Why 'Pumpkin Clients' Should Be Your Top Priority for Customer Success
- kimberwallace6
- Jan 18
- 5 min read
As a Customer Success leader, one of your most important tasks is helping your team prioritize and engage with clients in a way that drives impact for both your customers and your business. Not all customers are created equal. That’s where the concept of "Pumpkin Clients" comes in. While not a traditional customer segmentation term, "Pumpkin Clients" are your most valuable clients—the ones that can deliver the highest return on investment (ROI) for your business. Understanding and defining these clients is critical for ensuring your team is focusing on the right accounts and optimizing their time for the greatest impact.
In this blog post, we’ll explore why it’s essential for Customer Success Managers (CSMs) to have clear structures in place for engaging their full book of business, from their most important clients down to the less critical ones. By organizing and defining client touchpoints, you set your team—and your customers—up for success.
What Are "Pumpkin Clients" and Why Are They Important?
Coined by Mike Michalowicz in his book The Pumpkin Plan, the term "Pumpkin Clients" might sound quirky, but the idea behind it is simple: these are the clients that provide the most significant value to your business, whether through revenue, referrals, or overall growth potential. Much like a pumpkin is the crown jewel of a fall harvest, your pumpkin clients are the standout accounts in your portfolio that require and deserve extra attention.
For example, a pumpkin client could be a large enterprise customer who drives significant revenue for your business, or a client whose positive feedback and case studies have helped attract new prospects. These clients not only contribute to your bottom line, but they also help build your reputation and establish your company as a leader in the industry.
It’s vital for Customer Success leadership to define what makes a "Pumpkin Client" within the context of their business. Is it revenue size, strategic importance, or growth potential? By defining these parameters clearly, you enable your team to quickly identify which accounts deserve a focused, high-touch approach.
Focusing on Pumpkin Clients Drives the Greatest Impact
Look, I get it—the reality is that Customer Success teams are often stretched thin, with a large book of business to manage. CSMs must juggle the needs of all their clients, from the small accounts that require minimal attention to the large, complex clients that need more strategic, hands-on involvement.
But here’s the key: not all clients need the same level of focus. When you structure your touchpoints around your pumpkin clients, you ensure that your team is dedicating the appropriate resources where they matter most. By focusing on these high-value accounts, CSMs can:
Drive retention through proactive engagement, ensuring these clients feel valued and supported.
Identify new opportunities for growth and expansion within these key accounts.
Cultivate deeper relationships with influential decision-makers, turning them into long-term advocates for your brand.
For example, instead of treating all clients equally, your team can prioritize frequent check-ins and quarterly business reviews (QBRs) for pumpkin clients, where strategic alignment and value delivery are discussed. This high-touch approach can directly contribute to the longevity and expansion of these accounts, which will, in turn, positively impact overall retention and revenue.
Supportive Team Culture is Key to Prioritizing Clients
To effectively prioritize pumpkin clients, the culture within your Customer Success team must encourage organization and thoughtful decision-making. Leadership plays a crucial role in ensuring the entire team understands the importance of segmenting their accounts and dedicating time to the most valuable clients.
Here’s how to create a culture that supports effective prioritization:
Clear Communication of Priorities: Ensure your team understands the criteria for what defines a "pumpkin client" and communicates these standards across the organization. Set expectations about what high-priority accounts look like and how they should be handled differently than smaller accounts.
Structured Touchpoints: Help your CSMs structure their touchpoints around these clients, balancing high-touch interactions with regular check-ins, proactive updates, and quarterly reviews. Equally important is knowing when to scale down interaction for less critical clients while still delivering value through automated or less frequent touchpoints.
Time Management Training: Equip your team with time management techniques to handle a full book of business, while still dedicating time to high-priority accounts. This can include using tools like CRM software to track client touchpoints, creating weekly priorities lists, or automating some processes for lower-priority clients.
Regular Reviews and Feedback Loops: Empower your team to share insights and challenges they’re experiencing with client segmentation. Hold regular team meetings to discuss which accounts are performing well, which need more attention, and how to optimize touchpoints for different segments.
How Structuring Touchpoints Enhances Client Relationships
Once the pumpkin clients are identified and your team’s culture is aligned around prioritizing them, it’s crucial to structure touchpoints strategically.
Think of it as a tiered system:
Tier 1 (Pumpkin Clients): These are your highest-value clients. Provide them with a personalized experience, which might include frequent check-ins, QBRs, tailored success plans, and quick responses to their needs. You’re in a partnership with these clients, not just a vendor-customer relationship.
Tier 2 (Mid-Priority Clients): These clients are still important but don’t require as much daily attention. Schedule quarterly check-ins, use automated reports, and focus on addressing any issues that could impact their long-term success.
Tier 3 (Low-Priority Clients): These clients may be at a smaller scale or less complex in their needs. Automated touchpoints, such as monthly newsletters, email updates, or self-service resources, work best here.
By applying this structured approach, you can ensure your team isn’t spreading themselves too thin and that clients receive the appropriate level of service. This balance between high-touch and low-touch management helps optimize time, resources, and client outcomes across your entire portfolio.
The Bottom Line: Happy Pumpkin Clients = Long-Term Success
When your team is clear on which clients are the most important and why, you set them up for success. Pumpkin clients provide the foundation for your long-term growth, renewals, and upsells. By focusing on these clients first, you drive deeper relationships, higher satisfaction, and better business outcomes.
Ultimately, this approach leads to greater customer retention, reduced churn, and stronger advocacy from your most important clients. It also creates a work culture that’s focused on maximizing impact rather than simply “checking off boxes.” With well-organized touchpoints and a clear understanding of priorities, your team will be empowered to deliver results that align with both customer and business success.
So, take a moment today to define your pumpkin clients and ensure your team has the tools, culture, and mindset to prioritize them effectively. It’s the first step toward building stronger relationships and achieving long-term success for your customers—and your business.
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