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We are coming up on the end of 2025 (already).

Reflecting back on the year…ask yourself this. What is the most expensive mistake you’re making right now, and you made in 2025?

Your best customers are being courted by your competitors right now.

Not because your offerings aren’t good.

Not because your service is lacking.

But because you stopped going deep and truly growing within their overall organization.

You built the relationship. You closed the deal. And then you moved on to the next one. Your Account Manager knows one person in the organization. You have no idea what else they need. And worst of all, you have no clue they are already talking to someone else who does.

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Behind the scenes, a lot of these companies are hollow. They have breadth, miles of it, but zero depth. They are constantly hunting for the next meal while starving the people already sitting at their table.

I see this constantly: Companies build trust, secure a contract, and then... stop. They do what is specifically required on that contract for that amount of time. And that’s it. They get comfortable and don’t build depth with their existing customer at that specific location.

You can segway this in multiple different ways. It’s not about you. It’s about the customer and what they need. Listening and helping them grow. If you don’t have the services, recommend people in your trusted network. Not everything needs to be about you.

This is not a sales problem. This is a leadership problem. You stopped prioritizing the relationships that built your business, and now you are scrambling for new logos to replace the ones you are quietly losing. Here is how to stop chasing breadth and start owning depth heading into 2026.

Let’s dance.

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We assume our clients know everything we do. They don't.

We assume that because we have a capability, our sales team is comfortable selling it.

We assume that our account managers have their ears and eyes open to hear anything and everything that might be able to get us an edge to sell more.

They aren't.

I’ve written on the importance of account growth and depth in the past, be sure to check out my past articles here:

90% Listening, 10% Talking: Build Trust Before You Talk Business

Why Relationship Selling Crushes Transactional Selling in the Age of AI

Stop Scrambling. Dominate Your Markets with These 6 Steps

How Strategic Referrals Cement Your Position as a Power Player

Last year, I was at a trade show in Washington, D.C., with a client: a Vice President, and his Account Manager.

They were meeting with a government representative from a large federal agency. On paper, this was a fortress account. They had been working together for 10+ years. The Account Manager felt safe. The revenue was steady.

But the VP was fairly new, only two years in, and he was watching the account closely.

Mid-conversation, the government representative mentioned a massive pain point they were trying to solve. We discussed how we have provided those services to other clients in similar situations that they are in. He looked at us and said, "I had no idea you provided all these types of different services."

The room went quiet.

The VP looked at the Account Manager. The Account Manager had the stare of the deer in the headlights.

"We do that," the VP said. "We’ve done that for ten years."

The customer was shocked. "I had no idea. I thought you guys only did design and structural engineering."

Ten years. Same point of contact. Same Account Manager. And in all that time, the relationship was an inch deep. The Account Manager had stayed in his lane, sold what was comfortable, and never bothered to expand the conversation.

We walked away from that interaction realizing the company was leaving millions on the table, not just with this agency, but likely across the entire portfolio.

The biggest takeaway from the day was three things:

I spoke with the VP after the tradeshow and had a more serious conversation.

We discussed the matter at hand, and many ways we can make sure we can service the customer and get more depth across the account.

Also needed to make sure the account manager is incentivized to grow the account. If they are only paid to do the job and no additional growth is required, there is very little incentive for them to go out of their way to offer additional services.

As crazy as that last sentence sounds…yes I would much rather have that conversation with the client and the team to make sure they fully understand how they are operating in the account, so there is no loss of communication or transparency.

We also needed to make sure that the account manager knows how to talk about additional services, offerings, etc., with the customer. How to listen, what to listen for, how to build a two-way relationship with the customer, who all works with the customer that you don’t know, that you need to know, what executive support is needed, the list goes on.

Here is how to stop chasing the new shiny object and start mining the gold you already have heading into 2026.

Stop looking at your revenue simply as "Client A pays us $500k." Start looking at what Client A should be paying you.

Take your top 20 accounts. Build a matrix.

You will see a sea of red. That isn't failure; that is your pipeline for 2026.

Challenge your Account Managers: "Why is this cell red? Do they use a competitor? Do they not know we do it? Or have you just not asked?"

If you don't know the answer, you don't own the account. You’re just renting it.

In the DC story, the Account Manager wasn't lazy. He was doing the job he was required to do. He never sold anything else (and wasn’t incentivized or required to). He knew how to sell the core product blindfolded. Any new offerings? Well, that becomes a different story.

Your team will always gravitate toward the path of least resistance.

As a leader, you have to audit confidence, not just competence. Ask your team: "On a scale of 1-10, how comfortable are you pitching our new capabilities to your oldest friend in the industry?"

If it’s a 5, no amount of marketing collateral will fix it. You need role-play. You need training. You need to incentivize the behavior of bringing up the new stuff, not just renewing the old stuff.

Fifteen years with one Point of Contact isn't a relationship. It's a single point of failure.

If that government rep leaves, does the account leave with him?

Depth means multi-threading. It means knowing the boss, the peer, and the department next door.

The Action: For your top 10 accounts, mandate an Org Chart Review.
If your team only knows one person, that account is "At Risk" even if they just renewed.

Set a goal for Q1: Every Account Manager must have a meaningful conversation with a new stakeholder within their existing accounts.

From new tools, recent trends, and market updates, here is what has been on my mind.

Growth doesn't always come from more leads. Sometimes it comes from having better conversations with the people who already trust you.

Don't get caught flat-footed because you were too busy looking at the horizon to see the opportunity standing right in front of you.

Go deep. The new logos can wait. The expansion revenue is waiting for you to ask for it

I hope that you, your family, loved ones, and colleagues have a safe and enjoyable holiday season wherever you are in the world.

From Hustle in Darkness, we appreciate you tuning in every week. Thank you for your continued support as we look to grow into the new year!