January 17, 2025

Episode 20: Stop the Churn: How to Retain Customers and Drive Growth

45 minutes

Retention is the secret weapon for sustainable growth, yet too many companies overlook its true power. Ali Cudby, the CEO of Alignment Growth Strategies and author of “Keep Your Customers,” joins Alex Raymond in this episode, and explains why fixing the leaks in your bucket changes everything.

Why do so many businesses prioritize acquisition over retention? Ali breaks it down, and points out the hidden costs of churn and the untapped potential of keeping customers engaged long-term. From chaotic onboarding processes to misaligned internal teams, she shares how these common missteps can derail growth.

Can retention become a company’s strategic focus? Ali offers ways to shift this mindset, including the power of clear playbooks and leadership-driven alignment across departments. By tackling onboarding challenges head-on and investing in customer success, businesses can create lasting relationships and sustainable profitability.

Ali and Alex’s discussion will challenge you to rethink the role of retention in your organization, because growth doesn’t come from plugging holes; it comes from building a stronger foundation.

Quotes

“If you talk about what drives growth—what’s really gonna make your company move, hit their revenue targets, move to the next level—it’s retention.” (05:43 | Ali Cudby)

“When you plug the leaks in your bucket, then every customer that you bring in, every new customer, instead of filling a hole, is growth revenue. It’s net new. And so, it’s not just the downside of plugging the holes. It’s the upside of being able to level up.” (08:21 | Ali Cudby)

“By looking at the impact of churn and really being able to isolate the numbers, what is it costing us? Then, you can start to tease apart and see what that impact of churn really looks like. And when you can articulate the impact in numbers, it’s a lot easier for account management teams to come to the table and say, ‘Here’s why we need the support that we need, and here’s what’s at stake, and here’s what we’re bringing.” (18:55 | Ali Cudby)

“In order to deliver a great customer experience, you need two things: the smart—systems, processes, tracking—and the heart—making people feel seen, heard, and valued.” (33:40 | Ali Cudby)

Links

Connect with Ali Cudby:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicudby/

Website: https://alignmintforgrowth.com/

Connect with Alex Raymond:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afraymond/

Website: https://amplifyam.com/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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By Alex Raymond

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