Stop spinning, start prioritizing

Hi there,

Let’s be honest…

Juggling 30+ accounts as a CSM can feel like frantically spinning plates on sticks.

Each plate is an account in your portfolio. Some are steady and only need a gentle nudge to keep spinning. Some are wobbling dangerously — a renewal at risk, an implementation off track, disengaged stakeholders.

And just when you think you’ve got it under control… another plate appears: a new onboarding, an escalation, a product gap that needs fixing now.

No wonder so many CSMs feel like they’re drowning.

They’re pulled in a hundred directions. Trying to prep for QBRs, chase adoption, rescue renewals, and keep every plate from crashing all at once.

But here’s the truth: Not every plate deserves the same time and energy.

When you know how to prioritize, you stop reacting to every wobble — and start focusing on the plates that matter for your customer and your business.

In this newsletter, I’ll share my PACER-A Prioritization Framework — the simple method I use to score, segment, and focus my attention where it matters most. So you can step off the stage, put down a few plates, and be the strategic advisor your customers need.

Ready?

Let’s do this.

The PACER-A Prioritization Framework

PACER-A stands for:

• Potential

• Adoption

• Churn Risk

• Engagement

• Renewal Timing

• ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue)

It’s a simple scoring method to help you take a messy book of business and rank your accounts, so you always know:

✅ Who needs you now
✅ Who is at risk
✅ Who’s ready for expansion
✅ And who you can confidently deprioritize (for now)

Here’s how to apply it.

Step 1: Profile Your Book of Business

Before you score anything, create a spreadsheet with these data points:

• Potential - How much room is there to expand?

• Adoption - Are they fully using your product? Are there any adoption gaps?

• Churn risk - Health scores, product defects, sentiment – Any signals they might leave?

• Engagement - Are key stakeholders responsive and showing up?

• Renewal - Is it coming up soon?

• ARR - How much revenue is on the line?

This view gives you the data to make smart decisions about where to spend your time.

Step 2: Score your accounts (PACER-A, 0-10 Scale)

Rate each PACER-A dimension on a scale from 0 (Low) to 10 (High).

Here’s how to think about it:

• Potential: High potential for expansion = 8–10

• Adoption: Low adoption = 8–10 (the lower the usage, the bigger the risk)

• Churn Risk: More signs of churn = higher score

• Engagement: Less engagement = higher score (ghosting you is a red flag!)

• Renewal Timing: Renewals in the next 4 months = 8–10

• ARR: The bigger the revenue, the bigger the score (e.g. $500K+ = 9–10)

This helps you instantly see which accounts need your time right now.

Here’s an example, considering today is July 1st:

How to read this:

• Foxtrot Solutions (35) is clearly a top priority: high expansion potential, low adoption, high churn risk, low engagement, plus strong ARR.

• Delta Group (19), Gamma Systems (19), and Helix Partners (18) stand out too — they have high churn risk or near-term renewals.

• Echo Tech (6) is stable — low risk, no renewal pressure, lower ARR — so keep them low-touch.

• Acme Corp (13) and Juno Enterprises (13) show moderate signals — worth attention, but should not be your main focus.

Step 3: Classify into Action Zones

Your total scores now make it easy to split your book into focus areas:

Use this map to build your weekly plan — so you’re not sprinting after every wobbling plate but investing your time where it delivers the greatest impact.

Remember: Priorities can shift quickly. A stable account can show signs of risk overnight. Be prepared to adjust your focus and re-score as needed — that’s how you stay ahead of churn and protect your revenue.

What you learned today

Managing your book of business doesn’t have to feel chaotic.

• Using data gives you a clear, simple view of your portfolio… so you can make better decisions fast.

• A practical scorecard helps visualize your portfolio more clearly.

• Not every customer deserves the same time: focus on where you deliver the biggest impact.

• When you prioritize strategically, you spend less time spinning plates… and more time driving results.

Download the PACER-A scorecard template here.

P.S. I’d love to hear from you. What’s the hardest part of keeping your accounts prioritized right now? Just hit reply and share!

Best,