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:

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

Website: https://amplifyam.com/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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:

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

Website: https://amplifyam.com/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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:

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

Website: https://amplifyam.com/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm