First Things First: Get Your House In Order, Hunny

Before we dive into strategy sessions, executive escalations, and slightly unhinged QBR ideas involving glitter cannons, let’s talk about something truly foundational: getting your house in order.

Whether you keep your life in an Excel spreadsheet, OneNote, Notion, a color-coded ClickUp board, or 47 Post-it notes stuck to the back of your cat, you need a system. It doesn’t have to be fancy. It just has to work for you.

Let’s walk through how I organize my book of business, complete with pain, process, and a sprinkle of sparkle.

1. Categorize Each Account by Color

Every client is not the same, my precious popsicle. You need to know who’s thriving, who’s teetering, and who’s ghosting you with quiet resentment.

I recommend using the UnhingedCX color code:

Green: Goals achieved, value delivered, vibe immaculate.
Yellow (Taylor’s Version): Some wins, some worries.
Red: Value unrealized, tension rising, SOS energy.
Black: Emotionally checked out, high risk, call the CX coroner.

2. Group by Contract End Date

I personally like to group accounts by renewal quarter so I can prioritize effort by urgency. But do you, boo. You want to know which clients are up for decision-making soon, and which ones are still in their emotional honeymoon (or long-term avoidance).

3. Build the Client Snapshot

For each account, I capture the following:

What they sell
Who they sell to
What problem(s) they solve for their clients
What products/services they buy from us
ANY already known goals and success criteria
Their vibe (Are they polite but passive? Enthusiastic but overwhelmed?)

✨ Bonus points: Add contract value, term length, and expansion potential if you’re feeling spicy.

4. Take Inventory of What You Don’t Know

Say it with me: Not knowing isn’t failure. It’s a starting point.

I literally write down the gaps. I highlight the blanks. Because if you pretend you know it all, you’re just building a fantasy CX report that will implode during the first tough QBR. Let’s find the gaps, my dear data-driven firecracker, and fill them in together.

Where Do I Find the Missing Info?

Salesforce (or your internal CRM): Bless (or curse) the notes from AE handoff.
Google News Tab: Search company name + announcements + competitors.
ChatGPT: Seriously. Ask: “What does [Company] do? Who are their biggest competitors?” or "Explain [Industry] trends in plain language."
Industry publications: Niche but powerful. Look for associations, thought leadership.
YOUR CLIENT: Yes, darling. Just ask. Ask more questions than you think is appropriate. Then listen harder.

What You Need to Know to Truly Know Your Client

When do they renew?
What is their goal with us?
What is their perception of value? (Vibes and receipts, baby.)
Who are the decision makers?
- Champion: Your ride-or-die.
- Exec Stakeholder: Wants to see ROI.
- Economic Buyer: The one with the pen.
What could prevent them from renewing?
What does success look like to them, not just to you?

Where Do I Store All This Glorious Info?

Personally? I keep an Excel tracker with filters, notes, and beautiful little color codes. I also build out profiles in OneNote for each client, with tabs for goals, engagement plans, challenges, meeting notes, and inspiration.

Once your book is beautifully organized and the chaos is contained, you can actually engage with clients in a way that makes sense for where they are in their journey. Enter: the Engagement Calendar. It helps you show up at the right time with the right strategy and the right level of effort. No more random check-ins. Just meaningful, timely touchpoints tailored to their renewal cycle and emotional readiness.

And bonus? This level of prep doesn’t just help you crush it with your clients - it also gives you the perfect structure to present to your internal executive leadership. You’ll be able to clearly show what you’ve done, where you’re going next, and exactly when they should start prepping your raise.

Use what works. If your method involves a whiteboard and a Sharpie, I respect that. Just start, you glitter cannon of stakeholder dreams.

Final Word: Chaos Can Be Organized

You can be unhinged and informed. You can wear a sequin blazer and walk into a renewal call with a bulletproof strategy. Your clients deserve CX that’s personal, prepared, and real. But you deserve to feel in control of your work and not buried under it.

So grab your spreadsheet. Name your tabs something absurd. Categorize your demons. And get your house in order.

Let’s go.