 What NOX Media Does for Artists Creators and Brands

00:06 Client Retention and Reputation in the Entertainment Industry

00:10 Defining Account Health Without Traditional SaaS Metrics

00:25 EOS Systems and Weekly Client Health Reviews

00:34 Proactive Account Management as an Offensive Growth Function

Connect with Niko Ivanov:

Visit the NOX Media website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The Growth Department: Why Post-Sale Has to Change | EP74

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:01:00 -0700

Post-sales teams generate most of the revenue and nearly all of the profit, so why are they still treated like a support function instead of a growth driver?

Alex Raymond shares the thinking behind his new book, The Growth Department, and names a reality many account management and customer success teams live every day. They carry responsibility for renewals, expansion, and retention, yet often lack the systems, authority, and recognition that match the role. When things go right, it is quiet. When something goes wrong, all eyes turn their way.

Alex explains how outdated post-sales models no longer fit modern economics, longer payback periods, or the pressure leaders feel around net revenue retention. He breaks down why early churn quietly destroys profitability, why expansion matters more than most teams realize, and why NRR reflects the health of the entire business. Are customers even reaching payback? Is growth happening by design or by luck?

The conversation also explores why post-sales needs the same structure and operating discipline that sales teams already have. Without a clear system, teams burn out, forecasts feel fragile, and success depends on heroics. Alex reframes revenue anxiety by tying growth back to customer value, showing how revenue becomes a natural result of doing the right work well. This episode challenges post-sales leaders to rethink how they describe their role and how their teams are built.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Post-Sales Teams Drive Revenue but Lack Recognition

07:20 Post-Sales Is a Design Problem, Not a Talent Problem

15:10 The Post-Sales Tax and Why the Model Is Broken

19:40 Expansion Economics and the Cost of Early Churn

24:55 Net Revenue Retention as a Company Health Metric

34:30 Why Post-Sales Needs Systems, Structure, and Discipline

44:50 How Customer Value Leads to Revenue Growth

56:40 The Amplify Method for Account Management and Customer Success

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Jim on LinkedIn

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The CCO Playbook for Durable Customer Growth | EP73

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 00:01:00 -0700

What does it take to lead customer teams in 2026 when value creation matters more than renewals and curiosity separates trusted guides from replaceable vendors?

That question drives Alex Raymond’s conversation with Jim Richmond, Chief Customer Officer at Smartling, and it frames a grounded look at modern customer leadership. Jim shares a clear belief that last year’s success expires quickly. Teams have to keep earning trust through sharper skills, better discovery, and more honest conversations. Why did a customer buy in the first place? What are they trying to accomplish now? How do you know the value you deliver actually matters to them? Those questions take curiosity and patience, not scripts or dashboards alone.

Jim also challenges how customer centricity is often misunderstood. Customers are the heroes of the story. Customer teams serve as guides who bring expertise, perspective, and the confidence to speak up when a better path exists. That mindset shows up in how Smartling measures success, how risk is surfaced early, and how bad news is handled without fear. Gross revenue retention sets the bar. Early warnings are welcomed. Escalations become moments to build trust rather than defend processes. The conversation leaves you wondering where your team still plays it safe, where curiosity could go deeper, and what would change if guiding customers mattered more than simply keeping them.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Leading Customer Teams Into 2026

03:09 Customer Value Creation as the Core Strategy

09:08 Curiosity, Empathy, and Modern Customer Centricity

18:11 Performance Standards, Retention, and Risk Management

27:01 The Future Skill Set for Customer Success Leaders

Connect with Jim Richmond:

Visit the Smartling website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Ellie on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

How to Spot a Growth Stall Early | EP72

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 00:01:00 -0700

Growth stalls rarely announce themselves. It usually starts with hesitation, mixed signals, and decisions that keep getting pushed to the next quarter.

In How to Spot a Growth Stall Early, Alex Raymond sits down with Ellie Wu, Founder and Executive Advisor of CSuiteCX, to talk about what post-sales leaders are quietly dealing with right now. From her vantage point across entrepreneurship and business, Ellie sees the same early warning signs repeat. Teams have tools, data, and ideas, but leadership struggles to choose a direction and commit to it. That indecision shows up long before revenue drops.

The conversation challenges the assumption that speed equals progress. What happens when teams move fast but in different directions? What if the metrics look fine, yet the effort behind them keeps growing? Ellie encourages leaders to look beyond dashboards and ask practical questions. Do you understand the level of effort required to deliver value? Where is time going, and does that work actually help customers? AI can reduce friction and surface context, but it cannot replace judgment or alignment. Without clarity, new tools often increase noise instead of easing pressure.

They also talk about how slowing growth affects retention, enterprise value, and team well-being. Waiting for perfect certainty tends to raise stress and drain momentum. Clear priorities do the opposite. Clear priorities change how work feels day to day. Teams stop spinning, effort gets focused, and progress becomes easier to see. When leaders choose direction instead of waiting, growth does not have to grind down before anyone notices. There is still time to correct the course, and the work stops feeling quite so heavy in the process.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Account Management and Leadership Challenges in Growing Businesses

01:00 Early Indicators of Business Growth Slowdowns

02:00 Calibrated Efficiency and Leadership Alignment

06:00 Why AI Strategies Fail in Account Management and Customer Success

08:00 Measuring Effort Versus Outcomes in Post-Sales Teams

10:00 AI Use Cases That Support Human Decision-Making

14:30 Leadership Decision Frameworks for Cross-Team Alignment

18:30 Gross Revenue Retention and Enterprise Value

25:00 The Enablement Gap in Customer Success Teams

32:30 Building a Business Case for Post-Sales Investment

37:00 Bias Toward Action in Leadership Decision-Making

Connect with Ellie Wu:

Visit the CSuiteCX Website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Joel on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

How a Chief Client Officer Leads | EP71

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 00:01:00 -0700

Long-lasting client partnerships are built through disciplined fit, visible value, and the conviction to say no to the wrong work even when the revenue looks tempting.

Joel Sylvester, Chief Client Officer at Five Star Call Centers, shares a grounded perspective on client leadership that blends entrepreneurship, business discipline, and wellbeing. Rather than chasing every opportunity, Joel argues that sustainable growth comes from clarity about what works and the willingness to protect it. Client service, in his view, means bringing perspective and structure clients do not always have internally, then making clear decisions when cost pressure, growth, or complexity enter the picture.

A central theme is fit. Joel explains the five pillars that guide Five Star’s partnerships: size, seasonality, technology, process, and culture, with culture carrying the most weight. Misalignment shows up quickly through burnout, turnover, and declining service, even when revenue looks strong. The episode also explores how value stays visible through a steady cadence of weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual reviews that keep progress measurable and priorities aligned. Joel closes by reflecting on hiring problem solvers who know when to ask for help and why long-term partnerships thrive when business success and team wellbeing are treated as inseparable.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 What a Chief Client Officer Really Owns

06:07 The Five Pillars of Strong Client Relationships

11:46 Hiring and Developing High-Impact Account Leaders

17:59 How to Track and Prove Client Value

20:50 The Review Cadence That Keeps Clients Engaged

27:10 Building Long-Term Client Partnerships Through Cultural Fit

Connect with Joel Sylvester:

Visit the Five Star Call Centers Website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Flip the QBR | EP70

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 00:01:00 -0700

If your QBRs keep getting ghosted or quietly deprioritized, the problem is not the calendar invite but the way those meetings are framed and led.

Alex Raymond challenges the default way most account managers think about quarterly business reviews. In a market where portfolios are growing, resources are tighter, and customer attention is harder to earn, QBRs reveal how your customer truly sees you. Are you a strategic partner with a point of view or a vendor reporting activity? The difference shows up quickly in who attends, how engaged they are, and what happens next in the relationship.

The episode centers on a simple but uncomfortable truth. Customers show up when QBRs give them insight they cannot get elsewhere, access to real expertise inside your company, and confidence that their priorities are genuinely understood. Meetings that focus too heavily on the past, rely on long slide decks, or play it safe send the opposite signal. Strong QBRs create forward momentum, invite real dialogue, and position the account manager as a leader in the room rather than someone trying to avoid risk.

Alex reframes QBRs as a moment of leadership and trust. When handled with clarity and intention, they become one of the most powerful tools for retention, expansion, and long-term credibility.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why QBRs Matter More Than Ever for Account Managers

03:23 The Reality of Today’s Account Management Challenges

14:01 What Customers Actually Want from a QBR

19:19 Why C-Suite Attendance Drives Growth and Retention

22:43 Three Reframes That Turn QBRs Into Strategic Conversations

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect With Liz On LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The Win-Win-Win: Building Sustainable Partnerships That Serve Business and Community | EP69

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 00:01:00 -0700

Account management can drive renewals, reduce risk, and expand real career access when corporate partnerships are treated as long-term commitments rather than short-term transactions.

This conversation with Liz Jones of Genesis Works Chicago, reframes account management through a nonprofit lens and shows how the core principles still hold. She explains what changes when corporate partners are treated as long-term customers rather than one-year commitments, and why understanding a partner’s motivation matters as much as delivering outcomes. How do you show value when success includes both ROI and human impact? What does trust look like when budgets shift, priorities change, or the political climate tightens?

At the heart of the episode is a thoughtful look at renewal health, risk awareness, and the discipline required to surface hard truths early. Liz shares how intentional questions, internal transparency, and credibility with partners create stability for the people nonprofits ultimately serve. The result is a clear case for account management as a strategic function across sectors and a reminder that sustainable impact depends on relationships built for the long term.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 What Nonprofit Account Management Really Means

03:03 The Genesis Works Social Enterprise Model

06:01 Corporate Partnerships and Long-Term Talent Pipelines

12:02 Corporate Social Responsibility After 2020

14:59 Trust, Credibility, and Renewal Risk

17:53 Asking the Questions That Surface Risk Early

23:57 Why Nonprofit Account Management Is a Real Career Path

Connect with Liz Jones:

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Mark on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

How to Make Key Account Management Work | EP68

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:01:00 -0700

Most key account programs collapse because companies treat a strategic discipline like a standard sales motion, and this conversation reveals what it actually takes to build one that works.

Alex Raymond and Mark Davies examine why so many organizations invest in key account management yet struggle to see meaningful impact. Mark argues that KAM only succeeds when the company recognizes it as a different business model with a longer horizon and deeper expectations. Without cultural alignment, even the most capable account managers slip back into transactional patterns that limit growth and dilute the value customers could receive.

They explore how real progress begins when teams study a customer’s strategy, pressures and financial priorities, then build offers that match the customer’s world. This raises a key question for any account leader: are you creating conversations that reach senior decision-makers or staying confined to a narrow vendor role? Mark shares how better segmentation, thoughtful prioritization and a series of small wins can open that door, especially when paired with an internal pitch centered on material impact, margin and momentum. The episode leaves you considering whether your business treats its most important customers with the intention they deserve.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Most Key Account Programs Fail

06:08 The Mindset Shift Required for Strategic Accounts

09:01 Value Leakage and What Customers Really Expect

18:05 How to Identify True Key Accounts

31:48 Building Offers That Drive Meaningful Growth

35:12 Leadership’s Role in Making KAM Work

47:55 The Internal Pitch: Securing Executive Support

Connect with Mark Davies:

Value Matters - Articles and content to advance B2B selling

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Tara on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

How Account Managers Can Beat Imposter Syndrome and Build Executive Presence | EP67

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:01:00 -0700

High performers don’t grow out of imposter syndrome. They just learn how to hide it better.

Executive coach and imposter syndrome specialist Dr. Tara Halliday joins the show to unpack why so many accomplished people still feel like they don’t belong and how that belief quietly shapes confidence, performance, and presence at work. She explains how the nervous system hijacks clear thinking in high-pressure moments and why so many account managers slip into over-preparing, perfectionism, or self-doubt even with a strong track record behind them. What shifts when your worth no longer hinges on every client reaction or tough conversation? How different does leadership feel when your body finally stops sounding the alarm?

Tara offers a simple way to return to calm in high-stakes moments and shows how that state unlocks clearer thinking, better judgment, and a sense of authority that feels natural rather than forced. The conversation reframes confidence as a trainable internal skill and invites listeners to rethink what real executive presence looks like from the inside out, with insights that resonate across entrepreneurship, business, and wellbeing.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 What Imposter Syndrome Really Is

07:52 The Root Cause of Self-Doubt

13:21 How Stress Hijacks Performance

15:50 A Two-Minute Reset for Your Nervous System

24:50 Building Executive Presence Through Calm

30:59 Inner Work and Career Growth

Connect with Tara Halliday:

Visit Inner Success

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

How Great Account Managers Spot and Manage Risk Before It’s Too Late | EP66

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 00:01:00 -0700

The biggest threat to your revenue often isn’t churn, it’s the blind spots you never realized were there.

Alex sits down with Lisa Honaker, a seasoned account management leader who has coached teams across fast-moving entrepreneurship and high-stakes business environments. They get into why so many AMs misread early risk signals and how a narrow set of contacts can leave even strong accounts vulnerable. Lisa shares her three-wide, three-deep relationship model and explains why the people who enjoy working with you aren’t always the ones who can move deals forward.

Their discussion centers on the deeper competency behind effective account management—clear insight into what customers value, research that goes beyond superficial prep, and a level of curiosity that strengthens both performance and professional wellbeing. They explore how AMs can use AI to speed up this work without losing the human judgment that earns trust at the executive level and how stronger risk discipline ultimately creates healthier, more resilient growth.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Risk Management Drives Account Success

03:00 How Multi-Threading Protects Your Revenue

08:59 Building Influence With Key Stakeholders

15:08 Smarter Account Research for Stronger Customer Insight

21:03 Investor Perspectives on Retention and Growth

Connect with Lisa Honaker:

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Jennifer on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Why NRR Matters to Every CEO Right Now | EP65

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 00:01:00 -0700

NRR has become the pressure test for every account management leader who wants to prove they can drive real, sustainable growth.

Alex Raymond is joined by Jennifer Pinter, a longtime operator and advisor who works closely with account management and CS leaders navigating today’s retention-driven market. Together they dig into why net revenue retention now sits at the center of every strategic conversation and why so many teams feel unprepared for the weight it carries. With new logos slowing and early contracts shrinking, companies can’t rely on acquisition to cover weak retention, which pushes account management into a more commercial, outcome-driven role. Jennifer shares what she’s hearing from leaders who now hold explicit NRR targets without the playbooks they need. Their discussion points to the fundamentals that actually move the number: clean ICP discipline, faster time to value, and a value story customers can understand without effort.

Alex and Jennifer highlight how NRR exposes the health of the entire go-to-market engine. Product decisions, sales commitments, financial visibility, and customer outcomes all shape whether accounts renew, expand, or drift away. That reality raises a core question for any leader responsible for revenue: do you have the internal alignment and customer clarity required to build predictable growth? The episode offers a sharp, honest look at the shift happening across the industry and the mindset leaders need as NRR becomes the benchmark for both team maturity and long-term success.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 What Net Revenue Retention Really Measures

08:12 Why NRR Has Become a Board-Level Priority

15:27 Core Drivers of High NRR: Value, Fit, and Time to First Value

24:48 How Account Management Leaders Can Actually Move NRR

31:02 Building Community and Skill Development Around NRR

Connect with Jennifer Pinter:

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Visit the Union Square Consulting website

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Fix What’s Really Broken | EP64

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:01:00 -0700

Most companies don’t have a revenue problem, they have a process problem hidden in plain sight.

Alex sits down with Eddie Reynolds, CEO of Union Square Consulting, to unpack why growth so often stalls even when sales are strong. Through the lens of entrepreneurship and business strategy, Eddie explains how broken go-to-market systems, unclear ownership, and neglected post-sales

processes quietly drain both revenue and team wellbeing. Together, they explore why customer success teams drive the majority of profit yet rarely get the resources or recognition they deserve.

They dig into what operational maturity really looks like and how to get there—defining clear steps, tracking execution, and aligning leadership around shared goals. How do you measure the true impact of account management? What does it take to fix revenue leaks before chasing new business?

Eddie’s frameworks, the GTM Ops Decision Tree and the GTM Efficiency Pyramid, offer a roadmap for identifying what’s broken and where to focus first. His message is simple: sustainable success in entrepreneurship starts by tightening the systems that serve your existing customers and strengthening the operational wellbeing of your business.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Eddie Reynolds on Fixing Broken Go-To-Market Systems

02:23 Why Most Revenue Problems Are Really Process Problems

14:21 The Real Value of Customer Success and Account Management

22:03 Rethinking Organizational Design in Post-Sales Teams

26:08 Building Operational Maturity and Efficiency

35:30 Capacity Planning for Scalable Growth

39:00 Final Takeaways with Eddie Reynolds

Connect with Eddie Reynolds:

Tune in to the GTM Science Podcast

Connect with Eddie on LinkedIn

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Why RevOps Should Scare You Less | EP63

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 00:01:00 -0700

Mallory Lee proves that simplifying your systems can be the smartest growth strategy a company ever makes.

Alex Raymond sits down with Mallory Lee, VP of Revenue Operations at PhoneBurner, about how tearing out a decade of legacy systems and moving from Salesforce to HubSpot unlocked faster growth, cleaner data, and stronger alignment across the company. Guided by her “SEC” framework—simple, effective, confident—Mallory shares how she rebuilt the company’s go-to-market motion to unify sales, RevOps, and account management under one streamlined system that actually helps people do their jobs instead of getting in their way.

They discuss how simplification drives better business decisions, why post-sales deserves the same urgency as new revenue, and how operational clarity fuels both performance and wellbeing on fast-moving teams. Mallory also breaks down how her approach reflects the mindset of modern entrepreneurship, where efficiency, trust, and collaboration create the foundation for sustainable growth.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Simplifying the Tech Stack for Growth

03:00 Why PhoneBurner Rebuilt Its CRM Around HubSpot

06:41 How RevOps Unites Sales, Account Management, and Customer Success

12:32 The Power of Simplicity: Mallory Lee’s SEC Framework

21:01 Forecasting with Confidence and Cleaner Data

24:06 Using AI to Automate RevOps and Free Up Time

29:57 Why Customer Success Deserves the Same Urgency as New Business

Connect with Mallory Lee:
Connect with Mallory on LinkedIn

Connect with Alex Raymond:
Visit the AMplify website

Connect with Carl on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

QBRs on a Cocktail Napkin: The Art of Executive Simplicity | EP62

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 00:01:00 -0700

Ultra accounts demand a no-deck QBR playbook built on senior trust, steakhouse conversations, and concrete commitments.

Carl Lenocker, Senior Customer Success Executive at Splunk (now Cisco), joins Alex Raymond to talk about managing $10M+ enterprise accounts through clarity, preparation, and authentic relationship-building. He shares how the best account managers operate more like entrepreneurs than employees, balancing business rigor with genuine human connection, and why “promises made, promises kept” is the mindset that sustains both growth and wellbeing. His approach to executive simplicity proves that true expertise means knowing what to say, when to say it, and when to stop talking.

They explore why most QBRs fail before they begin and how to turn them into focused conversations that deliver real outcomes. Carl explains his “steak dinner strategy,” a practical method for earning trust and uncovering critical insights over a meal instead of a slide deck. For anyone serious about entrepreneurship, business success, and personal wellbeing, this episode is a reminder that confident simplicity always wins in the room where decisions are made.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Managing Ultra Accounts: The Realities of Enterprise Account Management

01:18 What Defines an Ultra Account and Why It Matters

07:14 Inside Splunk’s Lean Model for High-Value Customers

10:28 Balancing Revenue Growth and Retention

12:25 Leading Business Conversations That Earn Executive Trust

17:36 Rethinking QBRs: From Presentation to Facilitation

31:06 The Art of Relationship Building and Executive Access

34:01 Mastering the Steak Dinner Strategy

39:58 Year-End Playbook for Account Managers

Connect with Carl Lenocker:

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn

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Account Managers are Fixers | EP61

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:01:00 -0600

What if the key to explosive growth isn’t chasing new customers but treating expansion as an act of service to the ones you already have?

Alex Raymond sits down with Amanda Edington, VP of Account Management at Payscale, to unpack how a mindset shift toward service transformed her team’s approach to growth and retention. Amanda shares how curiosity and trust drive meaningful expansion, why the best account managers see every conversation as discovery, and how one question, “How can we be a better partner for you?”, can turn a renewal risk into a long-term success story.

Through examples and coaching insights, Amanda reveals what separates reactive sellers from strategic partners and why true customer elation is earned through measurable value, not momentary satisfaction. A must-listen for anyone in entrepreneurship, business, or wellbeing, this episode challenges account managers to think bigger about service, partnership, and what it really means to grow with your clients.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Building PayScale’s Account Management Function

05:12 Turning Expansion Into a Growth Engine

10:40 Curiosity and Trust as the Keys to Client Retention

16:25 The Power of Asking “How Can We Be a Better Partner for You?”

22:58 From Churn Risk to Long-Term Growth

30:16 Redefining Customer Elation and True Partnership

Connect with Amanda Edington:
Visit the Payscale website

Connect with Alex Raymond:
Visit the AMplify website

Connect with Shep on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Consistency Beats Heroics: Shep Hyken on Building B2B Customer Loyalty | EP60

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Satisfied customers leave, but loyal ones stay because great account managers turn every interaction into consistency, trust, and genuine partnership.

Alex Raymond sits down with customer experience expert and New York Times bestselling author Shep Hyken to explore how account managers can move beyond customer satisfaction and build true loyalty that lasts. Shep explains why “satisfied” is the most dangerous word in business and reveals how small shifts in behavior, like proactive communication, reliable follow-through, and fast problem resolution, create long-term retention and growth.

Drawing on decades of research and stories from the front lines, Shep shows that B2B buyers think like consumers, constantly comparing their experience with yours to the best they’ve ever had from companies like Amazon or Apple. His insights give account managers a playbook for becoming indispensable partners rather than replaceable vendors. From mastering his five-step service recovery framework to adopting a customer-focused culture that values consistency over heroics, this episode delivers a blueprint for building trust, earning loyalty, and owning every moment as the CEO of the client experience.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction and The Hidden Risk of “Satisfied” Customers

02:33 Why B2B Clients Expect B2C-Level Experiences

05:04 Proactive Communication and Lessons from Amazon

13:21 Fixing the Sales-to-Account Manager Handoff

17:04 Loyalty vs. Satisfaction: What Really Drives Retention

25:04 Shep Hyken’s Five-Step Service Recovery Framework

30:16 Building a Customer-Centered Culture

37:04 Key Takeaways for Account Managers

Connect with Shep Hyken:
Visit Shep’s website

Connect with Alex Raymond:
Visit the AMplify website

Visit the Pavilion website

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Value Is the New Contract: Anthony DeShazor on Outcome-Based Account Management | EP59

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 00:01:00 -0600

When contracts disappear and only value keeps customers loyal, the real work of account management begins.

Alex Raymond talks with Anthony DeShazor, the founder and chief architect of Protia Revenue Systems, about building customer relationships that last when “value is the contract.” Drawing from his experience leading customer success at Givelify, Anthony shares how operating without renewals or lock-ins pushed his team to deliver measurable outcomes every day and redefine what success really means. He explains how taking ownership of value, rather than letting customers define it, turns account managers into strategic partners who drive growth and trust.

By connecting outcomes to purpose, not just performance, Anthony offers a new way to think about loyalty, communication, and long-term customer success.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 No Auto-Renewals: When Value Is the Contract

05:15 No Safety Net: Urgency and Prioritization

07:13 Shifting the Value Conversation

10:09 Defining and Communicating Value

12:00 Results: Growth from Outcome Focus

14:01 Always On Value Communication

15:05 EBR Structure for Maximum Impact

21:58 Tracking EBR Success and Retention

28:09 Coordinating Customer Communications

37:06 Starting with Value and Outcomes

Connect with Anthony DeShazor:

Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The MBA Account Managers Never Got | EP58

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Revenue is more concentrated than ever, with a handful of accounts driving the majority of growth. That reality makes account management both the biggest risk and the biggest lever in business today.

In this episode, Frank Cespedes—senior lecturer at Harvard Business School and author of Sales Management That Works—joins Alex Raymond to talk about why most companies are still scandalously sloppy with account planning, why account managers can no longer afford to be financially illiterate, and what it takes to be taken seriously in the C-suite.

They discuss how higher interest rates are changing buying behavior, why lead qualification criteria matter more than ever, and the danger of treating account management as nothing more than discount-driven cross-sell. Frank also weighs in on the “full spectrum AE” debate and why asking one person to do everything across the customer lifecycle is a fantasy in most organizations.

For anyone serious about entrepreneurship and building a durable business, this conversation offers a clear reminder: account management isn’t just about customer retention, it’s about protecting wellbeing across the company. If you can’t connect your work to profitable growth and enterprise value, your seat at the table is far from guaranteed.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Account Management Matters with Frank Cespedes

02:28 Why Big Accounts Dominate Revenue Growth

04:54 Lead Qualification in a High-Interest Market

10:49 Why Leaders Are Out of Touch with Customers

13:10 Financial Literacy as a Core AM Skill

20:04 The Account Planning Problem

25:32 Spreadsheets vs. Real Customer Contact

29:09 Technology and AI Reshaping Buying Behavior

30:22 Where to Invest in Account Management

35:56 The Debate on Full Spectrum AEs

39:24 The Future of CS and Account Management

Links

Connect with Frank Cespedes:

Website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The Skills Every Account Manager Needs Now with Bill Senese | EP57

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Most account managers know how to follow up, but follow through is what separates someone who manages deals from someone who builds real partnerships.

Bill Senese, Senior Strategic Adoption Manager at Amazon Business and author of “The Book on That: B2B Account Management,” shares the skills that actually move the needle - listening that uncovers what clients aren’t saying out loud, curiosity that opens the door to better discovery, and the kind of resourcefulness that helps you handle tough questions in real time.

Bill talks about the difference between persistence and pushiness, how to turn a QBR into a true conversation, and why creativity matters when a customer’s situation doesn’t fit the standard playbook. What happens when you stop relying on polished decks and start facilitating instead? How do you shift from “getting through” a meeting to creating space for real dialogue? Bill also explains why he wrote the book he wished he had early in his career - a guide meant for anyone who wants to take account management seriously, whether you’re just starting out or years into the role.

If you’ve ever asked yourself whether you’re actually earning trust or just chasing signatures, this episode gives you a sharper lens and a set of tools to help you answer that question with confidence.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 The Hidden Challenges of Account Management

01:50 Core Skills Every Account Manager Needs

07:18 Inspiration and Writing Process for the Book

09:41 Handling Objections with Creativity and Trust

11:05 The Power of Resourcefulness and Follow Through

13:02 Follow Up vs. Follow Through

14:25 Account Manager as Quarterback for Customer Success

16:24 Rapid Learning as a Competitive Edge

18:11 Who the Book Is For and How to Use It

Connect with Bill Senese:

The Book on That: B2B Account Management

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Why Revenue is the Critical Customer Success KPI | EP56

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Customer success used to thrive on easy capital and organic expansion. But in today’s market, that model is running out of runway. If CS isn’t tied to revenue, it’s on borrowed time. In this episode, Justin Strackany - employee #1 at SecureLink who scaled the company to $50M ARR and three exits - makes the case for why post-sales must evolve into a true growth function. He and Alex Raymond discuss what it means to measure CS on NRR, how to split roles between AMs and CSMs, and why strategic account management is the skill that will separate survivors from those left behind.

From AI-enabled automation of low-value accounts, to white-space scoring and executive sponsorship for top-tier customers, Justin shares the playbook he used to turn customer success into a revenue engine. He also outlines what companies must change in their org design, hiring, and training if they want CS to remain relevant.

For account managers and CS leaders, this conversation is both a warning and a roadmap: adapt your skills, claim revenue, and redefine your role, or risk becoming obsolete.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Account Managers Drive Business Growth

02:00 Should Customer Success Own Revenue?

06:22 Why CSMs Resist Revenue Accountability

10:27 The Future of CS and Account Management in the AI Era

12:23 Scaling SecureLink from Startup to $50M ARR

18:26 Lessons from Private Equity on NRR and Growth

25:48 Strategic Account Management in the Age of AI

32:05 Redefining CS and AM as the Growth Department

39:31 Roadmap for CSMs to Stay Relevant

Connect with Justin Strackany:

GTM.Consulting

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Negotiating Renewals Without Giving Away the Farm: Todd Caponi’s Four Levers | EP55

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Negotiation doesn’t have to feel like a hostage scene. In this episode, Alex Raymond sits down with Todd Caponi, sales expert and author of the upcoming book “Four Levers Negotiating,” to reframe how account managers approach renewals and upsells. Introducing his “Four Levers” framework (volume, timing of cash, length of commitment, and deal predictability), Todd explains how anchoring conversations on these drivers creates a sound basis for pricing. The result: fewer discounts, stronger margins, and more trust with customers.

This episode touches on the mindset shifts account managers need to make, from avoiding “easy gives” that erode credibility to introducing small amounts of friction that increase customer commitment. They also cover strategies for coaching champions to negotiate internally and how to stay consistent when procurement enters the process. By practicing these techniques, account managers can protect revenue, build stronger business relationships, and reduce the stress that comes with last-minute concessions.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Negotiation Doesn’t Have to Be a Hostage Scene

01:18 The Four Levers Framework

03:58 Why Traditional Tactics Fail and Erode Trust

05:14 Establishing a Sound Basis for Pricing

06:59 Trade on Value, Not Price (Timing, Scope, Terms, Payment)

10:21 Stop the “Easy Gives” That Invite More Concessions

12:54 When to Introduce the Timing Lever

15:06 Coach Your Champion to Negotiate Internally

19:30 Handling Procurement Without Losing Margin

24:53 Non-Monetary Tradeoffs That Protect Profit

28:38 Consistent Pricing and Better Forecast Accuracy

31:55 Action Steps: Start Using the Four Levers

Connect with Todd Caponi:

Visit Todd’s Website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Visit AMplify

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The Red Renewals System: How Asana Flags Enterprise Churn 12 Months Out | EP54

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Utilization numbers may look like the problem. But as Josh Abdulla, the Chief Customer Officer at Asana, points out, low usage is usually just the symptom, not the cause.

In this episode, Josh shares how he manages a global portfolio of 170,000 customers by combining data-driven rigor with clear-eyed coaching. He unpacks Asana’s Red Renewals System, a process that flags enterprise churn risk up to a year in advance, giving teams the runway to act before it’s too late.

From the real reasons SMB customers cancel, to the role of verticalization in enterprise engagement, to building a value framework that proves outcomes, not just activity, Josh outlines how account managers can shift from reactive firefighting to proactive commercial leadership.

This episode also connects the dots between entrepreneurship, business, and wellbeing - showing how sustainable account management practices not only protect revenue but reduce stress, prevent burnout, and create healthier long-term client relationships.

For anyone serious about renewals, growth, and credibility with executives, this is a playbook worth studying.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Utilization Is a Symptom, Not the Cause

03:28 What Asana Really Offers Beyond Task Management

05:19 Why Asana Created a Chief Customer Officer Role

07:06 Customer Segmentation at Scale

09:49 The Four Reasons SMB Customers Churn

13:18 The Red Renewals System for Enterprise Churn

15:56 Signals That Trigger a Red Renewal

17:53 Using Data to Drive Product and Retention Strategy

18:57 Coaching CSMs vs. Solving Product Gaps

20:52 The Power and Limits of Relationship Management

Connect with Josh Abdulla:

Asana

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Help Customers Build Confidence in Saying YES | EP53

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Customer deals often stall not because the product is weak but because buyers doubt their own ability to make the right choice.

Alex Raymond is joined by Brent Adamson, the co-author of The Challenger Sale, The Challenger Customer, and The Framemaking Sale, and the co-founder of A to B Insight, to discuss why decision confidence drives stronger outcomes than product features or supplier claims. Brent lays out the four forces that undermine confidence inside organizations: decision complexity, information overload, objective misalignment, and outcome uncertainty.

The discussion shows how account managers can step into those moments of doubt and help customers move forward with clarity. What changes when a client ends a conversation not only trusting the solution but feeling more confident in themselves? And how does that shift the way long-term relationships are built? This episode points out a more human approach to account management - one that deepens trust, strengthens renewals, and supports lasting growth.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

03:10 Why Decision Confidence Drives High-Quality, Low-Regret Deals

07:19 Customer Self-Confidence vs Supplier Confidence

16:24 The Four Forces That Undermine Buyer Confidence

18:45 Why Stalled Deals Happen and How to Break Status Quo

27:53 Rep-Free Buying and the Risk Gap for Sales Teams

31:03 The Phrase That Frames and Practical Social Proof

35:59 From Expert to Connector in Account Management

40:35 Humanistic Sales and Helping Customers Trust Themselves

Connect with Brent Adamson:

Website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Tools & Processes for Account Management and Client Success Teams | EP52

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Too many account management teams invest in software before they’re ready, and end up automating the wrong things.

Alex Raymond sits down with Jennifer Pinter, a seasoned expert in account management software, to talk about what separates successful tech stacks from the ones that never gain traction. Jennifer has helped dozens of companies implement tools for AM and CS teams, and she’s seen how often things go sideways when there’s no clear strategy behind the purchase.

Alex and Jennifer discuss the most common missteps, like skipping role clarity, chasing features over outcomes, and underestimating the lift of change management. They also touch on what great teams do differently, from building internal alignment to rolling out new tools in manageable stages.

One key question they keep coming back to: what’s in it for the account manager? If the tool doesn’t make their job easier, adoption won’t stick. And if the team hasn’t nailed the basics like QBRs or account planning, even the best software won’t fix that.

If you’re considering specialized tools for your AM team, or trying to make better use of the ones you already have, this episode will help you rethink how and when software actually supports growth.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Account Management Needs Its Own Tech Stack

03:56 Start with Role Clarity Before Buying Software

07:07 Why Leadership Buy-In Shapes Adoption

10:54 What AI Failures Teach Us About Tech Strategy

15:03 How Systems Drive Consistency in Account Management

21:41 Using Tech to Improve the Customer Experience

27:08 What’s in It for the Account Manager?

36:26 Are You Ready for Specialized AM Software?

Connect with Jennifer Pinter:

Pavilion

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Deliver Bad News Early: Tips from a CRO | EP51

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Bad forecasts don’t just miss targets. They influence hiring plans, budgets, and boardroom confidence. Former Chief Revenue Officer Cliff Unger joins Alex Raymond to share how account managers can build the accuracy and credibility that drive both company growth and personal career impact.

Drawing from his journey from hardware account management to SaaS leadership, Cliff reveals how forecasting, renewals, and expansions shape business strategy at the highest levels. He explains why “job number one” for revenue leaders is hitting the number, but why accuracy in forecasting is just as critical for winning trust with executives and investors. With only a small fraction of companies forecasting within 5% of actuals, Cliff points out the power of delivering bad news early, balancing realism with ambition, and building systems that eliminate surprises.

Alex and Cliff’s discussion reframes account management as a true commercial growth function, responsible for renewals, expansion, and reliable forecasting, rather than a reactive support role. The insights in this episode show how account managers and CROs alike can move beyond firefighting, strengthen credibility, and become the operators executives rely on to steer strategy and growth.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Account Managers Shape the Future of a Business

03:13 From Hardware Sales to SaaS Leadership

10:24 The High-Stakes World of SaaS Renewals

13:11 ARR, GRR, and NRR Explained

16:58 Forecasting Under Pressure as a CRO

19:29 Why Forecast Misses Erode Confidence

27:54 The Real Role of a CRO

30:04 Why Account Management Belongs Under the CRO

37:26 Diagnosing Forecast Misses and Reducing Surprises

41:44 Data Integrity and the CRO’s Biggest Pain Point

Connect with Cliff Unger:

Connect with Alex Raymond:

AMplify Website

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The Playbook for Clients Who Stay & Grow with You | EP50

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Most account managers get stuck in the middle, passing information back and forth, but the ones who rise are curators who build trust, shape strategy, and drive real business growth.

Alex Raymond is joined by Carl Smith, the founder of The Bureau, to explore how the account management role has evolved from being a reactive liaison into one of the most strategic positions inside an agency. Carl shares lessons from his journey as an agency owner and community leader, calling out the industry’s outdated view of account managers as conduits and advocating for a future where AMs are trusted advisors who anticipate client needs and bring fresh perspectives that create lasting impact.

They break down why account managers who solve bigger problems for their clients unlock bigger, more profitable deals, and how agencies can build a growth model around deep client empathy instead of transactional work. Carl introduces his “Jellyfish Management” philosophy, a unique opt-in team structure that flips traditional agency hierarchies and gives teams ownership over the projects they truly care about. He also explains why radical transparency, when paired with the right context, builds a foundation of trust that strengthens agency culture and client relationships.

At its core, this episode is a playbook for agencies ready to elevate account management from a tactical function to a strategic growth engine, with Carl offering insights on how to rethink roles, invest in people, and create a business where clients don’t just stay but also grow with you.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Meet Carl Smith, Founder of The Bureau

02:06 Building a 1,400-Member Community of Agency Leaders

04:24 The Current State of Account Management

06:12 Account Managers as Trusted Advisors and Curators

08:45 Why Deep Domain Knowledge is Critical in the AI Era

10:17 Redefining the Role of the Account Manager

14:03 Strategic Thinking: The True Value of Account Managers

18:52 Solving Bigger Problems Leads to Bigger Deals

26:26 The Economics of Post-Sales Growth and Client Expansion

32:32 Radical Transparency and Building a Culture of Trust

38:08 Inside The Jellyfish Management Model

41:59 Navigating Multi-Vendor Strategies and Agency Growth

45:57 Carl’s Advice for Aspiring Account Managers

Connect with Carl Smith:

Bureau of Digital

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Serve, Retain, Sell: How Account Management Builds Revenue Leaders | EP49

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Account managers who want a seat at the executive table need to master the art of growing revenue by owning client relationships, not just managing them. Alex Raymond and Mike Rapp, Chief Revenue Officer at IntelePeer, talk through what it takes to make that leap. Mike shares how his early career in project management shaped the way he builds trust with customers and why that perspective became a cornerstone of his leadership. He explains how account managers are often the ones closest to the reality of a customer’s experience and how that proximity is a strategic advantage if you know how to use it.

You’ll hear Mike unpack the difference between landing a new client and expanding an existing one. Which is harder? Which actually drives sustainable growth? He also shares a mantra from his VP of Account Management, Samantha Gott: “Serve, Retain, Sell.” It’s a simple reminder that upsells and expansions only happen when you’ve done the work of earning trust first.

Mike reflects on the habits that separate great account managers from average ones. Are you consistently building relationships up the chain? Do you have a real account plan, or are you hoping good intentions will get you there? He talks about the trap of chasing new product launches while overlooking the basics that keep customers happy and how that imbalance quietly erodes retention over time.

Mike’s advice is simple: break out of your silo, pay attention to how sales, delivery, and customer success connect, and be the person who shows up with solutions before anyone asks for them.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Mike Rapp, CRO at IntelePeer

01:51 Mike Rapp’s Career Path from Project Manager to CRO

05:01 Why Retention is the Lifeblood of SaaS Growth

09:03 New Logo Selling vs. Account Management Reality

14:21 Using Metrics and Data to Drive Account Strategy

17:00 Breaking Through Customer Perceptions with New Products

20:30 The “Serve, Retain, Sell” Mantra Explained

24:56 Non-Negotiables for High-Performing Account Managers

32:55 How to Truly Know Your Customer and Build Trust

36:14 Measuring Account Manager Success: What Really Matters

38:05 Mike Rapp’s Advice for Aspiring CROs

Connect with Mike Rapp:

IntelePeer

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

QBRs, Retention, and Role Clarity with Kristy Devantier | EP48

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Kristy Devantier, the Managing Director at TaleWind Digital (formerly WorkerBee.TV), joins Alex Raymond for a conversation about what really changes when account managers have the right structure and clarity in their role. How do you move beyond check-the-box QBRs and start having client conversations that actually lead to growth? How do you build a team that isn’t just managing projects but actively deepening relationships and uncovering opportunities? Kristy walks through the shifts she made, from renaming and reshaping QBRs to introducing account plans and segmenting clients more intentionally, all grounded in what she learned through AMplify.

Kristy also gets honest about the challenges of running a team that’s stretched across project delivery, customer success, and strategic growth. You’ll hear how she’s advocating for her team internally, using leadership buy-in and visibility to carve out more space for what really matters.

Join Alex and Kristy’s conversation to learn how to navigate the realities of account management and try to do it with more purpose and impact.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

03:18 Kristy’s Journey into Account Management

05:49 How QBRs Evolved into Strategic Review Meetings

07:07 Shifting the Focus to Client Needs and Deeper Questions

10:43 The Impact of Improved QBRs on Client Relationships

11:42 Unlocking Expansion Through Strategic Conversations

13:42 How Client Segmentation Improved Team Focus

20:03 Balancing Project-Based and Recurring Clients

24:51 Navigating the Account Manager vs. Project Manager Debate

26:46 Tackling Burnout and Resourcing Challenges

27:33 Gaining Executive Buy-In Through Strategic Reviews

35:14 What’s Next for Account Management at WorkerBee.TV

36:46 Kristy’s Advice for New Account Managers

Links

Connect with Kristy Devantier:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristy-devantier-839b2934

Website: http://www.workerbee.tv/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Why Post-Sale Is Still Broken (And What to Do About It) | EP47

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Most companies have no real strategy for what happens after the deal closes, and this episode makes it clear why post-sales growth is still the most underutilized advantage in B2B.

Alex Raymond is joined by Craig Rosenberg, the Chief Platform Officer at Scale Venture Partners and the co-host of The Transaction, for a conversation about why account management continues to be under-resourced, undertrained, and underleveraged despite its direct impact on retention, expansion, and long-term revenue. Drawing from decades of experience at TOPO, Gartner, and Scale, Craig argues that account managers are often better at identifying customer value than net new sellers, yet they’re rarely given the tools, frameworks, or recognition to lead.

Together, Alex and Craig unpack the org design problems that keep post-sales teams sidelined, from confusing leadership structures and weak handoffs to misaligned incentives and the CRO’s disproportionate focus on net new revenue. They explore the potential of pod-based teams, examine the evolving role of the Chief Customer Officer, and make the case for a new revenue structure centered on an SVP of Growth.

Craig also shares his take on how AI is rapidly reshaping go-to-market roles and why account managers need to start “talking to the machines” to stay ahead. Plus, Alex previews AMplify 10x Growth System, a bold new framework designed to help AMs think bigger, act like owners, and drive exponential growth from existing customers.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction to Account Management Secrets

01:19 Why Post-Sales Growth Is Still Overlooked

05:59 The Sales vs. Account Management Investment Gap

09:42 How Pod Structures Improve Retention and Expansion

13:25 The Problem with the Chief Customer Officer Role

15:04 Rethinking Org Design: The Case for an SVP of Growth

25:13 What Boards and Investors Actually Care About

32:13 Why Account Management Needs Its Own Playbook

38:14 The Amplify 10x Growth System Explained

42:48 How AI Is Reshaping Account Management Today

Links

Connect with Craig Rosenberg:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigrosenberg/

https://www.gartner.com/en/topo-now-gartner

https://www.scalevp.com/team/craig-rosenberg/

https://thetransaction.substack.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Don't Confuse Being Liked with Being Effective | EP46

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Too many account managers confuse being liked with being effective and it’s costing them renewals, influence, and growth. Chad Horenfeldt, the VP of Customer Success at Siena AI and author of “The Strategic Customer Success Manager,” joins Alex Raymond to talk about the people-pleaser trap and how to break out of it. They unpack the four identity traps that keep account managers stuck in reactive mode: the firefighter, entertainer, fixer, and waiter, and why those well-meaning habits quietly erode trust and impact.

Chad shares tactical frameworks like motivational interviewing and radical customer candor, showing how curiosity, preparation, and self-awareness can lead to better business outcomes, stronger client relationships, and more personal wellbeing on the job.

If you’ve ever walked away from a “great” client meeting only to lose the account later, Alex and Chad’s conversation will help you rethink your role and lead more strategically in today’s fast-moving world of entrepreneurship and customer success.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 The People Pleaser Trap in Account Management

04:02 Why Being Helpful Doesn’t Prevent Churn

06:06 Identity Traps: Firefighter, Waiter, Fixer, Entertainer

12:23 How to Build Trust and Lead with Confidence

20:25 Motivational Interviewing Techniques for Client Conversations

24:41 Disruptive Questions That Shift Client Mindsets

31:34 Practicing Radical Customer Candor

36:26 Building Stronger Client Relationships Through Strategic Disclosure

41:19 Small Shifts That Lead to Long-Term Growth

Links

Connect with Chad Horenfeldt:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadhorenfeldt/

Website: https://www.strategiccustomersuccess.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Stuck in the Reactive Admin Zone? Get Strategic and Grow Revenue! | EP45

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 10:59:06 -0600

Too many account managers are stuck in reactive mode—waiting on problems, answering tickets, and playing support—while the real opportunity sits untapped: driving strategic growth.

In this episode, Alex Raymond is joined by author and sales strategist Anthony Iannarino to unpack what’s broken in post-sales and what needs to change. Their conversation challenges the status quo of account management and lays out a new path, one where AMs act less like order takers and more like strategic guides who know how to lead.

Anthony introduces the concept of being “one-up”, bringing enough experience and insight to teach clients how to make better decisions. He explains why the age of AI will punish passivity and reward value creation, and why account managers who stay stuck in the admin zone are putting themselves at risk.

Whether you're managing a $10M portfolio or just trying to prove your value internally, this episode will push you to rethink how you show up. Because in 2025, the winning account managers won’t be the ones who play it safe, they’ll be the ones who lead.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

01:30 Why Post-Sales Is Broken

05:14 AI Will Punish Passive Account Managers

08:05 What It Means to Be “One-Up”

09:20 Raising the Floor for Real Growth

11:22 What Creating Value Actually Looks Like

15:23 Why Relationships Still Drive Revenue

20:18 The AI Impact on Account Management Teams

22:29 The Missed Opportunity in Post-Sales Investment

27:23 How Sales and Buying Committees Have Changed

33:23 Final Advice: Elevate or Get Replaced

Links

Connect with Anthony Iannarino:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iannarino/

Website: https://www.thesalesblog.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afraymond/
Website: https://amplifyam.com/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Prove Clear ROI in 15 Minutes Flat | EP44

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Most account managers talk about value but Robert Sproule shows you how to prove it in fifteen minutes flat. Alex Raymond sits down with Robert, the VP of Account Management at SafetyChain, to discuss what it really looks like to show measurable impact in industries where the stakes are high and the paperwork never ends.

Robert explains how his team uses short, focused executive results reviews to help clients surface clear ROI and make stronger business cases with their leadership. He talks about how AI is helping his team cut back on busywork, sharpen their account planning, and stay ahead of renewal conversations without losing sight of the bigger picture.

Where are your clients seeing real outcomes? Are they able to explain why your product matters or have they started to forget? Alex and Robert’s conversation will give you a smarter way to keep your accounts growing and your partnerships strong.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

01:19 The High-Stakes World of Food Safety

05:01 Who Uses Safety Chain and Why It Matters

07:29 Robert’s Account Management Philosophy

10:16 Proving ROI Through Executive Results Reviews

15:01 Using AI to Support Account Planning and Renewals

21:01 Leveraging the Amplify Community

30:01 Identifying White Space and Driving Expansion

34:01 The Value of Consolidation and TCO Strategy

35:22 Clarifying the Roles of Customer Success and Account Management

Links

Connect with Robert Sproule:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-sproule-b02b783/

Website: https://safetychain.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

4 Moves That Unlock $$$ After the Sale | EP43

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Most account managers are playing too small and leaving millions in growth potential untouched inside their current client base.

Alex Raymond challenges the idea that retention should be the finish line. He invites us to take a closer look at the mindset and habits that keep teams stuck in incremental growth and asks something many of us don’t pause to consider: Are we thinking big enough when it comes to the accounts we already have?

Drawing from his own client work and insights from Ben Hardy’s 10X Is Easier Than 2X, Alex shares the A10X Growth System, a framework built around four key shifts: solving bigger problems, leading with radical curiosity, thinking like the CEO of the account, and clearing out the low-value work that gets in the way.

This isn’t about working harder or chasing more deals. Alex reminds us that it’s about reimagining how we partner with our customers and being honest about where we’re holding back. For anyone in account management, customer success, or post-sales leadership, this episode’s a sharp and timely push to think differently, act more strategically, and build deeper value right where you are.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Reframing Customer Retention to Growth

05:18 Introducing the AMplify 10x Growth System

08:38 Solving Bigger Problems for Customers

17:08 Embracing Radical Curiosity

23:35 Adopting an Ownership Mindset

27:27 Raising the Floor for Greater Impact

Links

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Heroes, Villains, and the Power of Story in Account Management | EP42

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Most account managers think they’re here to sell solutions. But the real opportunity might be helping your client see themselves differently, like the hero of their own story.

Alex Raymond talks with Adrian Davis, the President and CEO of Whetstone Inc. and author of “Heroes, Villains, and the Thrill of Professional Selling.” Adrian shares a storytelling framework that redefines the role of the account manager, not as the hero, but as the guide. What happens when you stop pitching and start helping your client rewrite their script?

They get into what it means to identify a client’s strategic aspiration: the deeper, often unspoken thing they’re truly trying to achieve. Not just surface-level goals, but the kind that keep them up at night or define their legacy. Adrian explains how to uncover these aspirations and why understanding them is more powerful than asking about “needs.”

They also talk about villains (not competitors) but the real threats standing in the way of your client’s success. Why is status quo such a powerful force? What external pressure points are shaping your client’s world before they even realize it? And how do you become the person who helps them see it coming?

If you’ve ever been asked to “be more strategic” and weren’t sure where to start, this episode lays it out clearly. From conducting industry and SWOT analysis through your customer’s eyes, to asking better questions that lead to real urgency, Adrian offers a framework that helps you guide the people who need it most. And maybe most importantly: How do you step into that guide role - quietly powerful, fully trusted, and always a few steps ahead?

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 The Role of Account Managers

01:01 The Hero’s Journey in Sales

03:10 Storytelling as a Sales Advantage

07:30 Customer Aspirations and Emotional Drivers

13:43 Identifying the Real Villain: Status Quo

20:35 Internal vs. External Challenges

28:14 Building Emotional Connection

30:41 Industry Expertise and Specialization

33:21 SWOT Analysis from the Customer’s POV

36:12 Become the Guide, Not the Hero

43:12 Why Suffering Creates Urgency

Links

Connect with Adrian Davis:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriandavis/

Website: https://whetstoneinc.ca/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Build Influence to Drive Renewals and Growth in Your Accounts | EP41

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Most account managers think influence is a soft skill until it costs them the renewal.

Brad Englert has been on both sides of the table. As a former Accenture partner and CIO at the University of Texas, he’s worked with account managers who earned his trust and others who landed on his “most hated vendor” list. In this episode, Brad joins Alex Raymond to discuss why influence is a skill that deserves more respect, especially for account managers working with complex clients and high-stakes decisions.

How do you build trust with an executive when you’re mid-level or early in your career? What makes a QBR worth everyone’s time? And why do so many account managers miss the chance to deepen a relationship by simply showing up and following through?

Brad shares strategies for building credibility, mapping power dynamics, and engaging with skeptics before they sabotage a renewal. The best account managers don’t wait to be taught influence. They build it intentionally, one conversation at a time.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Influence Matters in Account Management

03:00 Relationship-Driven vs. Transactional Client Engagement

10:30 Making QBRs Worth Everyone’s Time

14:00 Understanding and Using Spheres of Influence

20:30 Building Trust in a Remote-First World

22:00 How to Engage Senior Executives with Confidence

23:15 Creating a Power Map Inside the Client Org

30:30 Turning Detractors into Advocates

36:30 Advice for Account Managers

Links

Connect with Brad Englert:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradenglert/

Podcast: https://bradenglert.com/podcast

Website: https://bradenglert.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

World Class Account Management Skills The Sandler Way | EP40

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 00:01:00 -0600

The best account managers build their book like it’s their business, and that mindset changes everything.

Alex Raymond is joined by Todd O’Donnell, who went from tech sales at IBM and Oracle to leading one of Canada’s top-performing insurance agencies. Todd shares how blitz days, cold calling, and world-class training shaped his early career, and why those habits still influence how he runs his agency today.

They talk about the shift from chasing leads to building a referral-driven business, the hiring principle Todd swears by (“Can I trust this person?”), and why the best AMs know how to focus on what really moves the business forward. Todd also breaks down how he uses Sandler sales training, one-on-one coaching, and weekly team sessions to create consistent results without micromanaging.

From creating a “Starbucks of insurance” experience to developing account managers with zero prior industry experience, Todd shows how long-term growth happens when you lead with trust, consistency, and a clear plan.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Account Managers Drive the Business

02:13 Lessons from IBM and Oracle

07:17 Building a Team Without Micromanaging

10:23 How to Keep Clients Without Competing on Price

13:56 Hiring for Trust, Not Industry Experience

16:45 How Sandler Training Shapes the Sales Process

18:59 Coaching, One-on-Ones, and Leading by Example

26:10 What Top Account Managers Do Differently

28:54 The Power of Focus Time

30:28 Strategic Coach, 10X Thinking, and Personal Growth

36:06 Career Paths for Account Managers

39:36 Be Willing to Get Uncomfortable

Links

Connect with Todd O’Donnell:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddodonnellinsurance

Website: https://www.insurancetodd.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Cutting Back on Account Management (Jess Manganelli Thinks It's a Terrible Idea) | EP39

Fri, 30 May 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Account managers who lead with business acumen, creative insight and clear boundaries are the ones who drive real growth.

What happens when agencies start questioning whether account management still matters? Jess Manganelli has seen it firsthand, and she’s got strong opinions. As the founder of Betts & Betz, she works with creative agencies to build high-performing account teams that don’t just keep the trains running but move the business forward.

Jess and Alex discuss why some agencies are scaling back on account roles, and why that decision often backfires. They talk about what the job really demands: a deep understanding of how both the client and the agency make money, the confidence to lead from wherever you sit, and the willingness to have hard conversations instead of dodging them.

Where do most account managers get stuck? Jess points to a lack of business fluency and a fear of pushing back. She offers ways to shift that, starting with how to frame a tough conversation without sounding defensive or deferential.

If you’ve ever felt like your job description misses the point, or wondered how to grow into a more strategic role, Jess and Alex’s conversation will resonate.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 The Real Value of Account Management

02:26 Is Account Management Dead?

06:05 What Agencies Actually Need from Account Managers

08:23 Why Business Acumen Matters

12:27 Balancing Client Goals with Agency Health

20:00 How to Handle Tough Client Conversations

27:39 Curiosity as a Strategic Skill

31:30 Traits That Set Great Account Managers Apart

33:53 Removing Hurdles to Great Work

37:13 Fixing the Sales-to-Account Handoff

43:00 The Tucker Inner Concept

Links

Connect with Jess Manganelli:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessmanganelli/

Website: https://www.bettsandbetz.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The Challenger Sale, Customer Confidence, and Growing Key Accounts with Brent Adamson | EP38

Fri, 23 May 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Most account managers are stuck chasing satisfaction when they should be driving change.

Alex Raymond is joined by Brent Adamson, the co-founder of A to B Insight and Qoos and the author of “The Challenger Sale,” for a discussion that challenges the way most teams think about account growth. If happy customers aren’t growing their accounts, what’s missing? And what does it actually take to move from retention to expansion?

Brent shares research that calls out a common trap: overdelivering on service without helping clients rethink their business. He introduces the idea of customer improvement: the account manager’s job isn’t to keep things running smoothly, but to show customers what’s possible when they shift their approach.

Alex and Brent also get into the confusion between customer success and account management, the pressure to grow accounts without losing them, and why confidence, specifically the client’s confidence in their own decisions, matters more than loyalty or trust.

If you’re leading key accounts or coaching teams who do, Alex and Brent’s discussion will change the way you think about long-term growth.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 The Evolution of Account Management and Customer Success

02:52 Understanding the Roles: Retention vs. Expansion

11:11 The Importance of Customer Improvement

21:48 Driving Growth Through Insights

23:19 Navigating Account Management Challenges

26:36 Understanding Customer Improvement

29:27 Identifying Unique Strengths

32:16 The Importance of Customer Confidence

35:54 Introducing the Frame-Making Sale

46:30 Empowering Customers for Growth

Links

Connect with Brent Adamson:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brentadamson/

Website: https://www.brentadamson.net/

Website: https://qoos.ai/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

This Question Drove a 200x Increase in Client Revenue | EP37

Fri, 16 May 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Asking one bold question turned a $50K client into a $10M account and reshaped how account managers think about trust, strategy and growth.

Account management leader Joanna Hagelberger joins Alex Raymond to talk about what account management looks like when it’s done right, from building the function from scratch at high-growth InsurTech companies to leading with curiosity instead of a script. What happens when you stop asking surface-level questions and start inviting your clients to think bigger? Joanna shares how one conversation sparked a 200x expansion and why most account managers don’t realize they have permission to ask the hard questions.

This episode also gets into the realities of scaling an account management team, how to avoid segmentation mistakes, and why internal alignment matters just as much as client relationships. What do you do when your executive team has no idea what’s happening with your top accounts? How do you keep account managers from working in silos? Joanna brings clear, grounded answers from the field, along with a mindset shift that every account manager needs to hear.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Intro and Meet Joanna Hagelberger

02:04 Building Account Management from Scratch

06:57 Customer Support vs. Customer Success vs. Account Management

09:27 No Surprises: The Role of Internal Account Reviews

15:52 The Five-Year Question That Led to 200x Growth

20:17 Curiosity as a Core Account Management Skill

26:28 Taking Ownership and Leading Accounts

31:12 Segmenting Accounts the Smart Way

36:28 How to Think About Portfolio Size

40:04 Becoming a Strategic Account Manager

41:35 Why Finance and Product Should Be Your Best Friends

Links

Connect with Joanna Hagelberger:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-hagelberger/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

2025 GTM Benchmark Report (& what it means for AMs now) | EP36

Fri, 09 May 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Most of your revenue probably came from existing customers last year, and if your QBRs don’t include the C-suite, you’re at serious risk of churn.

Alex Raymond sits down with Guy Rubin, the founder and CEO of Ebsta, to unpack the 2025 GTM Benchmark Report and what it means for account managers right now. The data is clear: 52% of new revenue last year came from existing accounts, not new logos. That shift isn’t just interesting as it should completely change how teams think about growth, customer relationships, and where to invest their time and resources.

Guy shares practical insights on what sets top-performing account teams apart, including the impact of C-level participation in QBRs (7x more likely to upsell) and the dangers of single-threaded relationships. He also explains how Ebsta’s engagement scoring works, and why tracking relationship momentum across the customer lifecycle is one of the most valuable metrics you’re probably not using.

The conversation hits on a growing gap between top and average performers, a data-driven case for 360 selling, and a refreshingly blunt take on the real reasons sellers are missing quota. If you want to grow revenue, retain your best customers, and actually move the needle, this episode will show you where to start.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

01:29 Why Existing Customers Are Driving Revenue Growth

05:49 How the GTM Benchmark Report Was Built

10:04 Relationship Momentum and Multi-Threading

12:21 Engagement Scoring and What It Reveals

14:10 Why C-Suite Participation in QBRs Changes Everything

25:08 Sales Performance Gaps and the Leadership Wake-Up Call

27:37 The Return of 360 Selling

36:10 What Top Account Managers Are Doing Differently

Links

Connect with Guy Rubin:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rubinguy/

Website: https://www.ebsta.com/

Benchmarks: https://benchmarks.ebsta.com/2025-gtm-benchmarks?utm_source=amplify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=2025+gtm+benchmarks&utm_content=gtm+benchmarks+2025+landing+page

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Tips for Account Managers Navigating The Job Market | EP35

Fri, 02 May 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Spray-and-pray job applications aren’t getting anyone hired. So what actually works when the competition is this intense?

In this episode, Alex Raymond is joined by Carly Agar, the founder and CEO of Carly Agar Training, to talk about how account managers can navigate the current job market with more clarity and control. What do hiring managers really care about? How do you stand out when hundreds of people are applying for the same role? Carly shares why intention matters more than volume, and how treating your job search like a high-value client strategy changes everything.

Alex and Carly also talk about what it means to truly “own” your book of business and why that mindset separates top candidates from the rest. Carly offers advice on building internal champions, tracking the right metrics, and shaping your reputation, so that when you’re not in the room, people are still talking about you in the right way.

And yes, AI comes up. Carly explains why account managers who lean into it, learn from it, and help their teams use it well are positioning themselves for long-term success. If you’ve been wondering how to level up or move forward with more purpose, this episode is your playbook.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

01:07 What the Job Market Looks Like in 2025

05:35 Why Spray-and-Pray Applications Fail

07:13 Smarter Strategies for Job Searching

08:05 How to Uncover Your Dream Role

10:13 Making an Impact Without Switching Jobs

13:33 Building Internal Champions and Mentors

15:41 How to Get Promoted Without Just Hitting KPIs

16:24 Thinking Like a CEO of Your Book of Business

17:29 Career Paths: Leadership vs. Strategic Accounts

19:30 The Skills That Actually Set You Apart

21:09 How Account Managers Can Leverage AI

22:15 Advice for Owning Your Career Growth

Links

Connect with Carly Agar:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carly-agar/

Website: https://www.carlyagar.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

AI Is Reshaping Customer Value | EP34

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 00:01:00 -0600

AI isn’t just changing the tools we use, it’s reshaping the entire conversation around business value, accountability, and risk.

In this episode, Alex Raymond sits down with Mark Stouse, the CEO of ProofAnalytics.ai, to talk about how AI is driving a seismic shift in how companies operate. The core message: transparency and accountability are no longer optional, and gut instinct won’t cut it.

Mark explains how AI is collapsing the “gray zone” of ambiguity in business, forcing teams to prove value with hard data. He also shares a critical legal shift from early 2023: a Delaware court ruling that expanded fiduciary duty to all company officers, not just CEOs and CFOs, making risk management everyone’s responsibility.

You’ll hear how customer success is more than a renewal engine. It’s a strategic early warning system that should be treated as both a value creator and a multiplier. And you’ll learn why the old accounting mindset, focused only on past performance, can’t keep up.

If you're leading customer accounts, managing renewals, or influencing post-sales strategy, this conversation will reframe how you think about risk, impact, and your role in the AI-powered business landscape.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

03:25 AI as a Super Technology & What It Changes

04:44 How Fiduciary Duty Now Includes Functional Leaders

06:12 Case Study: CRM Data Fraud and Legal Risk

09:54 AI, Legal Accountability & Market Volatility Collide

12:54 Why Traditional Accounting Thinking Falls Short

14:31 Causal Analytics vs. Predictive Tools: What Leaders Need

17:34 The Long Game: Proving Impact in Customer Success

19:28 Customer Success as an Early Warning System

22:28 The Problem with BI Dashboards and Misread Data

25:46 How to Start Risk Conversations at Your Company

27:21 Forecast Risk vs. Enterprise Risk

28:00 Why T-Shaped Skills Matter in the Age of AI

29:24 What the Future of AI Looks Like for Teams

Links

Connect with Mark Stouse:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markstouse/

Website: https://www.proofanalytics.ai/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Customer Success is Dead as We Know It | EP33

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Customer success was supposed to be the future. So why are so many CS teams under-resourced, misunderstood, and fighting to stay relevant?

Alex Raymond sits down with Parker Chase-Corwin, the CEO and principal consultant of Xperience Alchemy who’s helped dozens of B2B companies rethink how they approach retention, risk, and long-term value. They unpack why CS never quite delivered on its promise, why the function has become a catch-all for upstream problems, and what needs to change if companies want better outcomes and fewer surprises.

Is customer success really one team’s job? Or does it require every part of the company to take ownership? Is your CS team driving strategy or just cleaning up after everyone else? This episode is a must-listen for account managers, CS leaders, and anyone who believes customer outcomes should be more than just a quarterly talking point.

Learn more about AMplify at www.amplifyam.com

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

01:20 Why Customer Success Is Struggling

03:05 The Branding Problem in CS

05:28 From Customer Success to Customer Experience

07:03 Does CS Have a Future?

14:07 Solving Problems Upstream

17:20 Proactive Account Management

31:21 Risk Management That Works

39:53 Rethinking Customer Experience Teams

43:18 Where to Start and What to Prioritize

Links

Connect with Parker Chase-Corwin:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parkercorwin/

Website: https://www.xperiencealchemy.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

A 90-Day Account Plan Level Up | EP32

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Most account plans feel like busywork. Why? Because they’re built in a broken system that rewards documentation over results.

In this episode, Alex Raymond explains why so many account plans fail to drive real impact and what to do instead. He introduces a framework: three customer goals, three key contacts, and three specific actions for the next 90 days. No fluff. No filler. Just a clear plan you can actually use.

Are you building your plan to impress your boss, or to deliver value your client will notice? Are you tracking assumptions, or asking the right questions?

If you’ve ever felt like your account plan was more theater than strategy, this episode will help you shift into something far more effective. Alex also shares details on the upcoming Account Planning Bootcamp inside the AMplify community, where you can dig deeper and start building plans that actually grow your accounts and your career. Learn more here: www.amplifyam.com/account-planning-bootcamp

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

01:40 Why Most Account Plans Fail

10:41 What Is Dynamic Account Planning?

13:10 The Rule of Three Framework

30:35 Should You Share Your Plan with the Customer?

34:05 Making Your Plan a Living Document

Links

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The Account Manager Career Path: What Hiring Managers Really Want | EP31

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Most account managers are chasing career growth, but few stop to ask whether their next opportunity might already be within reach.

Alex Raymond talks with Swati Garg, the founder and CEO of Melo Associates, about what hiring managers are prioritizing right now, and what many candidates are getting wrong. What skills actually stand out in a crowded field? How do you show you’re ready for more responsibility? And why are so many companies missing the mark by defaulting to external hires?

Swati shares what’s shifting in the job market, including the rising demand for strategic thinking, stronger negotiation chops, and real fluency with tools powered by AI. She also breaks down why internal promotions aren’t just cost-effective, they’re often the best way to keep top performers engaged and growing.

If you’ve been stuck thinking the only next step is people management, this episode offers a broader view. Swati talks through alternative paths like CS operations, enablement, and even product or marketing roles, reminding us that knowing your customer deeply is a competitive edge across teams. She also gives practical advice for anyone on the job hunt: be intentional, do your prep, and stop treating the interview like a one-way evaluation.

Whether you’re hiring or exploring your next move, this is a smart, honest look at how to grow your career without losing momentum.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Career Growth in Account Management

02:53 Current Job Market for Customer Success and Account Managers

05:10 Hiring Internally vs. Externally

07:39 The Importance of Internal Talent Retention

08:59 Evolving Roles in Customer Success

12:29 Must-Have Skills for Account Managers

16:05 The Importance of Business Acumen

17:42 Navigating Job Searches and Maintaining Morale

24:10 Career Progression Paths for Account Managers

28:00 Exploring Non-Linear Career Paths

30:30 The Role of Chief Customer Officer

33:09 Assessing Company Fit During Interviews

39:45 Words of Wisdom for Job Seekers

Links

Connect with Swati Garg:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/swatigargmhrir/

Website: https://meloassociates.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The Megadeals Mindset | EP30

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Securing Megadeals requires more than just a strong pitch. It demands a deep understanding of deal orchestration and stakeholder management.

In this episode, Bora Brännström, the co-founder of Megadeals Advisory, joins Alex Raymond to share insights on navigating the complexities of large, multi-million dollar contracts. Bora breaks down what makes a deal truly complex, from influencing decision-makers at every level to managing a web of cross-functional relationships. He points out a common challenge many companies face—rainmaker dependency—and how relying too heavily on a few key individuals can hinder growth, especially for scale-ups.

So how can account managers scale success in such a high-stakes environment? Bora points out the importance of proactively engaging with multiple stakeholders, leveraging internal references, and using targeted media to build trust across the organization. Can a systematic approach to deal orchestration be the key to driving consistent growth? Bora and Alex’s discussion offers strategies for anyone looking to step up their game in managing complex deals and building stronger relationships with key stakeholders.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

02:19 Defining Megadeals

04:44 Four Criteria of Complex Deals

07:03 Challenges in Scaling Sales Teams

10:13 Finite vs. Infinite Markets

14:45 Expanding Within Existing Accounts

17:31 Stakeholder Mapping

20:52 Ideal Stakeholder Map (ISM)

25:35 Accessing Key Decision Makers

30:40 Proactive Account Management

34:54 Actionable Steps for Account Managers

40:58 Building a System to Eliminate Rainmaker Dependency

43:40 Specialization and Support for Rainmakers

Links

Connect with Bora Brännström:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bora-br%C3%A4nnstr%C3%B6m-a193a9a/

Website: https://www.megadeals.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Client Onboarding: Don't Declare Victory Too Soon | EP29

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Most companies treat onboarding like a finish line, but it’s the starting gate for retention, customer success, and long-term revenue.

Alex Raymond welcomes onboarding expert Donna Weber, the author of “Onboarding Matters,” to challenge the idea that implementation equals success. If a customer isn’t using a product in a meaningful way, does it even matter that they have access to it? Donna explains why the first 90 days determine whether a customer sticks around or drifts away, and how her orchestrated onboarding framework helps companies guide customers to real value, not just a completed setup.

Donna also breaks down a common mistake: declaring victory too soon. Product deployment isn’t the finish line. Without quick wins and clear adoption, customers second-guess their decision, leading to churn. Donna shares ways to shift the focus from closing deals to building long-term success, with insights on user adoption, time to value, and the hidden cost of bad onboarding.

A must-listen for account managers and customer success teams who want to turn onboarding into a growth strategy.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

01:46 The Critical Role of Onboarding

04:36 Onboarding vs. Implementation

06:23 Declaring Victory Too Early

09:42 Defining Onboarding: The Orchestrated Onboarding Framework

11:05 Review and Ongoing Optimization

14:09 Delivering Quick Wins

17:08 The Concept of Buyer's Remorse

19:10 Quick Wins vs. First Value

22:33 Trade-offs in Onboarding Approaches

24:29 Value Journey and Team Structure

26:14 Applying Onboarding Concepts Beyond SaaS

30:46 Incentives and Long-term Profitability

34:31 Team Structure and Responsibilities

37:04 Measuring Success in Onboarding

41:59 Linking Metrics to Business Impact

43:25 Key Takeaways for Successful Onboarding

Links

Connect with Donna Weber:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnaweb/

Website: https://www.donnaweber.com/

https://www.donnaweber.com/post/accelerate-success-the-power-of-quick-wins-in-customer-onboarding

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Developing a Client Health Score with Katherine Nino | EP28

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 02:01:00 -0600

RevOps is more than a back-office function. It is a game-changer for sales operations, account management, and long-term revenue growth.

Alex Raymond sits down with Katherine Nino, the head of global revenue operations at Makosi, to talk about how RevOps goes beyond traditional sales enablement and shapes the entire customer lifecycle. They discuss the power of client health scores, how data-driven insights help account managers stay ahead of churn, and why a culture shift around risk and collaboration is essential.

Katherine shares her approach to building a health score model that cuts through data overload and makes it easier for teams to focus on relationships. She also challenges outdated views on sales handoffs, training, and accountability, making the case for a more connected approach to retention and growth.

Join Alex and Katherine’s discussion to discover a clear roadmap for leveraging RevOps to improve client satisfaction, reduce churn, and drive sustainable revenue growth.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

01:53 What is RevOps?

03:07 Strategy and Transformation

05:05 Data Structure and Reporting

08:20 Evolution of RevOps

10:10 Orchestration and Collaboration in RevOps

14:42 Building a Client Health Model

18:39 Proactive Client Management

20:01 Developing and Testing the Health Model

24:00 Implementation and Success of the Health Model

27:31 Role of Account Managers in Using the Health Model

32:10 Improving Data Quality and Compliance

38:08 Mindset Shift for Account Managers

42:52 Regular Data Hygiene Practices

44:03 Importance of Training and Development for Account Managers

Links

Connect with Katherine Nino:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jkatherinenino/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

High Churn Signals A Deeper Problem | EP27

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 00:01:00 -0700

Most companies chase new customers without realizing retention is where real growth happens. Bob Mathers joins Alex Raymond to share why the smartest businesses focus on keeping customers for five years and how the right strategy can turn retention into a competitive advantage.

In this episode, Bob breaks down the 5-Year Customer Model and explains why high churn is often a sign of deeper problems. Are companies setting themselves up for long-term success, or are they still stuck in outdated sales-driven models? Bob challenges leaders to rethink how they structure teams, run QBRs, and measure success. Instead of leaving retention to customer success teams alone, he lays out a case for making it a company-wide effort.

Bob and Alex’s discussion is a must-listen for account managers and business leaders ready to move beyond quick wins and start playing the long game.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

02:08 Bob Mathers’ Journey to Customer Success

04:52 The 5-Year Customer Model

05:03 Frustration with Customer Success Conversations

06:06 Shift from On-Prem to SaaS Models

08:10 The Burden of Generating Value

09:09 The Role of Customer Success in Long-Term Retention

11:35 The Role of Customer Success Managers

14:48 The North Star Goal: Five-Year Customer Retention

17:04 Ideal Customer Profile and Marketing Alignment

20:03 Commitment to Long-Term Goals

21:08 The Role of the CEO in Driving Change

22:02 Single-Digit Incremental Improvements vs. Mindset Shift

25:09 Core Functions, Behaviors, and KPIs

26:46 The Role of Data in Customer Success

27:18 Is a 5-Year Customer Good Enough?

28:06 The Role of the Chief Customer Officer

29:00 The Future of Customer Success and CCOs

32:32 The Role of Product in Customer Success

35:05 Optimal Structure for Customer Success Teams

39:48 Closing

Links

Connect with Bob Mathers:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bmathers/

Website: https://bobmathers.ca/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

When Sales & Customer Success Work Together, Revenue Follows | EP26

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:01:00 -0700

Customer success is at a crossroads. Does it need a complete rebrand? A new strategy? A bigger role in driving revenue?

In this episode, Alex Raymond talks with Rav Dhaliwal, a veteran in customer success and account management, about what’s working, what’s broken, and what needs to change. Rav shares why customer success teams struggle to define their own value and how that disconnect affects both customers and company growth.

One of the biggest challenges? The divide between sales and customer success. Both teams focus on helping customers see value, yet outdated structures keep them working in isolation. Rav explains why shared goals and incentives could create stronger results for everyone.

Rav also questions whether the term “customer success” still makes sense. Is it time to rethink the function entirely? Should it evolve into something bigger? If customer success is truly a competitive advantage, leaders need to stop treating it as an afterthought.

This episode pushes past buzzwords and into the real conversations happening inside companies today. If you’d like to know where customer success is headed, this is one you don’t want to miss.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

01:55 Rav’s Career Journey and Insights

02:57 The Evolution of Customer Success

06:19 Linking Customer Success to Revenue

08:17 Incentives and Organizational Alignment

09:11 Misconceptions About Customer Success

10:09 The Need to Retire the Term “Customer Success”

13:05 The Future of Customer Success

15:26 Customer Success and Revenue Ownership

19:30 Organizational Design: CCO vs. CRO

22:39 Skepticism About the CCO Role

25:05 The Importance of a CCO in Complex Organizations

29:40 Typical Friction Points in Alignment

35:04 The Competitive Advantage of Great Customer Success

37:04 Integrating CS into the Sales Process

42:15 Growing the Deal with CS Involvement

Links

Connect with Rav Dhaliwal:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravinderdhaliwal/

Medium: https://ravsterd.medium.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Tips to Thrive as an Account Manager | EP25

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 00:01:00 -0700

Drowning in unrealistic expectations? If “hero mode” feels like your default setting, it’s time for a reset.

Rachel Provan, a customer success leader turned coach, joins Alex Raymond to discuss why so many account managers are expected to operate at peak performance with fewer resources and more demands. She breaks down how to push back effectively, set real priorities, and communicate workload challenges without feeling like you’re making excuses.

This episode digs into the mindset shifts that help account managers move from constantly defending their role to confidently leading client conversations. Rachel also challenges the way we approach QBRs, arguing that they should be more than a routine box to check.

Want to be seen for the impact you make? Start tracking your wins, speaking up, and claiming your seat at the table. Alex and Rachel’s discussion gives you the strategies to do exactly that.

Quotes

“If you ask me to do the work of 10 people, I physically cannot do that. So what I advise people to do is really to look at what are the things that I have to get done? What’s the outcome that we need? Get really, really clear on priorities with these people, with whoever your boss is.” (03:54 | Rachel Provan)
“We have this sense of this idea of time management that if we somehow time box and figure out the right order of things and do enough planning, we’ll somehow be able to fit 10 pounds of potatoes into a five pound bag. And time is fixed. There’s no managing it. So it’s really all about prioritization and being realistic across the board.” (09:53 | Rachel Provan)
“The number one thing that I advise people to ask their teams, especially if you’re going in there for the first time, if you’re having your first one-on-ones with people, my favorite question for them is: Do you feel your work here is valued? That is the number one question that will tell you if they’ve got one foot out the door, if they’re checked out. Because if they don’t feel their work is valued, what’s the point?” (11:11 | Rachel Provan)
“If people aren’t giving you recognition, it’s not necessarily because they think you’re crap at your job. They’re thinking about themselves. They’re not thinking about you. They’re not keeping track of what you’re doing. I encourage everyone to keep an accomplishment tracker.” (36:45 | Rachel Provan)

Links

Connect with Rachel Provan:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelhprovan/

Website: https://provansuccess.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The Respect Contract: How to Keep Clients from Ghosting | EP24

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 00:01:00 -0700

Most account managers are told to ask great questions, but without trust, those questions go nowhere. So how do you earn the right to dig deeper without losing credibility?

In this episode, Alex Raymond is joined by Richard Harris, the founder of the Harris Consulting Group and author of “The Seller’s Journey,” to discuss how emotional intelligence helps account managers earn the right to dig deeper without losing trust. Richard introduces the “respect contract,” a way to set the stage for better client conversations.

This episode also explores why focusing on economic impact is the best way to drive urgency and meaningful engagement. Along the way, Richard challenges common sales advice and shares practical strategies for handling disengaged clients, navigating tough conversations, and strengthening relationships. If you’ve ever struggled to get real answers from a client, Alex and Richard’s discussion will give you the tools to change that.

Quotes

“In sales—and even in account management after they become a customer—our job is to keep earning our customers’ trust.” (03:22 | Richard Harris)
“If leadership hasn’t taught them to send an email before you ask those questions, well, that’s just piss poor leadership, in my opinion. That’s just terrible leadership.” (09:54 | Richard Harris)
“Nothing drives urgency more than money. Nothing.” (27:25 | Richard Harris)
“You don’t become more resilient by doing the same thing over and over again. You become more resilient because you try something and you adjust.” (31:35 | Richard Harris)

Links

Connect with Richard Harris:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rharris415/

Website: https://theharrisconsultinggroup.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Why “Everyone Owns CS” Is a Leadership Cop-Out | EP23

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 00:01:00 -0700

Most customer success strategies miss the mark because they push a product instead of solving real customer pain points. So how do you keep clients engaged and drive real growth?

Alex Raymond sits down with Emilia D’Anzica, the Chief Customer Officer and founder of Growth Molecules, to discuss what makes customer success work. Emilia shares why leaders struggle to get buy-in, how silos kill momentum, and why clear roles and accountability matter more than ever. She also challenges companies to rethink their approach—are they equipping teams to drive retention, or just expecting results without the right tools?

From using AI to lighten the load on account managers to the shift in how investors view customer success, this episode has insights for leaders who want to build stronger, more sustainable client relationships.

Quotes

“Stop trying to push your whole product on a client. No one cares about your product. They care about what the product is going to do to help alleviate their pain.” (43:31 | Emilia D’Anzica)
“1st, what’s the company’s North star? What’s our organization doing in this grand scheme of things? And then what’s in it for the individuals who are going to make it possible? If you aren’t answering those two questions around the why, the why for the company, the why for me, then people can quickly get lost or working in silos. And I think that’s really important, understanding the big picture and then breaking it down into micro steps to success. And that’s where I would start as a leader.” (04:28 | Emilia D’Anzica)
“I cringe when people say everyone owns customer success or everyone owns this goal that the company’s achieved. Actually, no, you need to break it down and really explain who owns the function.” (06:58 | Emilia D’Anzica)
“The one thing you can’t automate with tech is making sure that people feel like they’re part of the mission and the change, and that you’re enabling them during change.” (10:17 | Emilia D’Anzica)

Links

Connect with Emilia D’Anzica:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emiliadanzica/

Website: https://growthmolecules.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

From Key Account Manager to Chief Customer Officer | EP22

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 00:01:00 -0700

Account management is more than a role. It’s the backbone of customer success and a springboard to leadership. David Karp, chief customer officer at DISQO, joins Alex Raymond to share how his 20-year career journey, rooted in building relationships and understanding customer needs, led him to the C-suite.

David provides a behind-the-scenes look at the multifaceted responsibilities of a CCO, from aligning sales, product, and operations to fostering collaboration across teams. He points out the importance of key metrics like net revenue retention to assess value delivery and drive business growth, while emphasizing a hands-on approach to understanding customer interactions and feedback.

This episode also touches on the often-overlooked contributions of account managers—David calls them the “unsung heroes” of business—and he advocates for showcasing their impact to elevate their role within organizations.

Quotes

“The biggest difference of that CCO role versus the others is how much time I spend working on the business instead of in the business.” (09:05 | David Karp)
“If you roll your sleeves up in today’s world, that gives you the option to roll them down. Things are changing so fast. We need to be close enough to what’s happening in the business to support teams, help customers, and make rapid decisions.” (13:03 | David Karp)
“The customer doesn’t care what department you’re in. They just want to know: ‘Are you going to help me?’” (34:24 | David Karp)
“We started with trying to make sure we understand the moments that matter for customers. And then, how do we create metrics around those moments that matter?” (24:40 | David Karp)
“We don’t just need other people to shout out and take those unsung heroes and make them heroes. You know how I want them to be heroes? Because everybody else realizes I should be more like them… that to me is the coolest part about it. That’s the influence that account managers can have when we set them up for success and they start to do what they do and share it with others.” (43:07 | David Karp)

Links

Connect with David Karp:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidalankarp/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The Truth About Customer-Led Growth | EP21

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 00:01:00 -0700

“Any successful organization is only successful because it puts its customers at the heart of what it does. If they’re not, then it’s what I would call a scam or a rip-off, quite frankly,” says Dave Jackson, a coach and author known as the “CS Heretic.” In this episode, Dave joins Alex Raymond to talk about customer-led growth, exploring why it’s not just a post-sale activity but a comprehensive approach to the entire customer lifecycle. Are companies truly understanding and delivering what matters most to their customers, or are internal silos holding them back?

Dave shares insights into the importance of aligning teams across marketing, sales, product, and post-sales to deliver measurable results that customers value. He challenges organizations to rethink their design, shifting from internal processes to an outside-in perspective rooted in customer success. How do your customers measure the impact of what you do? And are your efforts truly helping them achieve their goals?

Join Alex Raymond and Dave Jackson as they explore how customer-led growth strengthens customer relationships and creates a foundation for sustainable growth.

Quotes

“Any successful organization is only successful because it puts its customers at the heart of what it does. If they’re not, then it’s what I would call a scam or a rip-off, quite frankly.” (04:24 | Dave Jackson)
“One of my favorite [quotes] is by an American called Arthur Jones: ‘Every organization is perfectly designed to get the results it gets.’ If you want to change the results that you get, you have to change the organization.” (09:39 | Dave Jackson)
“One of the first management consultants, a guy called Peter Drucker once said, ‘The customer rarely buys what the company thinks it’s selling.’ We tend to push our products, talk about their value and benefits, but what we actually sell is features.” (13:10 | Dave Jackson)
“How do customers measure the impact we have on them? Once you start to understand that, you'll build momentum that says, ‘We can’t not do this.’” (37:08 | Dave Jackson)
“If you don’t deliver some form of measurable results, you ain’t going to retain that customer. You might have put huge amounts of effort into acquisition, but your LTV value is going to be crap.” (37:31 | Dave Jackson)

Links

Connect with Dave Jackson:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjacksonuk/

Website: https://www.customer-led-growth.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Stop the Churn: How to Retain Customers and Drive Growth | EP20

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 00:01:00 -0700

Retention is the secret weapon for sustainable growth, yet too many companies overlook its true power. Ali Cudby, the CEO of Alignment Growth Strategies and author of “Keep Your Customers,” joins Alex Raymond in this episode, and explains why fixing the leaks in your bucket changes everything.

Why do so many businesses prioritize acquisition over retention? Ali breaks it down, and points out the hidden costs of churn and the untapped potential of keeping customers engaged long-term. From chaotic onboarding processes to misaligned internal teams, she shares how these common missteps can derail growth.

Can retention become a company’s strategic focus? Ali offers ways to shift this mindset, including the power of clear playbooks and leadership-driven alignment across departments. By tackling onboarding challenges head-on and investing in customer success, businesses can create lasting relationships and sustainable profitability.

Ali and Alex’s discussion will challenge you to rethink the role of retention in your organization, because growth doesn’t come from plugging holes; it comes from building a stronger foundation.

Quotes

“If you talk about what drives growth—what’s really gonna make your company move, hit their revenue targets, move to the next level—it’s retention.” (05:43 | Ali Cudby)
“When you plug the leaks in your bucket, then every customer that you bring in, every new customer, instead of filling a hole, is growth revenue. It’s net new. And so, it’s not just the downside of plugging the holes. It’s the upside of being able to level up.” (08:21 | Ali Cudby)
“By looking at the impact of churn and really being able to isolate the numbers, what is it costing us? Then, you can start to tease apart and see what that impact of churn really looks like. And when you can articulate the impact in numbers, it’s a lot easier for account management teams to come to the table and say, ‘Here’s why we need the support that we need, and here’s what’s at stake, and here’s what we’re bringing.” (18:55 | Ali Cudby)
“In order to deliver a great customer experience, you need two things: the smart—systems, processes, tracking—and the heart—making people feel seen, heard, and valued.” (33:40 | Ali Cudby)

Links

Connect with Ali Cudby:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicudby/

Website: https://alignmintforgrowth.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Why Do Some Customers Leave While Others Stay? | EP19

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 02:01:00 -0700

Customer success teams are facing mounting pressure to prove their worth as organizations tighten budgets and shift priorities. Ed Powers, an expert in customer success and account management, joins Alex Raymond to discuss the challenges of reducing churn and demonstrating customer value in a way that resonates with decision-makers. Why do some customers leave while others stay and deepen their engagement? Ed points out the importance of understanding this dynamic and argues that true success lies in connecting day-to-day activities with tangible business outcomes.

The discussion also examines the evolving role of customer success, from bridging gaps in the customer journey to aligning efforts with revenue goals. Ed shares insights on measuring value and creating a compelling narrative that positions customer success teams as indispensable. This episode invites leaders to rethink their strategies and focus on what truly drives retention, loyalty, and long-term growth.

Quotes

“What is the economic impact of building trust with a customer? Well, that has been very fuzzy. It’s a lot of hand-waving. There’s no real numbers that tie those two things together. And if you don’t have that, if you can’t kind of convincingly show that cause and effect, then they’re not going to put money into it, right? They’re going to take the easy way out, which is, well, just give them a quota number.” (07:17 | Ed Powers)
“No one’s really paying attention to that customer’s experience of value, closing the gap between the expectation and the realization of that value. Nobody owns that. It just gets lost in all the silos.” (15:30 | Ed Powers)
“When customers achieved a certain milestone, a certain value realization milestone, the odds of them renewing and expanding increased by a factor of five and a half times, five and a half times versus those who didn’t get there.” (39:30 | Ed Powers)
“Understand why your customers leave and why others stay and buy more. If you’re not crystal clear on that and you can’t quantify that, you’re lost already. Start with what is driving the behavior of your customers. That is the secret to everything.” (41:33 | Ed Powers)

Links

Connect with Ed Powers:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-powers-ab5315/

Website: https://se-partners.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Beyond NPS: Why Modern CS Teams Have to Own a Number | EP18

Fri, 03 Jan 2025 00:01:00 -0700

“Customer success is no longer just held accountable for adoption and NPS; CS teams now have to own a portion of the number, as we should,” says Maranda Dziekonski, the new VP of Customer Success at ID.me. In this episode, Maranda joins Alex Raymond to talk about the transformation of customer success into a strategic driver of revenue, providing insights on how CS teams can align their goals with executive priorities and board expectations.

From tracking customer success qualified leads to leveraging quarterly business reviews as more than just check-ins, Maranda explains how CS leaders can demonstrate tangible business impact. She shares strategies for identifying untapped value, creating effective ideal customer profiles, and helping teams document and achieve customer goals. How can CS leaders turn customer insights into a flywheel for growth? How can teams secure resources and prove the value of CS initiatives in a tight economic environment?

Join Alex and Maranda’s discussion as they share takeaways on how CS teams can evolve from reactive support to proactive growth partners, cementing their role as a vital part of modern business strategy.

Quotes

“Customer success is no longer just held accountable for adoption and NPS; CS teams now have to own a portion of the number, as we should.” (04:37 | Maranda Dziekonski)
“You have to earn the right to do that with your customers. You have to be solving for the problem statements that they’ve already invested in before you start looking for additional problem statements to solve for. And that’s the beautiful thing about customer success. When you do it right, you queue it up and it is a flywheel. It starts to get that momentum going and then it’s a no-brainer.” (19:17 | Maranda Dziekonski)
“The business review really is us doing a report card together on how the relationship is going. Once upon a time, you had a problem. These were the problems that you identified we were going to solve together. Here’s how we’re doing.” (20:27 | Maranda Dziekonski)
“If you tie your teams to revenue outcomes within your organizations in the same way sales does, it becomes a formula, a mathematical equation that for every CSM, we can print this amount of renewals and this amount of upsells.” (33:52 | Maranda Dziekonski)
“You have to look at your green space. How much available green space can you have? Make a projection on how much of that is actually real. How much of that can you actually help get across the finish line? What does the relationship between CS and sales look like in regards to getting that across the finish line, but tying yourself to a number, making it a mathematical equation rather than just a feel. That’s how you get a budget these days.” (34:19 | Maranda Dziekonski)

Links

Connect with Maranda Dziekonski:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marandaanndziekonski/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Expanding Existing Accounts with the REACH Framework | EP17

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 00:01:00 -0700

How can account managers and customer success teams become true drivers of growth in today’s competitive, profit-focused landscape? In this episode, Rod Cherkas, the author of “The Chief Customer Officer Playbook” and “Reach: A Framework for Driving Revenue Growth from Your Existing Customers,” joins Alex Raymond to share insights into his REACH Framework, a structured approach to uncovering expansion opportunities, building stronger customer relationships, and delivering consistent value.

Rod challenges the status quo by urging customer success teams to adopt a more revenue-focused mindset and demonstrates how methodologies like the REACH Framework can turn account management into a predictable, strategic function. With advice on navigating organizational challenges and fostering collaboration with enablement teams, he offers insights to help you make a measurable impact on growth while staying aligned with customer needs.

If you want to learn how to balance trusted advisory roles with revenue goals or move beyond short-term wins to achieve sustainable, long-term growth, join Alex and Rod as they share insights to transform the way your team works.

Quotes

“It’s important for our listeners to understand that what’s important to your executive team, your CEO and your CFO is not just that you can deliver results in a particular quarter, but that you can deliver those results on an ongoing basis in a predictable, forecastable way.” (16:32 | Rod Cherkas)
“What I’ve seen is that companies can load a lot of resources, look at their customer base, identify that white space, and create a whole bunch of opportunities in the short term. But then you get to next quarter, and you don’t have any way to redo that or predict what’s going to happen next quarter, the quarter after.” (16:56 | Rod Cherkas)
“One of the objections I hear is that people feel like if they start talking about other solutions, they’re going to come across as too salesy or too pitchy, or they're going to lose their trusted advisor status. And I don’t believe that at all. I think that there are very thoughtful ways that you can be talking to your customer about how you can provide more value from the solutions that you offer to be mutually beneficial. People just don’t have the skill set.” (33:53 | Rod Cherkas)
“Customer success organizations are moving too slow and need to move faster to take on more impact on the top line, whether they’re formally responsible for expansion bookings, or whether they have expectations that they’re identifying, uncovering, and nurturing those customers.” (37:05 | Rod Cherkas)

Links

Connect with Rod Cherkas:

Website: https://rodcherkas.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodcherkas/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Third Box Thinking: Redefining Customer-Centricity in Key Account Management | EP16

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 00:01:00 -0700

“It’s all about ‘what I want the customer to do based on what I care about.’ Nobody says that explicitly, but underlying that is a mindset still focused on what we need for our business to succeed, rather than what we need to do to help the customer’s business succeed,” says Shakeel Bharmal, as he highlights the critical gap between claiming customer-centricity and truly living it. Organizations must transition from self-serving goals to genuinely prioritizing the success of their customers—a shift that fosters trust, loyalty, and long-term growth for both parties.

In this episode, Shakeel Bharmal of The Summit Group shares how third box thinking can transform account management by reframing how we see our customers. Are we truly understanding their challenges, or are we just focused on pushing our own goals? Shakeel argues that meaningful growth starts with empathy—seeing the world through the lens of the customer’s customer.

Shakeel explains why customer-centricity often falls short despite all the tools and data available today. He offers practical ways to shift this mindset, starting with a simple exercise: map the value chain from your company to the end user. How often do we really take the time to ask, “What does the customer’s customer care about?”

Leadership also plays an important role in driving this change. Shakeel points out how consistent reinforcement from leaders can shape a culture that prioritizes long-term success over quick wins. The result? Stronger relationships, better alignment, and exponential growth potential.

Tune in to Shakeel and Alex Raymond’s discussion if you’re looking to deepen your impact as an account manager and create genuine value for your clients. How could embracing third box thinking change the way you approach your work?

Quotes

“It’s all about ‘what I want the customer to do based on what I care about.’ Nobody says that explicitly, but underlying that is a mindset still focused on what we need for our business to succeed, rather than what we need to do to help the customer’s business succeed.” (07:50 | Shakeel Bharmal)
“Third box thinking says if you are Box 1—your company, your customer’s Box 2, their customer is Box 3… By beginning the analysis on your customer’s customer, otherwise known as Box 3, you are now looking at the world not through your lens of what the customer cares about, but you’re looking at the world through the lens of your customer's customer, and looking at your customer from their customer’s perspective.” (13:53 | Shakeel Bharmal)
“Imagine what the world would be like if we all thought about how the people we serve can be more effective, more impactful at serving the people they serve. And imagine if every human being on this planet took that approach of wanting to help the people that they serve serve the people they serve. Can you imagine the ripple effect of impact and change that would happen?” (18:02 | Shakeel Bharmal)

Links

Connect with Shakeel Bharmal:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shakeelbharmal/

Website: https://www.summitvalue.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The Dark Arts of Creative Agency Account Management | EP15

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 00:01:00 -0700

“We’re diplomats, we’re orchestrators, we’re figuring out how to thread the needle of client needs and agency ambitions,” explains James Hidden as he reflects on the complexities of account management in creative agencies. This role isn’t about following a script but about balancing strategy and creativity, structure and adaptability.

In this episode, James, who’s a seasoned account management leader and former managing director at Ogilvy, joins Alex Raymond to share how the best account managers navigate client relationships and agency dynamics. Why is listening more important than speaking? How does tenacity outweigh experience in this fast-paced world? James provides answers to these questions while challenging the way we think about roles in account management and project management.

From the shift to project-based engagements to the value of building a brand, James offers insights for anyone who’s looking to succeed in a marketing or creative agency. This episode is a call to embrace curiosity, prioritize relationships, and see every challenge as an opportunity to grow in this ever-changing, creative industry.

Quotes

“We often say that at the agency, you’re the voice of the client to the agency and the voice of the agency to the client. So we’re diplomats, we’re orchestrators, we’re figuring out how to thread the needle of client needs and agency ambitions.” (03:30 | James Hidden)
“Great account leadership is more than just execution and delivery; it’s about navigating the gray areas, triangulating the ultimately subjective challenges of great creativity, brand building, client needs, and brand requirements.” (05:13 | James Hidden)
“The very best account leaders have this superpower of triangulation, of understanding what’s not being said as well as what is being said, understanding the brief behind the brief, picking up on that seemingly throwaway comments someone made in a meeting that might actually be a massive unlock to how we get past the challenge or sell the creative idea or whatever it might be.” (13:42 | James Hidden)
“If you want 20% growth from a customer, you can sit on a Zoom call and do it that way. If you want 10x growth, you’ve got to go walk the hallways and spend time with them. That’s when you see all the other opportunities you wouldn’t otherwise have visibility into.” (18:12 | Alex Raymond)

Links

Connect with James Hidden:

Website: https://www.jameshidden.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameshidden/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The Most Common Mistakes In Account Plans | EP14

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 00:01:00 -0700

Most account plans fail not because they lack detail, but because they fall short as tools for proactive, strategic partnership. In this episode, Alex Raymond challenges account managers to rethink their approach to account planning, asking: Are your plans truly aligned with your clients’ goals, or are they just ticking a box? He identifies the most common mistakes—overcomplicating plans, treating them as static documents, and planning in isolation—and explains why these habits can damage trust, limit growth, and make account planning feel like a burden.

Through a more thoughtful, collaborative, and client-focused approach, Alex shows how account planning can become your competitive edge. He points out the value of simplifying plans to focus on actionable priorities, keeping them agile, and regularly revisiting them to reflect evolving client needs. With practical advice on collaboration and documenting key wins, Alex demonstrates how account managers can use account planning to build trust, drive meaningful results, and position themselves as true strategic partners.

Quotes

“Account planning, when done right, is your roadmap. It’s your guide. It’s how you are going to execute on all the ideas and plans that you have. It’s what takes you from being a reactive order taker to being a proactive strategic partner.” (02:46 | Alex Raymond)
“Avoid having lots of tabs and pages. A simple, clear plan that’s easy to follow and reference beats a 50-page document every single time. So, don’t overcomplicate your account plans.” (06:28 | Alex Raymond)
“The real value of building an account plan is not in the final product. It’s not in the plan itself; it’s in the process of planning. So, what I mean by that is shift your mindset to see account planning as an ongoing process. It’s an ongoing conversation with your client, with your internal stakeholders, and you’re constantly revising and refining it. The plan isn’t the end state; it’s a tool to help you get somewhere.” (12:03 | Alex Raymond)
“The plans were so often about us, as opposed to being about the customer. And guess what? Your clients can smell that from a mile away. They can tell if you’re truly being customer-centric or not. So my challenge to you, my invitation to you, is to make your account plans truly customer-centric.” (17:04 | Alex Raymond)
“Document your wins and your learnings… Documenting these learnings will be crucial when you review the account plan in a month or a quarter. I always say, document everything you can and bring in perspectives from others. This will help you gain clarity on what you’ve done and how you’re progressing with your clients.” (23:05 | Alex Raymond)

Links

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Real Listening Beats ‘Customer-Centric’ Every Time with Bob London | EP13

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 00:01:00 -0700

“There’s a mythology surrounding the concept of listening to the customer and being customer-centric. It comes from the fact that we think we’re listening, but the reality is customers don’t feel heard and understood,” says Bob London, the creator of the Radically Authentic Discovery Method.

Joining Alex Raymond in this episode, Bob challenges account managers to rethink how they approach client relationships. Are you truly listening to your customers? Or are you missing the deeper insights that could transform your understanding of their business needs?

Bob introduces his method of “radically authentic discovery,” which focuses on asking bold, truth-sparking questions, practicing silence to fully absorb answers, and connecting the dots between what customers need and what you offer. It’s a framework designed to uncover priorities and challenges that often remain hidden in surface-level conversations.

Curiosity, Bob argues, is a superpower for account managers. He shares practical techniques, like using intentional pauses, to create space for clients to share more freely. He also offers advice on shifting your mindset to prioritize meaningful discovery, even with packed schedules.

This episode is a wake-up call for account managers to embrace deeper curiosity and active listening. By understanding the voice of the customer, you can build trust, strengthen relationships, and bring valuable insights back to your organization. Are you ready to change the way you listen? Join Bob and Alex’s discussion today!

Quotes

“There’s a mythology surrounding the concept of listening to the customer and being customer-centric. It comes from the fact that we think we’re listening, but the reality is customers don’t feel heard and understood.” (05:16 | Bob London)
“Your customer doesn’t have to be in board meetings to be able to answer, but they have to understand that what you’re trying to do is ask them, start at the most important level for them. What’s driving your priorities as a decision-maker or a user? And so, I try to explain to them that there’s these four principles of radical authentic discovery.” (08:50 | Bob London)
“Like many things in life, including—I’m sure—people’s relationships, people will remember that you made them feel heard and understood more so than the substance. I’m not saying the substance isn’t important. I’m saying that the main priority is to leave the customer feeling like this was a different conversation.” (38:31 | Bob London)

Links

Connect with Bob London:

Website: https://www.boblondon.co/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/boblondon/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Account Management Blind Spots, Boardrooms, and the Real Voice of the Customer | EP12

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 00:01:00 -0700

Blind spots in customer understanding can hold companies back, but customer advisory boards offer a way to uncover them and strengthen strategic accounts.

Alex Raymond is joined by Betsy Westhafer, the CEO of the Congruity Group, to discuss how CABs reveal gaps in customer knowledge that companies often miss. Are you as customer-centric as you think? Betsy shares eye-opening stories, including one where a global company’s lack of account planning was laid bare in a CAB meeting. Insights from that moment led to significant improvements and pointed out the importance of truly knowing your customers.

Betsy breaks down the essentials of creating impactful CABs—aligning leadership, engaging a mix of customer voices, and encouraging honest conversations. CABs are about listening and acting on what matters most to customers. She also explains why bringing in a neutral facilitator can make all the difference and warns against half-hearted efforts that risk doing more harm than good.

If you’re an account manager or business leader ready to rethink how you engage with key customers, this episode offers actionable insights on building trust, uncovering critical gaps, and turning feedback into a competitive advantage.

Quotes

“We did a customer advisory board probably about two or three months ago. And within the first few minutes, one of the customer advisory board members said to the host company, ‘Here’s what I want to hear from you: What’s your plan for my account?’ And it caught this company completely off guard, and they had to fess up that they did not have an actual plan for that account. This is a large global company.” (04:48 | Betsy Westhafer)
“When you bring in an outside third party that can create an environment where these blind spots get uncovered, it’s really, really valuable.” (05:56 | Betsy Westhafer)
“We do look at different metrics that are non-monetary ROI… the number of blind spots that have been uncovered or the number of advocacy activities resulting from CAB members. There are lots of other metrics beyond strictly sales dollars that we do track.” (32:58 | Betsy Westhafer)
“One of the things we do at the very beginning of any engagement is create a value scorecard with our clients. Because it’s different for every client we work with… We build that value scorecard and then track it throughout the entire engagement using a red, yellow, green system to indicate whether things are on track. We pay close attention to whether the customer engagement activities are delivering the desired results.” (33:46 | Betsy Westhafer)

Links

Connect with Betsy Westhafer:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/betsywesthafer/

Website: https://thecongruitygroup.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

From Monologue to Dialogue: Rethinking the QBR for Client Services Account Managers | EP11

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 00:01:00 -0700

“Most QBRs suck,” says Alex Raymond, calling out the truth that too many Quarterly Business Reviews are boring, one-sided, and lack real impact. But what if QBRs could be more? In this episode, Alex gets into why so many of these high-stakes meetings fall flat. Are outdated beliefs holding you back from having the kind of QBRs your clients want? Alex uncovers four common missteps: seeing QBRs as presentations, handling them solo, taking a defensive stance, and focusing too much on past results.

Imagine instead a QBR where the focus is on the client’s goals, where data is shared in advance, and where the agenda is co-created with the client. Through practical shifts like these, account managers can turn QBRs into dynamic conversations that build trust and foster genuine partnership. Alex’s advice on limiting presentation time, encouraging real dialogue, and setting clear next steps brings fresh insight on how to make these meetings truly valuable. How often do you reconsider the structure and purpose of your QBRs? For those eager to level up, this episode provides a preview of Amplify’s upcoming QBR Mastery program in January 2025, designed to help account managers make every meeting count.

Quotes

“If your QBRs are nothing but a 60-minute monologue, you’re missing a massive opportunity. And not only are you wasting your client’s time, you’re also losing a chance to position yourself as a true strategic advisor to them.” (03:38 | Alex Raymond)
“If you’re thinking about the QBR as just a presentation about you, you’re thinking about it all wrong. And frankly, it’s not even a presentation; it’s meant to be a conversation. I’d like to invite you to reframe this and think about how we can use the QBR to align with our customer and create a dialogue.” (06:52 | Alex Raymond)
“Let’s make our QBRs forward-looking. This is an opportunity to strategize together, to look down the road ahead, and to use this time to ask open-ended questions about your customer—their future goals, needs, and challenges. It’s a chance to figure out what it will look like as we work together to achieve these goals. That mental shift creates a real partnership, where both sides are committed and focused on concrete goals that lead to long-term success.” (14:27 | Alex Raymond)
“If we want to make our QBRs truly valuable, we’ve got to ditch this idea that it’s a presentation—that our job is just to ‘show up and throw up.’ That’s not the idea at all. We also need to remember, we’re not here to do all the work ourselves. We have to enroll our customers and get them to do their share of work as well.” (25:04 | Alex Raymond)

Links

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Unlocking the Ridiculous Upside That Already Exists Inside Your Strategic Accounts - Tips for Account Managers | EP10

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 00:01:00 -0700

“There are strategic accounts that will organically grow without proactive effort. Every account is strategic but you don’t have the time to grow them in terms of the way in which top performers do versus the rest. I think it’s a big mistake up front by trying to go for it all, because you end up winning less,” says Andy Springer, the Chief Client Officer at RAIN Group.

In this episode, Andy joins Alex Raymond to talk about the game-changing power of focusing on fewer, high-potential accounts. Why spread your resources thin when doubling down on the right clients can yield far bigger returns? Andy reveals how top-performing account managers know the value of strategic account selection—choosing which clients to grow proactively and which will thrive organically.

Andy also shares a fresh perspective on segmentation: how well do you really know your clients? The more you understand their goals and challenges, the more you can build trust and position yourself as a true partner, not just another vendor. Andy walks us through the essential roles of an account team, the importance of a flexible, evolving account plan, and why becoming a client’s trusted advisor can be the key to unlocking hidden growth.

Are you ready to rethink your approach and unlock the “ridiculous upside” within your accounts?

Quotes

“What we find also separates those who outperform versus those who don’t in strategic account management is one very simple thing: it’s the accounts that they select to grow… As a practitioner, when you’re in, and when you’ve engineered the success in terms of shifting that dial to take someone from the rest to top performance, you go for less, you win more.” (06:48 | Andy Springer)
“There are strategic accounts that will organically grow without proactive effort. Every account is strategic but you don’t have the time to grow them in terms of the way in which top performers do versus the rest. I think it’s a big mistake up front by trying to go for it all, because you end up winning less.” (09:30 | Andy Springer)
“Top performers see account planning as a dynamic. The rest see it as a linear annual event.” (30:15 | Andy Springer)
“The bigger the org, the more complex it is. The more demands that they put on really important people like you who help generate future growth and sustain current revenues for the business—it’s critical.” (45:25 | Andy Springer)

Links

Connect with Andy Springer:

Website: https://www.rainsalestraining.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyspringer/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

To Fix the Customer Experience, Start with the Employee Experience - Where Client Service Success Begins | EP9

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 00:01:00 -0600

“I strongly believe that there’s a strong connection between employee experience and customer experience. Employee experience drives the customer experience,” says Annette Franz, the CEO of CX Journey Inc. She joins Alex Raymond to talk about how putting employees first fuels customer success. Annette challenges the typical focus on metrics, asking us to consider: Are we truly supporting our employees to deliver the experience our customers expect?

Annette’s perspective is clear: collaboration—especially between sales and account management—is the key to equipping teams with the resources and support they need to meet customer needs. She shares stories from her work that show how a lack of support for account managers can directly impact customer satisfaction and retention.

They also touch on survey fatigue and the value of a smarter approach to customer feedback. Are we measuring what matters most? Annette suggests customer effort scores and lifetime value over traditional metrics like NPS, which often miss the bigger picture of loyalty and engagement. By centering on the employee journey as much as the customer’s, this episode sheds light on how a collaborative, well-supported employee experience can elevate customer satisfaction and drive long-term growth.

Quotes

“I strongly believe that there’s a strong connection between employee experience and customer experience. Employee experience drives the customer experience. If we don’t have employees to design, build, service, install, implement, and deliver all of these things, then who’s going to do it? And who are we doing it for? We’re doing it for the customer.” (04:48 | Annette Franz)
“Customer experience is not technology. Technology is a tool; it supports and facilitates. The experience that customers have is very much human. And this feeling’s part of it. It really puts the human into the experience. And I think that’s an important thing.” (07:13 | Annette Franz)
“You’re not customer-centric just because you’ve got a slogan on your website that says you are. You’re customer-centric when you truly understand who your customer is, what they need and want, and where they’re going.” (08:03 | Alex Raymond)
“One of the questions I ask during interviews, and I think it’s fair for leaders to ask too, is: do you have what you need to do your job? That is the bottom line.” (12:29 | Annette Franz)
“I’m not a fan of NPS for a variety of reasons... It’s just a metric... And to me, NPS only makes sense if your business is truly 100% driven by referrals... So for me, things like customer effort score, customer lifetime value, those kinds of things. Let’s talk about those kinds of things.” (25:09 | Annette Franz)

Links

Connect with Annette Franz:

Website: https://annettefranz.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Customer Journey Maps Fail: How an Intelligent Framework Gets Account Managers There Better | EP8

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 00:01:00 -0600

“When we try to get customers to do something, if we ourselves don’t know what the path to success looks like and how to measure that path to success, how do we get them to do what we want them to do?” says Kia Puhm, CEO of DesiredPath. In this episode, Kia shares her insights on customer journey mapping, making the case that businesses need to understand their customer’s true needs—not just follow their own process maps.

Kia introduces the idea of an intelligent framework, a flexible system that adapts as customer behaviors evolve. What if your business could actually predict what customers need before they even ask? This framework makes that possible by guiding teams to better align their efforts with real customer journeys. And how do playbooks fit in? Kia explains that they’re the practical guides that ensure each department understands its role in driving customer success. That way, it’ll keep everyone on the same page.

The impact is huge—companies that focus on mapping the customer’s desired path and using agile playbooks see higher customer retention, faster adoption rates, and fewer escalations. By asking the right questions and designing journeys that truly reflect the customer’s perspective, businesses can unlock real results.

Quotes

“It’s this marriage of us understanding the customer from their vantage point, walking in their shoes in that desired path, and then understanding how to, in the most effective and efficient manner, allow them to leverage things really successfully, our products and services, to achieve their desired path. It’s about tapping into that wisdom that customers know and of what they need and then guiding it and bringing in your products and services in alignment to that.” (04:04 | Kia Puhm)
“My philosophy is on this notion of the intelligent framework, this customer-centric model that needs to keep evolving. We need to keep observing what the customer’s patterns of their success are and keep being organizationally agile. Take those insights, put those into the operational model, and keep evolving how we are making customers successful.” (10:02 | Kia Puhm)
“I don’t think that if you have created a customer-centric model and you understand what your journey is, and the whole organization is aligned to it, we need to be talking about who owns the journey. Instead, we will be discussing what each function and each role needs to do in order to make the customer successful.” (15:49 | Kia Puhm)
“When we try to get customers to do something, if we ourselves don’t know what the path to success looks like and how to measure that path to success, how do we get them to do what we want them to do?” (31:50 | Kia Puhm)

Links

Connect with Kia Puhm:

Website: https://www.thedesiredpath.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Real-World Strategies for Revenue Growth in Your Accounts | EP7

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 00:01:00 -0600

“You’ve got to move your customers to be a partner. Your aim is to get larger revenues, have partnership relationships with your key customers, so that you have a much bigger share of the purse going forward,” says Janice Gordon, a renowned account management strategist. She joins Alex Raymond in this episode to talk about the importance of account managers shifting from transactional to more buyer-focused relationships. But what does this really mean for companies today? It starts with understanding your customers on a deeper level—not just what they need right now, but where they’re headed and the larger business landscape they operate in.

Janice also talks about the value of creating a frictionless selling environment, one where internal barriers are removed so account managers can focus on forging strong, strategic partnerships. How could this kind of shift impact the way your team builds client relationships?

Janice’s insights offer a reminder for account managers to embrace a customer-centric approach. It’s all about leveraging deeper knowledge and working collaboratively to keep pace with the evolving demands of today’s market, all while driving sustainable, long-term revenue growth.

Quotes

“Every aspect that a key account manager needs to deal with internally creates a block, creates a problem. It’s possible, but actually it’s not probable. The problem is that we don’t have customer-centric organizations, so all aligned for the customer. We have sales processes, which means it’s internally focused. As soon as we talk about sales, it’s all about us. When we talk about buying processes, it’s all about the customer.” (10:55 | Janice B. Gordon)
“You’ve got to move your customers to be a partner… Your aim is to get larger revenues, have partnership relationships with your key customers, so that you have a much bigger share of the purse going forward. That’s your aim.” (23:39 | Janice B. Gordon)
“You want to work in partnership with a few niches so that you’re spreading your risk, and you want to understand how that’s going to happen. But you’re not going to do that if you have a poor product. So, that’s why you do need to understand your own product base, first of all, your own products and services, and where you have the competitive advantage and leading edge in order to appeal to the key customers. (24:08 | Janice B. Gordon)
“One thing that may not surprise you, but certainly surprises a lot of people, is that active listening is 375% more important to sales success than any other trait. Active listening is key. There are many other factors—21 sales-specific competencies that make a difference—but this one stands out. When someone is really good at active listening, they ensure the person in front of them knows they are the most important, and that understanding makes all the difference.” (31:49 | Janice B. Gordon)

Links

Connect with Janice B. Gordon:

Website: https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/

Website: https://janicebgordon.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond: