Corporate Account Management

Strategic CSMs work renewals 6 months ahead of the due date. ⏳ They have time to de-risk accounts 🤝 They negotiate early and seamless renewals 🚀 They position growth opportunities aligned with value However, prioritising a large number of renewals can be challenging. The biggest mistake a CSM can make is spending too much time on the wrong customers and ending up with preventable churn. So... how can you work your renewals strategically? The best CSMs I know use the priority framework that looks at value vs. risk. 🤑 What's value? - How much the customer spends today - Their growth potential - How important the logo is for the business 🥵 What's risk? - How much value they are getting? - Are there critical product roadblocks? - How much friction are they experiencing? - What's their decision maker's sentiment? - Are there any competitors in the mix? Once you bucket customers into their respective value and risk profiles, you'll have a birds-eye view of your renewals. You can quantify how much falls into each bucket and make informed decisions on where to spend your time and energy. What I've seen yield the best results is: 1️⃣ Priority 1 is to de-risk high-value customers ahead of renewal. You have 6 months to turn around these customers before their renewal date. that's enough time to demonstrate value and regain trust. 2️⃣ Priority 2 is to secure the renewal and growth of healthy high-value customers. You have 6 months to position, demo, trial and negotiate the growth opportunity aligned with the renewal. This will give you the best chance of a seamless net-positive renewal, and it will decrease the chances of offering high discounts to close it in a tight timeline. 3️⃣ Priority 3 is to secure the renewal of low-value healthy customers. You should have an automated flow to help communicate value, validate risk and nurture the renewal of these customers. Wherever possible this should feel like a non-event. 4️⃣ Priority 4 is to turn around low-value, risky customers. The final piece is to find scalable ways to mitigate the risk of low-value customers. This is the most dangerous place, where CSMs get sucked in. Instead of working 1:1, CSMs should find the common themes across these customers and leverage other resources and scalable options like usage/adoption office hours to help them do more and get more value from your solution. This can be baked into your weekly blueprint, so you have focus time to work with a certain type of customer each day. The result? - Stop feeling burned out - Get better results - Achieve better work-life balance What's your strategy for working renewals strategically? 📥 If you're interested in scaling your Customer Success team, consider joining 8k+ CS Professionals who read my weekly newsletter on how to build and scale a CS Team [sign up in the comments section]. #customersuccess #CSM #customerexperience #renewals  #NRR

This year I spent 256 hours in meetings with strategic account sellers. Here’s the #1 issue driving them crazy (and how to escape this hell): Being forced to sell by activity rather than strategy! I heard this story over and over again. Senior sellers at SaaS companies being pressured by their leaders to meet high outbound activity metrics each week. They're treated like glorified SDRs rather than Strategic AEs… But with $150K - $200K base salaries. Here's the problem: Surpassing $1.5M - $5M+ ARR quotas will not happen by running call blitzes using senior reps. 7-figure transformation deals unfold by designing a high-quality executive buying experience for a smaller subset of accounts aligned to the unique characteristics of the AE. So if you’re a strat account seller and find yourself in this sticky situation, here’s a playbook you can use to get out of it: STEP 1: Break down how you spent your time over the past 4 weeks The key is a deep understanding of revenue-generating activities (RGAs) vs non-RGAs. Remember: Research, prep, and follow-up are RGAs - not just the call or meeting. BTW, I like using Timeular for detailed time tracking. STEP 2: Draft up an internal business case Use this to present your case on why replacing cold outreach time to focus on more creative and impactful strategies will improve your performance and grow the business. STEP 3: Outline your strategy Structure your plan like this: ⇢ Title that includes your BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) Example: “The path from $400K to $4M deals” ⇢ Headline Example: “I will replace 2 mandatory call blitzes per week with strategic account win design sessions. This deep work will result in elevating my executive status within my top 10 tier-one accounts.” ⇢ The Problem Statement Example: “For the past 4 weeks, 200 cold calls during the mandatory call blitz windows have produced 2 meetings (a 1% call-to-meeting ratio), resulting in a 50% attendance rate.” ⇢ Recommended Approach Example: “By allocating two 1-hour blocks for strategic account win designs instead of the cold call blocks, I will develop specific plans for my top 10 accounts using tools such as account maps, creative strategies such as crafting open letters, and arranging peer network exchanges which have been proven strategies from other 7-figure sellers within a strategic sales community I have invested in. I will still have time to meet the required 80 weekly outbound outreaches.” ⇢ Outline The KPIs You will want to drill down into the key levers that matter (show current vs target): - Win rate - Deal size - Deal cycle Remember to set a date for your targets. The beauty of this model is that it’s a blueprint for how you can sell more effectively with your prospects too. Going through this exercise proves to both you and your leaders you can be more strategic. Which, in case they forgot, was what you were hired for in the first place! 🐝 P.S. This is a snapshot of my Timeular for 2023.

Client: "We need to focus our ABM on the big names in the industry. You know, the Fortune 500 types." Me: "So, what makes them a good fit for your business?" Client: "Well, they're big and have big budgets." Me: "Okay, but do they need what you offer? Are they a good fit for your ideal customer profile?" Client: "Hmm, I'm not sure... We haven't looked at it that way." Me: "And what about potential value? Will those big names bring in the most revenue? Or are there smaller, faster growing companies with more potential?" Client: "That's a good point. We haven't considered that." Me: "And strategically, does it make sense to go after those giants? Or are there smaller companies that align better with your long term goals?" Client: "Hmm, I see what you mean." Me: "Let me put it another way: Have you ever seen a small company achieve amazing results with a product like yours?" Client: Thinking.. "Actually, yes! There's that one company..." Me: "Exactly. Account selection in #ABM isn't just about chasing big names. It's about finding the best fit for your business, potential value and strategic alignment." Client: "Tell me more..." Me: "Don't get me wrong, big accounts can be great. But those smaller accounts can sometimes bring surprising value and become your biggest wins." Client: "This is making me rethink our entire strategy." Me: "That's the idea. ABM is about finding the accounts that will benefit from your solution and align with your long-term goals." Client: "So, how do we find those accounts with potential?" Me: "Dig deeper. Look beyond size and revenue. Consider their needs, growth potential and their strategic fit. Sometimes, the hidden finds are the most valuable." Client: "This is eye opening. I'm excited to explore this further." Me: "Great. Think over quality over quantity." #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #marketingstrategy

I reject 7 out of 10 CVs, Without even reading them fully. Not because I enjoy rejecting people. But because most resumes scream:  “I don’t care enough to respect your time.” Recruiters don’t reject you because of “ATS filters” or “luck.” They reject you because of this… 1) You listed ‘soft skills’ without proof “Team player.” “Hard worker.” “Good communicator.” If you can’t back these up with numbers, they're just fillers. Replace adjectives with actions. “Improved X.” “Built Y.” “Saved Z hours.” 2) You write paragraphs instead of bullets Recruiters skim, not study. Break it down, bullet points, quantifiable results, and white space. 3) You listed every single job you’ve ever done I care less about your marketing college fest volunteering, when applying for a finance role. If it doesn’t connect to the job, it doesn’t belong on top of your CV. Maybe add something that is relevant on top if that exists. 4) You turned your resume into an art project If it looks like a Canva template exploded on my screen, I don’t see “creativity.”, sometimes it's just distraction. A resume isn’t your design portfolio, it’s your proof of worth. Because some influencers post creative resumes on Social, Doesn't mean we need to follow it. Tons of resume templates available that are simple and effective! HRs are used to templates that make their job easy to skim through. I don’t reject people. I reject the effort they didn’t put in. If your resume looks like you made it in 5 minutes, Why should I spend 1 min on it? #Hiring #ResumeTips #JobSearch #CareerAdvice

I don't class conflict as a "waste" because not all conflict is bad...but unresolved conflict can be VERY wasteful in organizational improvement efforts. As a Lean and Leadership Coach, I have worked with companies to develop systems and skills to reduce harmful conflict, in order to make continuous improvement a reality. People ask me - how do you know there's conflict in the first place? Do we have to assess it in some way? Short answer yes. The problem has to be visible. My own approach is to ask questions that help me understand it through my 1:1 interviews as part of my Discovery phase. Here's what I (and many studies) see as the 5 of the main causes of workplace conflict...and how to resolve them 👇 👉 Communication Conflict: Studies have found that 39% of workplace conflicts arise from communication differences. I coached 'Joan' who told me that she and her direct report ('Jim') only interact when there's a problem. They both want the same results, but they don't spend time together proactively figuring out how to get them. Resolve it through: ✔️ Holding regular 1:1 and team check-ins ✔️ Reviewing communication and information flow as part of process improvement efforts ✔️ Improving meeting management 👉 Values Conflict: Research indicates that 18% of conflicts are due to clashing values. I see it in teams all the time- 'Mark' valued speed and 'Greg' valued precision. It turned into personal conflict as they were both too set on their own values, to try and understand where the other is coming from. Resolve it through: ✔️ Focusing on shared goals and common ground. ✔️ Respecting different viewpoints ✔️ Investing in people and leader development, to develop these skills in everyone. 👉 Resource Conflict: Studies found that 33% of workplace conflicts are due to too much work without enough support or a clash over differing cross- departmental priorities. A simple example- the Sales team rush orders to hit targets but Operations burns out trying to deliver. Resolve it through: ✔️ Being fair and transparent about resources. ✔️ Prioritizing tasks when resources are limited. ✔️ Working together to find creative solutions. 👉 Personality Conflict: One study found that a whopping 49% of workplace conflicts are attributed to clashes between personalities or egos. This comes down to how people behave, how they judge others and their level of EQ. Resolve it through: ✔️ Learning about different work styles. ✔️ Investing in personal development ✔️ Investing in team EQ development and team bonding 👉 Role Conflict: Unclear roles and responsibilities can cause confusion and disputes. Approximately 22% of workplace conflicts is said to stem from unclear roles. Resolve it through: ✔️ Clearly defining roles and responsibilities. ✔️ Reviewing job duties regularly and using them in 1:1's. ✔️ Discussing and fix any role overlaps. How should we be dealing with conflict in our organizations? Leave your thoughts below 🙏

If I was running ABM at a fast-growing security company (like Wiz, Snyk, or Netskope), here's how I'd avoid wasting money on bad-fit accounts. 👇 AI Segmentation. Most companies segment by industry. They say something like: "We target Tech, Retail, and Hospitality companies with 1,000+ employees." Motel 6 and Airbnb show why this breaks. Same firmographic profiles. But very different business situations, needs, and priorities when it comes to information security (or any tech purchase). You wouldn't sell to them the same way. AI Segmentation helps you uncover and target the highest value segments for your business, beyond basic industries. Here's how I would do this for a security company: 1.) Segment on business situation (not industry). -- Analyze your best customers (high NRR, high ACV). -- Group by specific situations that align to your value prop. e.g. Security Maturity Level, Security Use Cases, Compliance Sensitivity, etc.  -- Find the *natural* clusters based on value, not generic industry labels. 2.) Identify segments with AI. -- Use Keyplay AI to categorize every account in your market. -- Backtest segments against historical data to find which segments have the highest NDR, ACV, and Win Rates. -- Find new ICPs, outside generic vertical groups. 3.) Action the data -- Create ABM plays at intersections with highest win rates. -- Develop content specific to each segment combination (e.g., "Cloud Security for Advanced DevSecOps Teams in Retail") -- Refine your segmentation models as you grow. This process can reduce non-ICP Spend (waste) by 20-30% and help you find thousands of net new target accounts. Don't just throw your budget at industries. Find the segments where your solution resonates most, where you win often, win fast, and win big. That's strategic segmentation. p.s. If you want me and my team to kick-start this process for you, we're offering a free strategic segmentation analysis to CMOs at SaaS security companies with >$20M ARR. Get your report here --> https://lnkd.in/gMezS4Zk #ABM #ICP

CSAT measurement must be more than just a score. Many companies prioritize their Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a measure of Customer Satisfaction (CSAT). But do these methods truly give us a complete understanding? In reality, surveys are not always accurate. Bias can influence the results, ratings may be misinterpreted, and there's a chance that we didn't even ask the right questions. While a basic survey can indicate problems, the true value lies in comprehending the reasons behind those scores and identifying effective solutions to improve them. Here’s a better way to look at CSAT: 1. Start with Actions, Not Just Scores: Observable behaviors like repeat purchases, referrals, and product usage often tell a more accurate story than a survey score alone. 2. Analyze Digital Signals & Employee Feedback: Look for objective measures that consumers are happy with what you offer (website micro-conversions like page depth, time on site, product views and cart adds). And don’t forget your team! Happy employees = Happy customers. 3. Understand the Voice of the Customer (VoC): Utilize AI tools to examine customer feedback, interactions with customer support, and comments on social media platforms in order to stay updated on the current attitudes towards your brand. 4. Make It a Closed Loop: Gathering feedback is only the beginning. Use it to drive change. Your customers need to know you’re listening — and *acting*. Think of your CSAT score as a signal that something happened in your customer relationships. But to truly improve your business, you must pinpoint the reasons behind those scores and use that information to guide improvements. Don’t settle for simply knowing that something happened, find an answer for why it happened. Art+Science Analytics Institute | University of Notre Dame | University of Notre Dame - Mendoza College of Business | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | University of Chicago | D'Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University | ELVTR | Grow with Google - Data Analytics #Analytics #DataStorytelling

Despite having referrals from employees at Google, this resume got rejected multiple times. I'll tell you why. Even a solid referral can’t save a resume that doesn’t land the basics. Let’s break it down: 1. No clear impact Saying “built a dashboard” isn’t enough. → What changed because of it? Who benefited? What results did it drive? Hiring managers aren’t guessing; they’re scanning for outcomes. Fix: Add real numbers and results. Example: Built a dashboard using React that improved user engagement by 35%. 2. Tool overload A long list of technologies doesn’t prove depth; it shows noise. → Don’t list every tool you’ve touched. Focus on the ones you’ve mastered to solve real problems. Fix: Tie tools to context and outcomes: Used Docker to streamline deployment and cut app loading time by 25% 3. Weak structure, no flow Projects and roles are listed randomly, with no clear story or direction. → A resume should feel like a journey, not a dump of everything you’ve done. Fix: Start with a short summary. Group similar experience. Lead with relevance. 4. Soft skills without substance “Attention to detail” and “great communication” mean nothing if you don’t show them in action. Fix: Show, don’t tell. Example: Collaborated with 4 developers in agile sprints to ship all features on time with zero bugs reported. Referrals might get your resume looked at. But only a strong, impact-driven resume gets you called back. If your resume isn’t getting interviews, the problem isn’t the job market; it’s the message. Need help creating a resume that actually lands interviews? DM me. I’ve helped 400+ people craft resumes that tell their story, show their value, and get results.

Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up Forecasting 📊 Which approach should you choose for your next forecast? I see companies get this wrong all the time...and it costs them big. ➡️ TOP-DOWN FORECASTING This one starts with the big picture. Market size, growth targets, high-level assumptions about where you fit in the world. "We want 5% market share...equals $10M in revenue." Fast and directional? Absolutely. Executives and VCs eat this up during early-stage planning because it ties directly to strategy. But there's a catch... ✅ Quick to build ✅ Aligns with big-picture strategy ❌ Can be overly optimistic ❌ Misses execution details ➡️ BOTTOM-UP FORECASTING Now this is where things get real. You're building from actual internal data...team capacity, sales pipeline, product usage. "Each rep closes 5 deals per month...20 reps = $1.2M monthly." It's grounded in what you actually have, not what you hope to achieve. No wishful thinking allowed. ✅ Realistic and execution-focused ✅ Helps with hiring, spend, and capacity plans ❌ Slower to build ❌ Can miss strategic targets if not guided top-down ➡️ SO WHICH ONE SHOULD YOU USE? Here's my take... Early-stage companies start top-down for fundraising and strategic planning. Makes sense. But once you have real operational data? Bottom-up becomes way more accurate for running the business day-to-day. The best forecasts combine both. Start top-down to set ambitious targets, then validate with bottom-up to make sure your plan is actually achievable. === Most finance teams pick one and stick with it...but that's a mistake. What forecasting approach has worked best for you? Let me know in the comments below 👇

Teams who take a “boil the ocean” approach to outbound will fail. Here’s how to fix it and build sequences that actually drive results: Step 1: Focus your team on accounts most likely to buy now, invest at a premium, and become long-term customers or referral sources. This means moving beyond “anyone who fits the ICP” and zeroing in on high-priority targets. Step 2: Create deeper, more meaningful segments from that refined group. Traditional segments are great for organizing territories but fall short for crafting sequences that resonate. Instead, you need segmentation that helps your team speak the language of specific sub-groups. Use multiple layers of data—firmographics, intent signals, and contact-level insights—to break your TAM into smaller, actionable groups. Step 3: Launch micro-campaigns that target those precise segments with messaging designed to feel tailor-made. When you take this approach, personalization becomes scalable because it’s rooted in segmentation. Your reps don’t waste time on one-off customization, and your messaging feels 99% relevant to the prospect. I've been teaching this process as #ValueBasedSegmentation for the better part of a decade. It’s the key to building sequences that drive higher CTRs, replies, and engagement without tedious manual effort. ➡️ With this approach, you’ll: - Improve email performance - Write copy that prospects actually care about - Give your team a clear roadmap for focused outbound 📌 How are you helping your team build relevance into their outbound sequences?