What if the key to explosive growth isn’t chasing new customers but treating expansion as an act of service to the ones you already have?

Alex Raymond sits down with Amanda Edington, VP of Account Management at Payscale, to unpack how a mindset shift toward service transformed her team’s approach to growth and retention. Amanda shares how curiosity and trust drive meaningful expansion, why the best account managers see every conversation as discovery, and how one question, “How can we be a better partner for you?”, can turn a renewal risk into a long-term success story.

Through examples and coaching insights, Amanda reveals what separates reactive sellers from strategic partners and why true customer elation is earned through measurable value, not momentary satisfaction. A must-listen for anyone in entrepreneurship, business, or wellbeing, this episode challenges account managers to think bigger about service, partnership, and what it really means to grow with your clients.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Building PayScale’s Account Management Function

05:12 Turning Expansion Into a Growth Engine

10:40 Curiosity and Trust as the Keys to Client Retention

16:25 The Power of Asking “How Can We Be a Better Partner for You?”

22:58 From Churn Risk to Long-Term Growth

30:16 Redefining Customer Elation and True Partnership

Connect with Amanda Edington: Visit the Payscale website

Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn

Connect with Alex Raymond: Visit the AMplify website

Connect with Alex on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Satisfied customers leave, but loyal ones stay because great account managers turn every interaction into consistency, trust, and genuine partnership.

Alex Raymond sits down with customer experience expert and New York Times bestselling author Shep Hyken to explore how account managers can move beyond customer satisfaction and build true loyalty that lasts. Shep explains why “satisfied” is the most dangerous word in business and reveals how small shifts in behavior, like proactive communication, reliable follow-through, and fast problem resolution, create long-term retention and growth.

Drawing on decades of research and stories from the front lines, Shep shows that B2B buyers think like consumers, constantly comparing their experience with yours to the best they’ve ever had from companies like Amazon or Apple. His insights give account managers a playbook for becoming indispensable partners rather than replaceable vendors. From mastering his five-step service recovery framework to adopting a customer-focused culture that values consistency over heroics, this episode delivers a blueprint for building trust, earning loyalty, and owning every moment as the CEO of the client experience.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction and The Hidden Risk of “Satisfied” Customers

02:33 Why B2B Clients Expect B2C-Level Experiences

05:04 Proactive Communication and Lessons from Amazon

13:21 Fixing the Sales-to-Account Manager Handoff

17:04 Loyalty vs. Satisfaction: What Really Drives Retention

25:04 Shep Hyken’s Five-Step Service Recovery Framework

30:16 Building a Customer-Centered Culture

37:04 Key Takeaways for Account Managers

Connect with Shep Hyken: Visit Shep’s website

Connect with Shep on LinkedIn

Connect with Alex Raymond: Visit the AMplify website

Connect with Alex on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

When contracts disappear and only value keeps customers loyal, the real work of account management begins.

Alex Raymond talks with Anthony DeShazor, the founder and chief architect of Protia Revenue Systems, about building customer relationships that last when “value is the contract.” Drawing from his experience leading customer success at Givelify, Anthony shares how operating without renewals or lock-ins pushed his team to deliver measurable outcomes every day and redefine what success really means. He explains how taking ownership of value, rather than letting customers define it, turns account managers into strategic partners who drive growth and trust.

By connecting outcomes to purpose, not just performance, Anthony offers a new way to think about loyalty, communication, and long-term customer success.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 No Auto-Renewals: When Value Is the Contract

05:15 No Safety Net: Urgency and Prioritization

07:13 Shifting the Value Conversation

10:09 Defining and Communicating Value

12:00 Results: Growth from Outcome Focus

14:01 Always On Value Communication

15:05 EBR Structure for Maximum Impact

21:58 Tracking EBR Success and Retention

28:09 Coordinating Customer Communications

37:06 Starting with Value and Outcomes

Connect with Anthony DeShazor:

Visit the Pavilion website

Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Visit the AMplify website

Connect with Alex on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm