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

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:

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

Website: https://amplifyam.com/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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:

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

Website: https://amplifyam.com/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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:

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

Website: https://amplifyam.com/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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:

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

Website: https://amplifyam.com/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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:

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

Website: https://amplifyam.com/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm