Too many account managers confuse being liked with being effective and it’s costing them renewals, influence, and growth. Chad Horenfeldt, the VP of Customer Success at Siena AI and author of “The Strategic Customer Success Manager,” joins Alex Raymond to talk about the people-pleaser trap and how to break out of it. They unpack the four identity traps that keep account managers stuck in reactive mode: the firefighter, entertainer, fixer, and waiter, and why those well-meaning habits quietly erode trust and impact.

Chad shares tactical frameworks like motivational interviewing and radical customer candor, showing how curiosity, preparation, and self-awareness can lead to better business outcomes, stronger client relationships, and more personal wellbeing on the job.

If you’ve ever walked away from a “great” client meeting only to lose the account later, Alex and Chad’s conversation will help you rethink your role and lead more strategically in today’s fast-moving world of entrepreneurship and customer success.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 The People Pleaser Trap in Account Management

04:02 Why Being Helpful Doesn’t Prevent Churn

06:06 Identity Traps: Firefighter, Waiter, Fixer, Entertainer

12:23 How to Build Trust and Lead with Confidence

20:25 Motivational Interviewing Techniques for Client Conversations

24:41 Disruptive Questions That Shift Client Mindsets

31:34 Practicing Radical Customer Candor

36:26 Building Stronger Client Relationships Through Strategic Disclosure

41:19 Small Shifts That Lead to Long-Term Growth

Links

Connect with Chad Horenfeldt:

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

Website: https://www.strategiccustomersuccess.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

Too many account managers are stuck in reactive mode—waiting on problems, answering tickets, and playing support—while the real opportunity sits untapped: driving strategic growth.

In this episode, Alex Raymond is joined by author and sales strategist Anthony Iannarino to unpack what’s broken in post-sales and what needs to change. Their conversation challenges the status quo of account management and lays out a new path, one where AMs act less like order takers and more like strategic guides who know how to lead.

Anthony introduces the concept of being “one-up”, bringing enough experience and insight to teach clients how to make better decisions. He explains why the age of AI will punish passivity and reward value creation, and why account managers who stay stuck in the admin zone are putting themselves at risk.

Whether you're managing a $10M portfolio or just trying to prove your value internally, this episode will push you to rethink how you show up. Because in 2025, the winning account managers won’t be the ones who play it safe, they’ll be the ones who lead.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

01:30 Why Post-Sales Is Broken

05:14 AI Will Punish Passive Account Managers

08:05 What It Means to Be “One-Up”

09:20 Raising the Floor for Real Growth

11:22 What Creating Value Actually Looks Like

15:23 Why Relationships Still Drive Revenue

20:18 The AI Impact on Account Management Teams

22:29 The Missed Opportunity in Post-Sales Investment

27:23 How Sales and Buying Committees Have Changed

33:23 Final Advice: Elevate or Get Replaced

Links

Connect with Anthony Iannarino:

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

Website: https://www.thesalesblog.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 talk about value but Robert Sproule shows you how to prove it in fifteen minutes flat. Alex Raymond sits down with Robert, the VP of Account Management at SafetyChain, to discuss what it really looks like to show measurable impact in industries where the stakes are high and the paperwork never ends.

Robert explains how his team uses short, focused executive results reviews to help clients surface clear ROI and make stronger business cases with their leadership. He talks about how AI is helping his team cut back on busywork, sharpen their account planning, and stay ahead of renewal conversations without losing sight of the bigger picture.

Where are your clients seeing real outcomes? Are they able to explain why your product matters or have they started to forget? Alex and Robert’s conversation will give you a smarter way to keep your accounts growing and your partnerships strong.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

01:19 The High-Stakes World of Food Safety

05:01 Who Uses Safety Chain and Why It Matters

07:29 Robert’s Account Management Philosophy

10:16 Proving ROI Through Executive Results Reviews

15:01 Using AI to Support Account Planning and Renewals

21:01 Leveraging the Amplify Community

30:01 Identifying White Space and Driving Expansion

34:01 The Value of Consolidation and TCO Strategy

35:22 Clarifying the Roles of Customer Success and Account Management

Links

Connect with Robert Sproule:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-sproule-b02b783/

Website: https://safetychain.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