Forecast accuracy is the fastest way for a post-sales team to earn trust or lose it with leadership. In this episode, Alex Raymond sits down with John Huber, Founder and Principal CS Consultant at Customer Success Architects, to break down what drives forecast accuracy when executives expect predictable revenue from existing accounts.

John shares the story of a renewal that looked safe at 94% and closed at 78%, creating a seven-figure gap. Instead of treating it as bad luck, he turns it into a framework any team can apply. You will learn how renewal forecasting improves when teams stop relying on optimism and start running a disciplined renewal process months before the deadline. He outlines four questions every account manager and CSM should answer before committing a renewal, including confirmed budget with the economic buyer, measurable outcomes, and what changes if the deal slips. This structure strengthens forecast accuracy because it replaces assumptions with verified customer signals.

The conversation also expands into churn forecasting and customer success forecasting. Strong forecast accuracy is not only about what is coming in, it is also about what might walk out. John explains how to build cross-functional alignment so risk does not live in silos. When churn forecasting becomes a shared responsibility, teams can protect gross retention and create a more reliable view of revenue.

If you want renewal forecasting and customer success forecasting that hold up in executive reviews and reduce end-of-quarter surprises, this episode offers a clear path to forecast accuracy you can defend.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Forecast Accuracy in Post-Sales and Why It Drives Executive Trust

02:23 Renewal Forecasting Fail: 94% Commit Missed by $1.2M

09:13 Improving Forecast Accuracy: Commit Discipline and No “Happy Ears”

12:53 Renewal Process Strategy: 6–9 Month Planning for Predictable Revenue

18:35 The 4 Renewal Forecasting Questions Before You Commit

31:45 Churn Forecasting and Gross Retention: A Cross-Functional Playbook

Connect with John Huber:

Connect with John on LinkedIn

Visit the Customer Success Architects website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Alex on LinkedIn

Visit the AMplify website

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The recurring revenue model is comforting. Contracts renew. Revenue repeats. Forecasts look stable. But that assumption hides risk. When renewals are treated as automatic rather than earned, blind spots form. A strong customer retention strategy requires more than waiting for renewal dates. It demands clarity around outcomes, proactive engagement, and a disciplined post-sales process that makes value visible long before a contract is up.

That is where the idea of value before revenue becomes transformative. In his book, The Growth Department, Alex Raymond explains that revenue is not something you chase. It is something that follows documented results. When your account management strategy focuses on defining success, measuring progress, and consistently demonstrating impact, commercial conversations become natural. Customer success renewals feel aligned rather than pressured. Expansion becomes a continuation of delivered value rather than an upsell.

Alex also addresses the structural gap between sales and post-sales. Sales teams operate with defined systems, predictable forecasting, and visible playbooks. Post-sales teams often rely on effort and heroics. Leadership trusts structure. Without a standardized post-sales process, account management is seen as reactive rather than strategic. Applying value before revenue creates the discipline and visibility needed to shift that perception.

If you want renewals to feel predictable, revenue growth to feel earned, and your account management strategy to be viewed as a true growth function, this episode provides a practical framework. Moving beyond the recurring revenue model positions post-sales as a strategic driver of retention, expansion, and long-term customer success.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Account Management Drives Revenue and Renewals

01:01 The Growth Department Mindset in Post-Sales

04:18 The Myth of the Recurring Revenue Model

05:47 Active Retention as a Customer Retention Strategy

11:00 Value Before Revenue in Customer Success Renewals

15:21 The Value Revenue Chain Explained

20:20 The JV vs. Varsity Gap in Post-Sales Teams

24:52 Building Systems for Predictable Growth

29:39 From Heroics to Scalable Account Management Strategy

31:40 Implementing a Disciplined Post-Sales Process

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Alex on LinkedIn

Visit the AMplify website

Alex’s book:

Learn more about The Growth Department

Get your copy of The Growth Department on Amazon

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Why do advertising agencies keep adding account roles, yet revenue growth is hard to account for?

In this episode of Account Management Secrets, Alex Raymond talks with Chantal Sagnes, founder of Chantal Sagnes Consulting, about what actually happens after an agency wins the work. Chantal has spent years on both the business development and account leadership sides, and she shares what she has seen play out inside agencies when revenue growth stalls, even though everyone is busy and the work is getting done.

They get into the tension most account teams feel between maintaining the relationship and growing it. The conversation touches on the hunter versus farmer mindset, why curiosity matters more than pushing a sale, and how unclear ownership often leaves revenue opportunity on the table. It is less about big pitches and more about what happens in the everyday moments that shape client trust and momentum.

With agencies dealing with consolidation, tighter budgets, and more pressure to “do more with less,” this episode comes back to something simple. Growth does not come from adding more tasks. It comes from account teams who take ownership of the relationship and think beyond delivery.

If you work in account management or lead an agency and want existing client relationships to contribute more meaningfully to revenue, this episode is actionable.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Agencies Have So Many Account Roles

03:00 Hunter vs Farmer Account Management in Agencies

10:00 Curiosity as a Revenue Skill in Account Management

14:00 Building Executive Relationships Through Contact Mapping

23:00 How to Protect Account Strategy From Day-to-Day Work

32:00 Agency Account Management Trends for 2026 and AI

Connect with Chantal Sagnes:

Connect with Chantal on LinkedIn

Visit the Chantal Sagnes website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Alex on LinkedIn

Visit the AMplify website

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm