If your QBRs keep getting ghosted or quietly deprioritized, the problem is not the calendar invite but the way those meetings are framed and led.

Alex Raymond challenges the default way most account managers think about quarterly business reviews. In a market where portfolios are growing, resources are tighter, and customer attention is harder to earn, QBRs reveal how your customer truly sees you. Are you a strategic partner with a point of view or a vendor reporting activity? The difference shows up quickly in who attends, how engaged they are, and what happens next in the relationship.

The episode centers on a simple but uncomfortable truth. Customers show up when QBRs give them insight they cannot get elsewhere, access to real expertise inside your company, and confidence that their priorities are genuinely understood. Meetings that focus too heavily on the past, rely on long slide decks, or play it safe send the opposite signal. Strong QBRs create forward momentum, invite real dialogue, and position the account manager as a leader in the room rather than someone trying to avoid risk.

Alex reframes QBRs as a moment of leadership and trust. When handled with clarity and intention, they become one of the most powerful tools for retention, expansion, and long-term credibility.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why QBRs Matter More Than Ever for Account Managers

03:23 The Reality of Today’s Account Management Challenges

14:01 What Customers Actually Want from a QBR

19:19 Why C-Suite Attendance Drives Growth and Retention

22:43 Three Reframes That Turn QBRs Into Strategic Conversations

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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Account management can drive renewals, reduce risk, and expand real career access when corporate partnerships are treated as long-term commitments rather than short-term transactions.

This conversation with Liz Jones of Genesis Works Chicago, reframes account management through a nonprofit lens and shows how the core principles still hold. She explains what changes when corporate partners are treated as long-term customers rather than one-year commitments, and why understanding a partner’s motivation matters as much as delivering outcomes. How do you show value when success includes both ROI and human impact? What does trust look like when budgets shift, priorities change, or the political climate tightens?

At the heart of the episode is a thoughtful look at renewal health, risk awareness, and the discipline required to surface hard truths early. Liz shares how intentional questions, internal transparency, and credibility with partners create stability for the people nonprofits ultimately serve. The result is a clear case for account management as a strategic function across sectors and a reminder that sustainable impact depends on relationships built for the long term.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 What Nonprofit Account Management Really Means

03:03 The Genesis Works Social Enterprise Model

06:01 Corporate Partnerships and Long-Term Talent Pipelines

12:02 Corporate Social Responsibility After 2020

14:59 Trust, Credibility, and Renewal Risk

17:53 Asking the Questions That Surface Risk Early

23:57 Why Nonprofit Account Management Is a Real Career Path

Connect with Liz Jones:

Connect With Liz On LinkedIn

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Visit the AMplify website

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Most key account programs collapse because companies treat a strategic discipline like a standard sales motion, and this conversation reveals what it actually takes to build one that works.

Alex Raymond and Mark Davies examine why so many organizations invest in key account management yet struggle to see meaningful impact. Mark argues that KAM only succeeds when the company recognizes it as a different business model with a longer horizon and deeper expectations. Without cultural alignment, even the most capable account managers slip back into transactional patterns that limit growth and dilute the value customers could receive.

They explore how real progress begins when teams study a customer’s strategy, pressures and financial priorities, then build offers that match the customer’s world. This raises a key question for any account leader: are you creating conversations that reach senior decision-makers or staying confined to a narrow vendor role? Mark shares how better segmentation, thoughtful prioritization and a series of small wins can open that door, especially when paired with an internal pitch centered on material impact, margin and momentum. The episode leaves you considering whether your business treats its most important customers with the intention they deserve.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Most Key Account Programs Fail

06:08 The Mindset Shift Required for Strategic Accounts

09:01 Value Leakage and What Customers Really Expect

18:05 How to Identify True Key Accounts

31:48 Building Offers That Drive Meaningful Growth

35:12 Leadership’s Role in Making KAM Work

47:55 The Internal Pitch: Securing Executive Support

Connect with Mark Davies:

Connect with Mark on LinkedIn

Value Matters - Articles and content to advance B2B selling

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Alex on LinkedIn

Visit the AMplify website

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm