Best Practices For Account Management

✅ Survey Design Cheatsheet (PNG/PDF). With practical techniques to reduce bias, increase completion and get reliable insights ↓ 🚫 Most surveys are biased, misleading and not actionable. 🤔 People often don’t give true answers, or can’t answer truthfully. 🤔 What people answer, think and feel are often very different things. 🤔 Average scores don’t speak to individual differences. ✅ Good questions, scale and sample avoid poor insights at scale. ✅ Industry confidence level: 95%, margin of error 4–5%. ✅ With 10.000 users, you need ≥567 answers to reduce sample bias. ✅ Randomize the order of options to minimize primacy bias. ✅ Allow testers to skip questions, or save and exit to reduce noise. 🚫 Don’t ask multiple questions at once in one single question. 🤔 For long surveys, users regress to neutral or positive answers. 🚫 The more questions, the less time users spend answering them. ✅ Shorter is better: after 7–8 mins completion rates drop by 5–20%. ✅ Pre-test your survey in a pilot run with at least 3 customers. 🚫 Avoid 1–10 scales as there is more variance in larger scales. 🚫 Never ask people about their behavior: observe them. 🚫 Don’t ask what people like/dislike: it rarely matches behavior. 🚫 Asking a question directly is the worst way to get insights. 🚫 Don’t make key decisions based on survey results alone. Surveys aim to uncover what many people think or feel. But often it’s what many people *think* they think or feel. In practice, they aren’t very helpful to learn how users behave, what they actually do, if a product is usable or learn specific user needs. However, they do help to learn where users struggle, what user’s expectations are, if a feature is helpful and to better understand user’s perception or view. But: designing surveys is difficult. The results are often hard to interpret and we always need to verify them by listening to and observing users. Pre-test surveys before sending out. Check if users can answer truthfully. Review the sample size. Define what you want to know first. And, most importantly, what decisions you will and will not make based on the answers you receive. --- ✤ Useful resources: Survey Design Cheatsheet (PNG, PDF), by yours truly https://lnkd.in/ez9XQAk3 A Big Guide To Survey Design, by H Locke https://lnkd.in/eJWRnDRi How to Write (Better) Survey Questions, by Nikki Anderson, MA https://lnkd.in/eHpzr-Q6 Survey Design Guide, by Maze https://lnkd.in/e4cMp5g5 Why Surveys Are Problematic, by Erika Hall https://lnkd.in/eqTd-7xM --- ✤ Books ⦿ Just Enough Research, by Erika Hall ⦿ Designing Surveys That Work, by Caroline Jarrett ⦿ Designing Quality Survey Questions, by Sheila B. Robinson #ux #surveys

This morning, many people opened their favorite apps and nothing worked. A technical issue in Amazon’s data center rippled across the digital world, disrupting thousands of companies & millions of lives in real time. Here’s how big the impact was: Lyft riders were stranded. Snapchat wouldn’t load. Venmo couldn’t send or receive payments. Ring cameras went dark. Prime Video, Hulu, and Disney+ froze midstream. Fortnite, Roblox, Clash Royale, and Clash of Clans kicked players offline. Signal messages failed to deliver. Even Amazon’s own site, Alexa, and Prime Video stopped responding. For a few hours, entertainment stopped, payments froze, communication failed, and digital life itself hit pause. But I see something more.⁣ This wasn’t just a technology failure; it was an emotional one. Because experiences aren’t based on the outage itself. They’re defined by what happens in between; how people feel while it’s broken, and how they’re treated while they wait.⁣ As a business leader, I bet you want to retain loyal customers when unexpected challenges happen. So, here's what you do: 1️⃣ Acknowledge emotions quickly. Silence multiplies frustration. Even a short, human message, “We know this is frustrating, and we’re on it” restores calm faster than a generic tech update. 2️⃣ Communicate with clarity and care. Customers don’t need technical terms; they want reassurance. Say what it means for them: “We’re working to reconnect you, and your data is safe.” 3️⃣ Close the loop with gratitude and honesty. When systems recover, let customers know. Thank them for their patience, acknowledge the inconvenience, and share what’s been done. Transparency rebuilds confidence; appreciation restores connection. 4️⃣ Empower your people, especially your frontline teams. Technology can fix systems, but only people can fix feelings. Give your employees permission, training, and trust to respond with empathy. Top rated brands know technology may fail, but feelings don’t have to. Because what customers remember isn’t the outage; it’s how you made them feel when it happened.⁣ Got questions? Message me, and follow for more actionable proven strategies. Doing CX Right®‬ #customerexperience #customerservice #awsoutage

One bad conversation can stall a deal.  (Let's fix that.) Here's the trap even the best can fall into: ✅ You said, “Can I get 15 minutes?” ❌ They heard, “You’re just a name on my calendar.” ✅ You said, “Here’s our pricing page.” ❌ They heard, “You’d better be ready to commit.” ✅ You said, “Do you have any questions?” ❌ They heard, “I’m done talking, it's your turn to buy.” In client development, tone is strategy. And the difference between pressure and partnership? Just a few words. Because the real challenge isn’t getting time  with a client. It’s making that time count. Here are 12 proven phrases to build trust  (without sounding like a sales rep): 1. “How have things been going with [X]?” → Feels personal, not transactional. 2. “What’s your thinking around [this topic] these days?” → Opens a door, not a pitch. 3. “What would success look like if everything went right?” → Focuses on their goals, not gaps. 4. “What’s one thing you’d love to improve in 90 days?” → Specific, hopeful, and actionable. 5. “What feels risky or fuzzy about this?” → Makes doubt safe to share. 6. “Want to sketch some options together?” → Co-creates instead of prescribes. 7. “Want me to mock up a few paths forward?” → Shows flexibility, not a fixed pitch. 8. “Want to hear how others tackled this?” → Adds value, zero pressure. 9. “What would need to shift to make this a priority?” → Respects their timeline, invites partnership. 10. “Would a custom version be more helpful?” → Tailors the next step to them. 11. “Great point, can we unpack that together?” → Builds trust through collaboration. 12. “What’s the best way I can support you right now?” → Puts their needs first, signals partnership. These phrases do more than sound better. They feel better. Because they reflect how great BD actually works: 👉 With empathy 👉 With curiosity 👉 With clients, not at them Try one this week. It could turn a stalled deal into a deep conversation. Which one will you lead with? 📌Follow Mo Bunnell for client-growth strategies  that don’t feel like selling.

What you need to know about making meeting file notes as a junior lawyer: 1. Contemporaneous records are powerful. If you don't want disputes about who said what after the fact, write down as much of the discussion as you can (and attribute who said what correctly). 2. Whether you like to take a file note in an email and send it to meeting attendees or capture it in a word document, it does not matter as long as it suits the expectation of your instructor/situation. 3.Whether you type verbatim conversations or dot points, make sure you capture all contentious and key points of the discussion. 4. A good file note should serve as a useful record for others to reference to (if they need to know what happened) and for you to reference (i.e. if you are doing a follow up task). 5.You may need to tidy up the file note after the fact. I.e. spelling of people's names, or any particular applications or business referenced. The more important the file note, the more important it would be to ensure that spelling is accurate and sentence flows makes sense. 6.You may have questions as you prepare the file note flowing on from the real time discussion. Note these questions down and if appropriate, ask the partner or senior lawyer after the call. You may end up learning more than you might know. 7.Related to 6, it is sometimes appropriate to ask the questions you have on the spot to the client. However, if you are just starting out doing this, make sure to check with the partner on what their expectation is/how they would like you to raise any queries you may have. 8. You should strive to be as accurate in record-keeping in the moment and not have to spent either any or much time to tidy up the file note as your time should mostly be spent on doing the substantive tasks arising from a call/meeting. 9. It may be appropriate to have a debrief after the meeting with instructing lawyers so you are clear who is doing what and you don't double up. 10. For some calls/meetings, consider whether it would be useful to send a summary of the key action items arising from the call to the client (particularly if you need them to action/provide you with information), so that the division of responsibility and next steps are clear. Check with instructing lawyer before doing so. Any file note taking tips I have missed from this list? Let me know in the comments below! I want to support every junior lawyer to become their best selves. Follow or connect for more junior lawyering insights and tips! #juniorlawyers #graduates #clerks #paralegals #meibeitstrue #law #wellbeing #lawyer #filenote #meeting

“It’s not enough to just win,” an old boss of mine used to explain. “The other side has to lose, badly.” Nothing gave him more satisfaction than eating his rivals’ lunch - and his competitive nature was contagious. When I started my first business I adopted his approach. But I soon also learned that I had to ally that competitive spirit with a more nuanced approach if I was to retain clients rather than just churn through them. Unlike winning deals, retention isn't just about having the best product — it's about creating value and a level of reliability that rivals can't match. 1. Retain on value, not price: Competitors will use price to try and attract your customers. It’s tempting to drop your yield accordingly, but that’s a race to the bottom. Instead take time to make sure your client can see how much they get for every pound or dollar they invest. Adding extra value will always be more profitable than reducing your fee. 2. Add features before you’re asked to: Write a customer engagement strategy that involves adding useful new services or features for your existing customers at least once or twice a year. Use these to upsell, build loyalty and increase their pain of moving suppliers. 3. Build trust through relentless delivery: Unreliability is one of the top reasons clients will look elsewhere. Meet key clients on a regular basis to understand how their needs are evolving and pivot your offering accordingly. And always keep your promises. 4. Outmanoeuvre your competitors: Never underestimate how determined your competitors will be to knock you off your perch. Devote adequate time to learning from their approach so you know the threat you face. Match your instinct to win new business with an equal determination to retain customers. Crack that and not only will you eat your competitors’ lunch today but you’ll have it every day.

If I was starting a new sales role today, here are the 5 things I’d do in the first 5 days- 1/ Find the accounts in my territory that are most likely to buy (aka the most like past buyers). I'd do this by creating a CRM report of Closed Won deals for the Past 2 years, with these details: - industry - location - age of company - $ ARR amount - # of employees - names/personas involved in the purchase THEN I'd create a report of Prospects with similarities in my territory/account list. ^^This is the low hanging fruit. 2/ I'd find 3-5 consistent top performers and ask them 3 simple questions: —-> Who are the best personas for us? --> Which are their 2-3 top business problems we solve (+vocabulary they use)? --> What's the # 1 thing to do/not do when just starting in this role? ^^This is a shortcut for how to start off with a Bang...without trying to reinvent the wheel. 3/ I'd set up intro calls with internal folks like Finance/Deal desk, Legal, Product, Support, Solution Consulting, Channel partners, Systems Integrators, etc... anyone who I'll regularly interact with on deals. Start figuring out the best "Gives" for each person - do they like Starbucks, Slack shout outs, special beverages for EOQ/EOY? I'd put quarterly reminders on my calendar (and schedule quarterly deliveries where it makes sense). ^^This is how we create our "tribe"/internal network within a company...giving right from the start, rather than just being 'another seller who wants something'. 4/ I'd memorize 5-8 customer stories. Starting with writing a 1 min summary on note cards - with the Champion's name/title, pain felt, problem solved & impact created. I'd practice telling these stories out loud every morning for 10 minutes...until I don't need the notecards anymore. Then I'd rinse/ repeat, memorizing 5 new stories. ^^This is how we can build confidence & credibility. 5/ I'd analyze my boss’s personality - LOTS of tools for this - and I'd ask them about their top 2 career goals in our first 1:1 chat. ^^This is how we can start to manage up. These are the top 5 things that have paid off the most for me when starting a new role. What's worked well for you - what would you do if you were starting over? ps- If this breakdown was helpful, you might get value from the "Enterprise Sales Accelerator" program. Weekly live sales coaching! Practical breakdowns & deal strategy. All the details in my bio.

I built an Accounts Receivable dashboard that enables the accounting/Finance team within the organisation reduce overdue invoices by at least 20% and improve cash flow forecasting accuracy. This will be a game changer to any CFO, Account receivables team, Sales and credit control team. Here is the link to the interactive dashboard 👉  https://lnkd.in/eAu23csr An Accounts Receivable (AR) Dashboard in Power BI is critically important for an organization because it transforms raw financial data into clear, actionable insights. Here's a breakdown of why it matters: 1. Real-Time Visibility of Cash Flow - Why it matters: Cash flow is the lifeblood of any business. As they say cash is King. 😊 What the dashboard does: Provides up-to-date information on outstanding invoices, overdue accounts, and payment trends, helping finance teams react quickly. 2. Improves Collections Efficiency What the dashboard does: Highlights high-risk accounts, overdue balances, and payment patterns, allowing teams to prioritize follow-ups effectively. 3. Reduces Bad Debt Risk What the dashboard does: Flags accounts with a history of delayed payments, enabling early intervention before debt becomes unrecoverable. 4. Better Decision-Making for Credit Policies Why it matters: Extending credit to the wrong customers increases financial risk. What the dashboard does: Provides insights into customer payment behavior, guiding decisions on credit limits and terms. 5. Time Savings & Automation Why it matters: Manual reporting is time-consuming and error prone. What the dashboard does: Automates data integration and updates, freeing up finance staff for more strategic work. 6. Data-Driven Forecasting Why it matters: Anticipating cash inflows helps with budgeting and planning. What the dashboard does: The Account receivables dashboard enables trend analysis and predictive modelling based on historical receivables data. Finally: An Accounts Receivable Dashboard in Power BI is more than just a reporting tool—it's a strategic asset. It enhances cash flow management, reduces financial risk, and empowers decision-makers with clear, real-time insights that support business stability and growth. #ACCA #ICAN #ICEAW #CFA #AR Dashboard #Accounting #Finance #Forcasting #Budgeting #Cashflow

I stopped caring about attribution five years ago. And pipeline got better. Not because I figured out the perfect multi-touch model. Not because I finally nailed first-touch vs. last-touch. But because I started measuring something else entirely. Account progression. Think about it. We're selling six-figure software. Did one ad, email, or phone call ever exclusively get that company to become a customer? Of course not. Yet we often try to associate impressions, clicks, form fills, MQLs scientifically to individual activities and sales outcomes. Early in my career, I fought hard to convince leadership that my MQLs were perfect. And it's only a matter of time before they convert. I was wrong. Activity metrics don't predict revenue. What actually predicts revenue is MOVING accounts move through defined stages: ↳ unaware → ↳ aware → ↳ engaged → ↳ qualified → ↳ sales ready → ↳ customer. Each stage has clear criteria. An account moves from unaware to aware when multiple contacts are exposed to your brand. Aware to engaged when those contacts start interacting. Engaged to qualified when they match ICP criteria and data shows research intent from multiple people. The entire GTM knows the definition of each stage and what needs to happen to move accounts forward. When you see data for each account at each stage, you don't need to argue about which touchpoint gets credit. For example, you can measure whether accounts exposed to your LinkedIn campaign progressed from aware to engaged at twice the rate of accounts who weren't. You get to ask better questions: Did this campaign accelerate account progression? The attribution debate is really a symptom of a deeper problem—marketing and sales aren't aligned on what success looks like. Account progression gives both teams a shared metric to rally around. Marketing focuses on moving accounts forward. Sales engages when accounts are ready. Anyone else think this way? If you want our framework that replaces touchpoint "attribution" with a system that measures whether GTM activity actually moves accounts forward, get our Account Progression Framework 👇🏼 https://lnkd.in/esd5s2cS

“Another Boeing plane has crashed…” That headline didn’t just inform the world. It shook it. Airlines grounded fleets. Passengers canceled bookings. Families waited in grief. And in those painful moments, everyone turned to Boeing — waiting for reassurance, compassion, and clarity. But what they received instead was silence, technical statements, and corporate coldness. ⸻ 💬 The Dialogue That Never Happened Imagine if Boeing’s CEO had stood before the world and said: 👉 “We are devastated by this tragedy. Our deepest condolences go to the families who lost their loved ones. We take full responsibility to uncover the truth, fix it, and make sure this never happens again. Every passenger’s life matters. We will not rest until trust is restored.” Instead, the company issued vague technical explanations about “software updates” and “pilot procedures.” The difference? One statement speaks to the heart. The other hides behind jargon. 📉 The Fallout of Silence Boeing didn’t just lose billions in market value. They lost something far more precious: trust. • Passengers felt unsafe. • Governments demanded groundings. • Airlines questioned contracts. • Employees lost pride. A global brand that once symbolized safety became a symbol of fear. And the leadership lesson? 👉 In crisis, your communication is your reputation. ⸻ When tragedy strikes, the human brain looks for three things immediately: 1. Reassurance (Pathos): “Do you see my pain? Do you care?” 2. Clarity (Logos): “What exactly happened? Am I safe?” 3. Responsibility (Ethos): “Can I trust you to fix this?” ⸻ Here’s a 3-step Crisis Communication Framework every CEO must remember: 1. Acknowledge Emotion (Pathos): • Show empathy immediately. • Example: “We are heartbroken by this tragedy. Lives were lost. Families are grieving.” 2. Share Facts Clearly (Logos): • State what you know, what you don’t know, and what you’re investigating. • Example: “The incident involves [details]. Investigations are ongoing. Safety checks are underway globally.” 3. Commit to Responsibility (Ethos): • Show accountability and promise change. • Example: “We take full responsibility. Here’s how we are fixing it: [specific steps].” ⸻ ✅ Do’s & ❌ Don’ts of Crisis Communication ✅ Do’s • Respond quickly. Speed signals responsibility. • Lead with humanity. Speak to emotions first, facts second. • Be transparent. Say what you know and admit what you don’t. • Take responsibility. Even partial acknowledgment builds trust. • Be consistent. Updates must be regular, not one-time. ❌ Don’ts • Stay silent. Silence is filled with rumors. • Use jargon. “Software anomaly” means nothing to grieving families. • Deflect blame. Saying “pilot error” erodes credibility. • Downplay loss. Even one life lost must be honored. • Overpromise. “It will never happen again” sounds hollow if unproven. ⸻ 💡 The Bigger Leadership Lesson Crisis doesn’t just test your company. It tests your character.

CMOs want pipeline. CFOs want unit economics. Marketers tend to segment with metrics like customer count, ACV, or win rate. These are good at first. But they’re incomplete. The next level is to segment like a CFO Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) is a great bridge. CLV doesn’t just measure deal size or ease of closing. It captures *the full value* of a customer or segment over time: initial purchase, gross margin, retention, and expansion. It’s a great metric to tie marketing strategy to business outcomes. Here's an example... Which customer would you rather acquire? Customer A - $120K ACV. - Closed in 60 days - Costs $60K/yr to serve. - Churns in year 2. Customer B - $60K ACV. - Closed in 90 days - Costs $20K/yr to serve. - Expands in year 2 to $80K. - Expands in year 3 to $100K. Clearly B is more valuable in the long-term. The 5-year value (CLV) is ~6x higher. But a lot of times this dynamic gets missed when thinking about ICPs and segments because we stop with pipeline metrics. CLV helps divide your market by long-term value. This is especially key in an ABM motion where you are making big investments into relatively small segments of accounts. You want to spend resources on the accounts that your CFO will love. Want help measuring CLV by segment? DM me. I'm thinking I'd make a template for this during the holidays. #B2B #marketing #sales