Watching my daughter attack a new puzzle, I was a bit baffled. Upon dumping out the pieces, she quickly assembled one of the characters. It did not bother her that half of the pieces weren't visible. Besides this obvious obstacle, the idea of starting with the border first—something I had always assumed was the "right way"—never crossed her mind.

After over a decade in Account Management and Renewals—overseeing 10,000 transactions ranging from $400 to $40 million and totaling over $1 billion in revenue—I’ve learned a few things. Here are the ten most important lessons that drive success in renewals and account management.

1. The Current Contract is Your Anchor (and Sets Up the Next One)

I’ve attended my fair share of regularly scheduled team calls—as both an attendee and an emcee. I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the downright ugly.

The best meetings all share one thing: they feel personal. There’s always plenty to discuss, and time is valuable, but the most impactful agenda item?