Customer Success Talks: Real Challenges, Experts' Advice

Today I'm having an interesting conversation with Prashad "Prash" Jothi, host of the "It All Depends" podcast, a seasoned customer success manager with over four years of experience, and recognized as the 2023 Top Customer Success Manager Strategist by SuccessHacker.

In today's episode "Strategies to Secure Renewals", we dive into the art of renewals with special guest Ramses Bossuyt. With over 15 years of experience in customer experience, Ramses has held positions such as Global VP of Customer Success and Chief Commercial Officer. Now, as the founder of the advisory firm House of Retention, he focuses on helping SaaS companies achieve sustainable growth by reducing churn, building customer success organizations, and scaling operations.

Resources:

Check Tarek Slimani's post where he dives deep into Value - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/value-perception-customer-success-tarek-slimani-vwjkf/

Connect with on LinkedIn:

Bayron Toruno: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bayron-toruño-solano-3a9408113/

Ramses Bossuyt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramsesbossuyt/

Watch the episode on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@CustomerSuccessTalks

We're expanding to Latin America! Check out Customer Success Talks Latin America, our Spanish version of the show. Find the links in the description below.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5R8kF7Yt0VbvNS1Wz06bmEhttps://www.youtube.com/@CSTalksLatinoAmerica-mo5oh

Thank you for tuning in! Remember to keep growing, keep learning, and let's keep improving the world of customer success.

We're expanding to Latin America! Check out Customer Success Talks Latin America, our Spanish version of the show. Find the links in the description below.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5R8kF7Yt0VbvNS1Wz06bmE

https://www.youtube.com/@CSTalksLatinoAmerica-mo5oh

Thank you for tuning in! Remember to keep growing, keep learning, and let's keep improving the world of customer success.

Making your customers feel seen, heard, and valued is the core of great customer success. Ali Cudby shares the secrets.

Ali Cudby, author of Keep Your Customers, brings 20 years of experience to this conversation. We discuss moving beyond standard metrics to build genuine customer loyalty that lasts. If you are struggling with the transition from transactional support to true partnership, this episode is for you.

We explore her MINT methodology and why recognizing your clients is the most underrated tool in your arsenal. It is not just about fixing problems, but about nurturing customer relationships that withstand the test of time. Learn how to distinguish between passive and truly loyal clients to improve your customer experience strategy today.

Subscribe to the channel for weekly insights into the world of CS, and let us know in the comments how you make your clients feel heard.

0:00 The Evolution of Customer Success

0:47 From Marketing to Alignment

2:59 Decoding the MINT Method

7:46 The Trap of Lazy Loyalty

12:03 Making Customers Feel Seen and Valued

26:31 Balancing Emotion and Metrics

Bayron Toruno: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bayron-toruño-solano-3a9408113/

Ali Cudby: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicudby/

Purchase "Keep Your Customers" by Ali Cudby: https://alignmintforgrowth.com/book/

Follow us on:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cstalkspodcast/

Tik-Tok @customer.success6

Explore Our Podcast Website - https://cstalkspodcast.com/

A customer once told a SaaS company: your product is great and it's saving us money, but we spend so much time with your customer success team that we have lost all of that benefit back.

Donna Weber has spent over two decades fixing that kind of problem. In this episode she walks through how to bring senior stakeholders into onboarding properly, and why most CS teams get the sequence backwards. Her core point: you don't figure out how to engage the executive after the deal closes. You set it up during the buyer journey, before there is anything to implement.

What she covers:

- Why the project team resists your product. They didn't buy it, and nobody told them why it was bought or where it fits in their world.

- The customer-facing handoff meeting most companies skip. Internal handoffs are common, customer handoffs are not.

- Weekly 15 to 30 minute stakeholder check-ins, and what actually goes in them.

- Agreeing up front on how risks and escalations get handled, including the time she called the CEO because one person on the project team had stalled the entire program.

- Asking the executive how they want to receive information instead of guessing. Some live in spreadsheets, some only read slides, some want bullets by email every Friday.

- Why your customer is already on several change journeys, at work and personally, before you show up.

- Respecting the customer's time, because every meeting you schedule costs them money too.

- How to deliver the same clarity digitally when high touch onboarding is not an option.

Donna Weber is the author of Onboarding Matters and runs a customer onboarding masterclass in cohorts of ten or fewer. Her success plan template has been downloaded over a thousand times. She also recommends Wired to Resist by Britt Andreatta for anyone dealing with customer resistance to change.

Chapters:

0:00 Why senior stakeholders feel intimidating

1:53 What to expect from the book Onboarding Matters

3:08 Onboarding is not one team's job

5:03 Inside Donna's onboarding masterclass

7:37 How to actually engage a senior stakeholder

10:52 Embark, handoff, kickoff: setting expectations before the deal closes

15:42 Your customer is already on five other change journeys

21:53 Scaling with digital touchpoints: the HVAC story

Connect with Donna Webber: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnaweb/

Connect with Bayron: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bayron-toru%C3%B1o-solano-3a9408113/

Customer Success Talks is for CSMs in their first years and anyone breaking into

customer success. New episodes every two weeks.

Follow us on:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cstalkspodcast/

Tik-Tok @customer.success6

Explore Our Podcast Website - https://cstalkspodcast.com/

#CustomerSuccess #CSM #CustomerOnboarding #Onboarding #SaaS

Are your customer success operations struggling to scale, despite your best efforts? You're not alone. Many companies face similar challenges, from inefficient processes to lack of visibility into customer health. In this video, we'll explore the common pitfalls that prevent customer success operations from scaling, and provide actionable tips on how to fix them. From streamlining workflows to leveraging data and technology, we'll cover the essential strategies for building a scalable customer success function that drives growth and revenue. Whether you're a customer success manager, operations leader, or CEO, this video will provide you with valuable insights and practical advice to take your customer success operations to the next level. Learn how to overcome the obstacles that are holding you back and create a customer success machine that scales with your business.

In this episode, we cover:

- Operationalizing Customer Success: Why it's crucial and how to do it effectively.

- Key Metrics: How to define and implement consistent metrics that align with both startups and established enterprises.

- Interdepartmental Collaboration: Strategies to integrate CS workflows with sales, product, engineering, and marketing teams.

- Digital Customer Success: When and how to implement digital strategies for maximizing customer engagement and satisfaction.

0:00 Setting the Stage for Customer Success

2:16 Unpacking the Success Scaled Model

4:02 Debating the First Pillar of Success

10:48 Mastering Financial Metrics in CS

16:32 Bridging Silos Across Departments

22:14 The Reality of Digital Customer Success

Don't miss Rob's anecdotes and actionable strategies that will inspire you to take your customer success operations to the next level.

Reach out to us via LinkedIn:

Rob Zambito - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-zambito/

Bayron Toruno - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bayron-toruño-solano-3a9408113/

Follow us on:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cstalkspodcast/

Tik-Tok @customer.success6

Explore Our Podcast Website - https://cstalkspodcast.com/

Additional Resources:

Explore our new Customer Success Talks: Latinoamerica -https://www.youtube.com/@CSTalksLatinoAmerica-mo5oh

Listen to Alex Turkovic's podcast Digital Customer Success - https://www.youtube.com/@digitalcustomersuccesspodcast

Success Scaled Consulting - https://www.linkedin.com/company/success-scaled/

The 7 pillars of Customer Success Book - https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Wayne-McCulloch/dp/1544516606

Keep growing, keep learning, and let's keep improving the world of customer success. Until next time!

In this episode Joseph Michelli, an expert in service excellence, best-selling author, and consultant to leading companies on customer experience strategies. Joseph shares insights from his latest book, "Customer Magic," and delves into the art and science of delivering exceptional customer experiences. From managing customer feedback to fostering cross-functional collaboration, Joseph offers practical advice and thought-provoking perspectives.

Visit Joseph's website

Bayron Toruno

YouTube

In this episode of Customer Success Talks, we delve into the essentials of Customer Success (CS) with two amazing guests, Erica Scully and Jean Pierre Frost (JP). This discussion is perfect for those new to the field or looking to deepen their understanding of what CS entails.

Jean-Pierre Frost

Bayron Toruno

Watch the episode on Youtube

Dive deep into the dynamics of building meaningful personal relationships in CS with our two amazing guests, Dannah Vaughan, with her extensive experience and a successful podcast "Rebels of SaaS," and Hassan Akram, a frontline CSM with a strong background in public speaking through Toastmasters and the most passioned person I have met, bring valuable perspectives on building trust and maintaining effective communication. Join us as we explore the delicate balance between personal connections and professional boundaries.

In this episode, we explore:

- The Power of Personal Connections in CS: Explore why building beyond-business relationships with customers is critical, and how personal connections can enhance customer loyalty and trust.

- Understanding Personal vs. Professional Boundaries: Learn from Dannah and Hassan how top CSMs navigate the delicate balance of personal connections without compromising professionalism.

- Maximizing Client Interaction Time: Gain expert advice on balancing relationship-building with critical business outcomes, ensuring every minute with your client delivers mutual value.

Thank you for tuning in, and remember, the art of customer success is not just about business—it's about building meaningful connections.

Resources

The Rebels of SaaS - https://open.spotify.com/show/00nALXK1wVG4lR6hfZguyG?si=49e11d80c0cb423f

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@RebelsofSaaS

Toast Masters Club - https://www.toastmasters.org/

Connect with us:

Hassan Akram - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hassan-akram/

Dannah Vaughan - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannahvaughan/

Bayron Toruno - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bayron-toruño-solano-3a9408113/

Listen to the episode on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3MGMsIjxQRelGqf5U0O8Ws?si=e9d8d56ae5004c61

0:00 The Human Element in Customer Success

0:56 Meet the Experts: Donna Vong

3:49 The Power of Toastmasters for CS Pros

9:27 Why Personal Connections Drive Results

22:34 Navigating Professional Boundaries

34:26 Maximizing Limited Client Time

41:58 Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Follow us on:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cstalkspodcast/Tik-Tok @customer.success6Explore Our Podcast Website - https://cstalkspodcast.com/

Join us as we delve into the art of storytelling in Customer Success Management with Christine Naidu to discover how to create memorable, effective stories that resonate with customers and align with their unique needs. We'll explore techniques to maintain authenticity while driving impactful communication, and offer practical advice on integrating storytelling into various customer success scenarios. Whether you're navigating complex product details or managing sensitive client situations, this episode is packed with insights that will elevate your narrative skills to effectively connect and engage.

Takeaways:

- Mastering Memorable Stories: Learn strategies to craft stories that are not only memorable but deeply impactful, aligning perfectly with customer needs and experiences.

- Simplifying Complex Information: Gain techniques to distill intricate product details into compelling, understandable stories.

- Bridging the Skill Gap: Discover resources and methods for enhancing storytelling skills within the Customer Success realm, ensuring every customer interaction is both engaging and effective.

- Real-World Applications: Hear about real-life scenarios where effective storytelling has transformed customer relationships and driven success.

Resources:

- Roast Master Club

- Microsoft Copilot

- ‎Gemini AI

- Coursera

- Customer Success Collective GPT

- Chip Conley’s inspiring book on redefining mid-life.

- Barbara Streisand Autobiography for International Woman’s day

- Rick DeLisi

- Practice Pecha Kucha

Connect with us:

Christine Naidu

Nav Thomas

Bayron Toruno