The Power Law Principle in Key Account Management, Ep #502
Release Date: 04/15/2026
How to Win at Prospecting, Ep #519
Sales Reinvented
Sales prospecting and lead generation are the lifeblood of any thriving sales career—but they’re also some of the most misunderstood and mismanaged aspects of the job. Carole Mahoney, Darryl Praill, and Tim Hughes share insights that challenge traditional mindsets and equip listeners to approach prospecting with precision, empathy, and creativity. We explore the necessity of ongoing learning, time-blocking for prospecting, and seeking support from peers. My experts also discuss the risks of overvaluing a single champion in the sales cycle and the power of humanized content to...
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Building Connections that Convert, Ep #518
Sales Reinvented
We’re digging deep into the essentials of prospecting and lead generation with guests Brynne Tillman, Jeff Bajorek, and Caryn Kopp this week. They share their top actionable do's and don'ts, revealing prospecting strategies that they have found to work. You’ll hear real-world success stories—from making warm connections on LinkedIn to the power of consistent, quality touchpoints and the importance of solving your client’s real challenges, not just following the standard playbook. Outline of This Episode [05:53] Challenges of prospecting and leads [07:09] Taking...
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Unlocking the Science of Prospecting, Ep #517
Sales Reinvented
This episode of Sales Reinvented dives deep into the essential do’s and don’ts of prospecting and lead generation with advice from three industry trailblazers. I host Bill McCormick, Mary Grothe, and Tony Hughes to help you transform cold outreach into meaningful connections and qualified leads. You'll hear their top do's and don'ts for successful lead generation, compelling real-world sales stories, and get their lessons learned from overcoming challenges in the field. Outline of This Episode [01:49] Nurture prospects on LinkedIn by providing value and insight...
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Spinning Sales Gold—Why Stories Sell, Ep #516
Sales Reinvented
Today’s “Best Of” episode brings together top minds in storytelling for sales success. In this episode, you'll hear practical do’s and don’ts from Philip Humm, Doug Keeley, and Patti Pokorchak, who share how to craft stories that engage, connect, and create real value for clients. Whether it’s making your customer the hero, keeping stories concise and relevant, or demonstrating the undeniable power of value-driven storytelling, this episode is packed with actionable insights to elevate your sales conversations and results. Get ready to be inspired by compelling examples and...
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How to Captivate Customers, Ep #515
Sales Reinvented
Storytelling isn’t just a buzzword in the world of sales, it’s a transformative tool that can turn mundane pitches into memorable, persuasive conversations. This week, I bring together industry experts Mark Smyth, Kristie Jones, and Park Howell to share their top storytelling do’s and don’ts for sales professionals. Whether you struggle to keep your stories concise, want to captivate your audience, or wonder how to make your data more compelling, this episode will give you actionable advice and inspiring real-world examples. Outline of This Episode [01:40] Guide the...
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Don’t Just Tell—Engage, Listen, and Share Stories that Stick, Ep #514
Sales Reinvented
Sales isn't just about products, features, or numbers, it's all about forging genuine human connections. The best way to do this is by mastering the craft of storytelling. In this episode, I speak to some phenomenal sales experts, Mike Adams, John Livesay, and Kyle Gray, who share their favorite storytelling do’s and don’ts, and their personal strategies for winning business and building trust. Listen in as they share their wisdom and practical tips to help you refine your own sales storytelling. Outline of This Episode [00:00] Importance of knowing what a story is and isn't...
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Mastering Sales Storytelling, Ep #513
Sales Reinvented
This week, my three expert guests, Mary Jane Copps, Paul Smith, and Roy Furr, cover everything from injecting humor and vulnerability into your stories to crafting narratives that move prospects closer to a sale. They discuss the importance of using stories with purpose: tailoring them to your audience, keeping them concise, and ensuring they support your sales process. They also share their thoughts on the dangers of boastfulness, going off topic, or using stories without a clear connection to your sales goals. Tune in for practical advice, real-world examples, and memorable lessons to help...
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Mastering Referral Selling: Strategies, Stories, and Lessons from the Pros, Ep #512
Sales Reinvented
Referral selling remains a game-changer in modern sales, not just for filling pipelines with high-quality leads, but for building lasting business relationships rooted in trust. My guests, Stacey Brown Randall, Steve Hall, and Dr. Ivan Misner shared their most impactful referral selling strategies, missteps to avoid, and stories that deliver invaluable lessons for any sales professional looking to maximize their impact through referrals. The lessons shared in this episode will help you elevate your referral selling game to new heights. Outline of This Episode [01:04] Identify and revisit...
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How to Build Powerful Referral Networks, Ep #511
Sales Reinvented
Referrals are the lifeblood of high-performing sales organizations, yet many teams overlook their full potential. In this Best Of episode of Sales Reinvented, I bring together three dynamic referral selling experts, Steve Benson, Lori Richardson, and Joanne Black, to share actionable strategies, hard-hitting do’s and don’ts, and memorable stories from their own careers. Outline of This Episode [0:00] When to ask for referrals [00:55] Importance of tracking referrals [02:03] Making the referral process fun and personal [05:48] Creating value leads to natural,...
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Referral Rocket Fuel: Real Stories and Unbeatable Tactics from Top Sales Leaders, Ep #510
Sales Reinvented
In this “best of” episode, I’m sharing some golden nuggets from sales trailblazers, Jamie Crosby, Nick Kane, and Liz Heiman. They share the secrets behind scalable, trust-based referral selling to help you ditch haphazard “who do you know?” asks and start building referral systems that deliver. Today’s show is packed with actionable advice on referral selling—the dos, the don’ts, and lessons learned from real-world sales situations. Outline of This Episode [00:41] Jamie Crosby's top three referral selling do's and don'ts [05:12] Importance of organically building...
info_outlineKey Account Management (KAM) isn’t just about maintaining relationships and securing renewals. Today’s business environment demands a new approach—one rooted in strategic growth, deep customer understanding, and proactive leadership. I sit down with Alex Raymond, founder of Amplify, author of "The Growth Department," and leading expert in account management and client engagement, to explore what sets world-class key account managers apart and how organizations can improve their KAM strategies. We discuss how to define and segment key accounts, ways to align strategies with customer objectives, and the best way to access senior decision-makers through stakeholder mapping. Alex also shares his top dos and don’ts for effective account management and shares a real-world example illustrating relentless curiosity and how it leads to strategic growth.
Outline of This Episode
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[00:00] Mindset, relationships, and strategic focus in key account management
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[01:38] Power law versus Pareto principle in account management
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[03:10] Differences in skill sets and approaches—hunters vs. farmers
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[04:34] Understanding customer goals and challenges
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[07:07] Risks of communicating only with lower-level stakeholders
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[09:25] Adopting a growth rather than a support mentality
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[15:37] Key questions for impactful account plans
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[21:09] A real-world example of growing a strategic account
Clear Segmentation in Key Accounts
Too many companies default to the assumption that their largest customers are automatically "key accounts." However, identifying key accounts digs deeper, weighing not just current size but growth potential, strategic alignment, and the strength of mutual commitment. By focusing on the 10–20% of accounts that generate 80–90% of results, companies can use the power law to prioritize resources and attention where they matter most.
The Hunter–Farmer Divide: Why Role Specialization Matters
One of the most common mistakes in account management is assuming that the same employee can seamlessly transition from a new-business "hunter" to a relationship-building "farmer." These roles require fundamentally different skillsets and mindsets. Hunters sell a compelling vision of the future; farmers deliver sustained value, focusing on whether customers are realizing the promised benefits, moving closer to their objectives, and overcoming real-world obstacles. Recognizing this distinction helps organizations assign the right people to the right roles and ensures that post-sale relationships receive the expertise and attention they deserve.
A Customer-Centric Key Account Strategy
Building a strategy that aligns with customer objectives requires more than guesswork—it demands insight direct from the source. Often account managers neglect the most obvious step: talking to the customer. Alex recommends structured conversations to uncover not just stated goals but underlying drivers, ongoing initiatives, and pressing challenges. Supporting techniques like SWOT analysis or internal research can help, but nothing replaces genuine, curiosity-driven dialogue.
Unlocking Stakeholder Access and Mapping Relationships
Strong, resilient relationships create the safety net for account success. Alex points out two major risks: having too few contacts and being confined to lower levels of the customer’s organization. Effective stakeholder mapping means expanding both breadth and depth, forging connections at all relevant levels, especially with the most senior decision-makers. When you target strategic issues, you naturally gain access to those with broader authority and larger budgets.
Making Account Plans Living Documents
Too often, account plans become static corporate theater, written once and forgotten. Alex suggests moving to agile, actionable plans that center on high-impact questions: What big problems are we solving? What assumptions need validation? What specific results are we driving? Practical, concise account plans, not cumbersome spreadsheets, help teams stay aligned and responsive.
Key account management today is about more than retention; it is strategic, consultative, and growth-oriented. By segmenting strategically, specializing roles, practicing curiosity, leveraging the right tools, and living the owner’s mindset, organizations can turn KAM into a true engine for business success.
Resources & People Mentioned
Connect with Alex Raymond
Connect With Paul Watts
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