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.

In this episode, James Hidden, 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.

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.

Bob London, the creator of the Radically Authentic Discovery Method, joins Alex Raymond in this episode and challenges account managers to rethink how they approach client relationships.

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.

In this episode, host Alex Raymond uncovers four common missteps regarding Quarterly Business Reviews and how to make them forward-looking.

In this episode, Andy Springer, Chief Client Officer at RAIN Group joins Alex Raymond to talk about the game-changing power of focusing on fewer, high-potential accounts.

Annette Franz, the CEO of CX Journey Inc. talks about how putting employees first fuels customer success and she challenges the typical focus on metrics.

Kia Puhm, CEO of DesiredPath, 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.

Janice Gordon, a renowned account management strategist, joins Alex Raymond in this episode to talk about the importance of account managers shifting from transactional to more buyer-focused relationships.

Tim Riesterer, Chief Strategy Officer at Corporate Visions sits down with Alex Raymond in this episode to talk about the expansion sale and the nuances of customer recovery, stressing the importance of understanding why clients leave in the first place.

“Happy customers stay, and unhappy customers leave”—or at least that’s what we’ve always believed. But Greg Daines, a customer retention expert, sits down with Alex Raymond to challenge that assumption.

“What if I told you that you’re responsible for over 70% of your company’s revenue, but probably aren’t getting the recognition, resources, or support you deserve,” says Alex Raymond as he draws attention to how often account managers are overlooked. In this episode, he talks about how account management is becoming more critical in today’s business landscape.

“When I got into sales, I was thinking about the customer throughout the whole life cycle. It wasn’t just about the hunting aspect; it was also about the farming aspect. Because of that, I think I always connected how to grow the account with how the customer was growing,” shares Jan Young, an expert in customer success and post-sale strategies. In this episode, Jan joins Alex Raymond to dive into the concept of “earning the right to sell,” a core principle for account managers aiming to boost net revenue retention and unlock upsell potential.

“I am responsible for ensuring that our customers derive value from our partnership and remain with us for the long term,” says Mary Poppen, President and Chief Customer Officer at HRIZONS and co-author of “Goodbye Churn, Hello Growth!” In this episode, she sits down with Alex Raymond to talk about how the role of a CCO is evolving, especially as customer success becomes essential for reducing churn.

“Every team should have some kind of number, some kind of metric to show what their impact on the business is,” says Jay Nathan, a veteran in customer success and account management. In this debut episode of Account Management Secrets, he joins host Alex Raymond to discuss why customer success teams need to focus on measurable business results—whether it’s revenue, bookings, or customer retention—especially in today’s efficiency-driven economy.