Gainsight GameChanger Podcast

How can you deliver and demonstrate business value to a wide range of different personas? Everyone has a different idea of what success means and meeting every standard can be really challenging. To help us understand the “outcome gap”, our host Adam Joseph sits with  Rav Dhaliwal, Investor, and Venture Partner at Crane Venture Partners. Rav talks about how to contain the outcome gap, where it probably comes from, and shares a few resourceful solutions to implement in wobbly situations. Plus, he and Adam discuss the importance of educating the customer in orienting their goals and discuss their top three predictions for the future of Customer Success. Listen now and learn from these experts how to maintain a healthy relationship with your buyer and do your best to meet their needs and expectations! 

Jump straight into:

(0:51) - Who is Rav Dhaliwal: A recovering software executive  - “I often say to people that I've gone from being in the customer success business to the founder success business.”

(03:29) - 3 of Rav’s and Adam’s predictions for customer success and some of its challenges - “I think the challenge is that what it takes to make a customer successful is highly contextual; it's going to vary from business to business and from product to service.”

(09:16) - The “outcome gap”: Meeting the expectations of different personas in every sale - “Organizational structure and the size of organizations are essentially why we see that problem, and I think that problem gets compounded with the way that we sell.”

(15:48) - Some wobbly situations and how to contain the outcome gap - “In order to make that awareness you have to keep reinforcing that message. And one of the best ways to reinforce that message is to be able to articulate what your solution is delivering to their business.”

(22:26) - Do we know what they want? KPI’s and measurements of a success plan - “When a buyer or customer has something very vague or incredibly high level, sometimes you have to help them deconstruct and actually educate them on what are the metrics that matter.”

Resources

Connect with Rav through LinkedIn

Hosted by Adam Joseph, The Gamechanger Podcast is a show brought to you by Gainsight. For more information about all of our episodes, please visit https://www.gainsight.com/podcasts.

This show is produced and edited by StudioPod. If you want more details on how to fully record and produce your podcast with our services, you can reach us at http://studiopodsf.com, send us an email at [email protected] or contact us through our social media channels as @studiopodsf.

Onboarding is the most critical part of the customer journey, get it wrong and you’re behind the eight ball from the very beginning. In today’s episode, our host Adam Joseph talks to the President and Customer Onboarding Leader at Springboard Solutions, and author of the book Onboarding Matters, Donna Weber. Adam and Donna chat about her book, the importance of delivering true value to customers, and some key metrics to measure success. Listen now to learn some new practices on helping your customer get value since day one from an absolute onboarding expert. 

Jump straight into:

(00:44) - Donna Weber’s process writing her amazing book Onboarding Matters - “Writing a book is very insular, you're on your own, but suddenly it's out in the world and people are benefiting and sharing ideas. It is so rewarding.”

(04:41) - When should onboarding begin and end? - “It needs to be about relationships. It needs to be about making sure you're capturing their goals and then making sure that they're meeting them. It's all about value.”

(09:19) - Donna’s advice on delivering value at scale - “Every account is different at some point, but in order to get to some basics, you might need to make things more similar rather than different.”

(13:57) - Pros & cons of having an implementation team and key metrics for measuring success  - “Logging in is not value. It really needs to be something that is meaningful to the customer, something that is going to drive them to want to use your product more.”

(20:56) - Meeting the customers’ increasingly high expectations - “As your company changes, as your products change, as your users change, you will need to always be adjusting, that's why it's so important to listen to customers.”

Resources

Connect with Donna through LinkedIn

Onboarding Matters by Donna Weber

Hosted by Adam Joseph, The Gamechanger Podcast is a show brought to you by Gainsight. For more information about all of our episodes, please visit https://www.gainsight.com/podcasts.

This show is produced and edited by StudioPod. If you want more details on how to fully record and produce your podcast with our services, you can reach us at http://studiopodsf.com, send us an email at [email protected] or contact us through our social media channels as @studiopodsf.

StudioPod also offers an AirBnB Experience, where you can learn how to podcast; to learn more or to book one of our amazing courses, go to https://studiopodsf.com/courses.

Welcome to The Gainsight Gamechanger Podcast, a space where we recognize and celebrate people who change the game of customer success and product experience for their companies, customers, teammates, and partners.

Topic: Pooled CS Model

One hotly discussed topic in the CS world today: How can you effectively work with different types of customers? There are very innovative ways companies have approached this, one of which was recently fathomed by Brazilian RD Station. In today’s episode, Customer Success Executive Director of RD Station, Erika Tornice, joins us to chat about the Pooled Customer Success Model. What is it? How did it come to be? Plus, some early-on observations her team is ready to work with for further iterations. Join in and listen to how this innovative model may be changing the game of the Customer Success industry. 

Jump straight into:

(00:33) - Who is Erika Tornice?: Her 20 plus background in Customer Success and  her recent Game Changer Award - “I am managing a team of about 150 people who deliver outcomes to our RD Station customers every day.”

(06.27) - What is a Pooled CSM, and how did they come up with it? - “For our key accounts, we still have the Dedicated CSM model, but then for the 70% of our base of customers, we moved it to this Pooled Model”.

(12:53) - External and internal reactions: How was this model received? - “CSM’s saw this as an opportunity for them to specialize and deliver a better experience to our customers.”

(17:12) - Too many cooks in the kitchen? Risks on the model - “We can demonstrate to the team when things don't go as we plan, what's the impact of that on the customer so that we continue reiterating along the way.”

(21:18) - Are there improvements to be made? - “There are learnings on both sides that I think we have the opportunity to iterate and be more effective.”

Resources

Connect with Erika via LinkedIn

Hosted by Adam Joseph, The Gamechanger Podcast is a show brought to you by Gainsight. For more information about all of our episodes, please visit https://www.gainsight.com/podcasts.

This show is produced and edited by StudioPod. If you want more details on how to fully record and produce your podcast with our services, you can reach us at http://studiopodsf.com, send us an email at [email protected] or contact us through our social media channels as @studiopodsf.

Customer value is a crucial part of any business. Making sure your product is helping your clients achieve their goals is important. But how do you gather this information and use it correctly? In this episode of The Gamechanger Podcast, our host Adam Joseph sits with Christophe Labreure, Vice President of Customer Success at Nexthink, to talk about a widely used term: customer value. Christophe tells us his definition of customer value, the importance of quantification, and how to recognize achievable value. Plus, he shares why too much focus on value can be counterproductive. Join this conversation and learn from this expert the best practices around value from a CSM. 

Jump straight into:

(00:53) - Customer value: What it is and why it isn’t easy to achieve - “It's all about providing customer value by helping your customer achieve their goals using your products or services.”

(02:26) - Who is Christophe and what is his work in Nexthink - “Our objective is to proactively reduce the number of incidents any user is facing by using a computer. Less incidents is better productivity and efficiency, but also much better satisfaction.”

(05:39) - Christophe’s definition of value and the importance of quantifying - “It's also about when your solution and services have a positive impact on your customer business, and we can measure that impact and we can quantify that impact.”

(08:15) - Keeping track at a bigger scale - “It's important to track the value from the very beginning and to transfer the knowledge of the value from a department to other departments, and to do that, you need apps or tools.”

(11:09) - Asking the right questions and the best traits of a CSM - “You need to be a well-trained CSM in the goal, not only on the solution and with some soft skills: capacity to listen and to ask some very open questions.”

(13:27) - Recognizing achievable value vs. unrealistic value - “Sometimes maybe you need to resell the solution from scratch. But I think it's a two-step approach quantifying and building an action plan.”

(18:28) - Health scores and other indicators - “We have a health score calculated for each of our customers. And the fact we have a value track is one subscore, which is very important in the weight of the global score.”

(19:50) - Is customer value a problematic obsession? - “It's not only counterproductive sometimes, but it's really painful because we are not so sure how to obtain the right value for many reasons.”

Resources

Connect with Christophe via LinkedIn

Nexthink

Hosted by Adam Joseph, The Gamechanger Podcast is a show brought to you by Gainsight. For more information about all of our episodes, please visit https://www.gainsight.com/podcasts.

This show is produced and edited by StudioPod. If you want more details on how to fully record and produce your podcast with our services, you can reach us at

Customer success has to be a company-wide commitment and an ethos across the entire business. But, how do you make the promise of customer-centricity a reality? To dive deeper into this topic, our host Adam Joseph talks to Michelle MacCarthy, Global Head of Customer Success at Unit4. She shares her view on a successful customer-centric business, how to provide a better customer experience, and whether it is crucial to have a CSM position in your company.

Jump straight into:

(00:41) - Michelle MacCarthy’s work on customer centricity at Unit4 - “The company is delivering on this promise through enterprise resource planning, human capital management, and financial planning applications.”

(05:24) - How customer-centric is your business? - “When companies make decisions big or small, they really need to think about how those moves impact the customer.”

(08:29) - Fixing for the long-term and how to correctly apply feedback - “We do look to focus on a few areas of the business in bite-size chunks to address the areas that we know will have the most impact across the full customer expense.”

(13:15) - How to bring teams together around customer-centricity? - “CSM is becoming even more critical as the customer experience ecosystem evolves.”

Resources

Connect with Michelle via LinkedIn

Hosted by Adam Joseph, The Gamechanger Podcast is a show brought to you by Gainsight. For more information about all of our episodes, please visit https://www.gainsight.com/podcasts.

This show is produced and edited by StudioPod. If you want more details on how to fully record and produce your podcast with our services, you can reach us at http://studiopodsf.com, send us an email at [email protected] or contact us through our social media channels as @studiopodsf.

StudioPod also offers an AirBnB Experience, where you can learn how to podcast; to learn more or to book one of our amazing courses, go to https://studiopodsf.com/courses.

Chief Customer Officer (CCO) roles have become more and more popular in our industry, and even COVID was involved in the increasing demand for these roles in the field. In this episode, Adam is joined by Rosalyn Curato, CCO at Allovue, to chat about the importance of these roles inside the ecosystem, why they deliver such a strong message internally and externally, and how they will keep evolving in the industry. Listen now to learn how to make customers feel prioritized and taken into account in your processes, and the skills you need to make it as a CCO.

Jump straight into:

(01:34) - On Rosalyn’s background, the evolution of CS in the business and her experience at building a team from scratch - “As the team evolved and grew, we were seeing this progression towards specialization.”

(06:43) - The demand for CCO roles in the industry and how it will impact the relationship with your customers - “Having this role is not just a signal internally, but externally, that you value the customer at every level of your organization.”

(10:39) - The high impact CCO roles have on a business - “Being able to say ‘our biggest customer says they absolutely need this feature’, and then have everyone get on board has been huge and immensely helpful.”

(14:46) - Rosalyn’s 2 ingredient combo for CCOs to make it in the industry - “Demonstrate the proactive nature and actions you’re taking to position your company and your customers as best as possible.” 

(17:36) - Adaptability in times of COVID - “The first few weeks was just about us taking a check on what’s happening and how much is it impacting us.”

(22:07) The evolution and future of the CCO role - “A lot of organizations have been hiring more CSMs, which is fenomenal.”

Resources

Connect with Rosalyn via LinkedIn

Headspace

Hosted by Adam Joseph, The Gamechanger Podcast is a show brought to you by Gainsight. For more information about all of our episodes, please visit https://www.gainsight.com/podcasts.

This show is produced and edited by StudioPod. If you want more details on how to fully record and produce your podcast with our services, you can reach us at http://studiopodsf.com, send us an email at [email protected] or contact us through our social media channels as @studiopodsf.

StudioPod also offers an AirBnB Experience, where you can learn how to podcast; to learn more or to book one of our amazing courses, go to https://studiopodsf.com/courses.

Customer programs are a great way for organizations to establish a fruitful relationship with clients, improve internal operations, and have a look at the important metrics that these programs throw. Customer programs bring great benefits to the business, but they require attention and work. In today’s episode, Adam is joined by Dana Alvarenga, Director of Customer Experience (CX) at SlapFive, to chat about the value of advocacy, the cruciality of CX roles inside an organization, and the importance of celebrating your customers’ big and small wins. This episode contains great tips and advice, and you will even learn how you can build your own Customer program from scratch. Tune in now!

Jump straight into:

(01:31) - On Dana’s career, background, and who she would swap lives with if she had the chance.

(05:56) - Dana’s Customer Outreach Program catalogue and the value of advocates- “Advocacy is one of the best metrics when it comes to looking if your customer success function is delivering.”

(10:49) - How imperative is it to create a Customer Experience role for a business? - “It’s really important to have someone designated to that role to make sure the customer’s voice is being heard.”

(13:29) - The 3 Phase Approach and the importance of internal engagement - “I think it’s not just about having customers that enjoy participating in these programs, but it’s also important to understand how these programs impact the metrics that your organization cares about.”

(20:19) - How to build a program from scratch and the importance of celebrating small wins - “Go back and see what content already exists today. Repurpose it and hop into your customers and build from there.”

Resources

Connect with Dana via LinkedIn

Hosted by Adam Joseph, The Gamechanger Podcast is a show brought to you by Gainsight. For more information about all of our episodes, please visit https://www.gainsight.com/podcasts.

This show is produced and edited by StudioPod. If you want more details on how to fully record and produce your podcast with our services, you can reach us at http://studiopodsf.com, send us an email at [email protected] or contact us through our social media channels as @studiopodsf.

StudioPod also offers an AirBnB Experience, where you can learn how to podcast; to learn more or to book one of our amazing courses, go to https://studiopodsf.com/courses.

There is nothing worse than holding meetings that ultimately lead to a waste of time, and it is no secret that you need to be respectful of your team’s and customers’ time if you want to keep them all happy. Executive Business Reviews (EBR) are the way to reconnect with your customers and reinforce the fact that you’re not involved in a vendor-customer relationship, but a trusting partnership. In today’s episode, Adam Joseph is joined by Vice President of Customer Success and People Operations at Swiftly, Maranda Dziekonski, to chat about the complex art of EBR. This unique meeting is confirmed by three important acts, and this conversation will guide you through all of them, so you can make a difference on your relationship with your customers too. Listen now to learn more about the true definition and purpose of EBRs, and how you can make the most out of them.

Jump straight into:

(01:25) - On Maranda’s CS background, her love for diet coke, and her passion for painting - “I’ve been doing Customer Facing Operations for over 20 years and in the startup world for about 10 years now.”

(05:54) - What’s the definition for EBR and what makes it so unique? - “It’s really a time for you to partner with your customer to align on goals and celebrate outcomes, but most importantly, to really grow and develop the relationship with the respective executives.”

(09:47) - On the ideal cadence for the EBR meetings - “You really need to make sure you’ve got alignment on how your customer is holding you accountable.”

(15:00) - A three part process: How to prepare for the EBR meeting with each customer - “The reality is your customers have unique needs and they’re solving unique problems, so show them how you are helping them solve those problems.”

(21:21) - On site vs remote: All you need to know about the execution stage of the EBR  - “I think you have to shift how you present the information. You need to make it a conversation, more so than you did on site.”

(25:21) - How to prevent the momentum and action taking from dissipating with time - “Follow up within one business day, don’t let it go longer than that.”

Resources

Connect with Maranda via LinkedIn

[WEBINAR] How to Start a Career in Customer Success | Maranda Ann Dziekonski

A Little Saasy

Hosted by Adam Joseph, The Gamechanger Podcast is a show brought to you by Gainsight. For more information about all of our episodes, please visit https://www.gainsight.com/podcasts.

This show is produced and edited by StudioPod. If you want more details on how to fully record and produce your podcast with our services, you can reach us at http://studiopodsf.com, send us an email at [email protected] or contact us through our social media channels as @studiopodsf.

StudioPod also offers an AirBnB Experience, where you can learn how to podcast; to learn more or to book one of our amazing courses, go to

When people think about Customer Success, their first thought may be around a business-customer relationship, when the work that takes place behind the scenes, within the team, is even more important. In today’s episode, our host, Adam Joseph, is joined by Troy Pratley, Head of Customer Success at Amplience, to chat about the magic of great teams in the CS field. Tune in to learn all about the impact of an illustrative score card, how to build credibility and trust with your team members, and the importance of motivating your collaborators and nurturing your professional relationships. Building a great team takes some work, but the fruits will certainly be remarkable!

Jump straight into:

(01:25) - On Troy’s background as a successful CS professional - “It has given me a great view on how to work with other individuals and teams, and understand ultimately what drives them.”

(05:37) - Making the CS philosophy more prominent and helping it to be taken more seriously - “A customer wants to be with a trusting partner and you want to build a good relationship with the customer as well.”

(11:51) - The importance of measuring and reporting your team’s impact, and how to develop an efficient score card  - “For CS to be taken seriously in your business you need to be able to present data.”

(18:46) - It all starts from within: how to set up your team for success - “You want to be a strong glue, but you can only do that by having conversations and building strong relationships with everybody in the business.”

Resources

Connect with Troy via LinkedIn

Amplience

Hosted by Adam Joseph, The Gamechanger Podcast is a show brought to you by Gainsight. For more information about all of our episodes, please visit https://www.gainsight.com/podcasts.

This show is produced and edited by StudioPod. If you want more details on how to fully record and produce your podcast with our services, you can reach us at http://studiopodsf.com, send us an email at [email protected] or contact us through our social media channels as @studiopodsf.

StudioPod also offers an AirBnB Experience, where you can learn how to podcast; to learn more or to book one of our amazing courses, go to https://studiopodsf.com/courses.

As many businesses are implementing the Customer Success philosophy in their framework, the need for the newest CS professionals to learn and become experts on the field is evident. Not only are the CS practices getting popular inside different ecosystems, but teams forming CS managers are growing, adding up to the international community. In today’s episode, Area VP at Komodo Health, Selena Jankulovska and Head of Customer Success at Run The World, Shaun Porcar, join our host, Adam Joseph, to chat about the experience of starting a CS function from scratch. Listen now to learn how to structure your own internal and external roadmaps, build a culture of collaboration, and improve your business’ performance with the CS philosophy.

Jump straight into:

(01:29) - Our guests’ backgrounds and their struggles during the COVID-19 pandemic - “We learned early on that just opening the door and telling them we were interested in listening was the most important thing we could do.“

(05:55) - How businesses are integrating the CS philosophy in their practices, and why  professionals are migrating to the CS industry - “It’s interesting, because to me, Customer Success came as a second thought.”

(10:35) - Important advice for first CSM hires and the creation of CS functions  - “Start with the customer experience, try to understand what it is your customer is trying to get out of the relationship you’re building with them.”

(16:08) - The importance of building a methodical and clear roadmap to improve performance and results - “What we really focused on, was ownership and accountability.”

(18:28) - How to determine if your CS function is delivering and up to the business’ expectations - “Whatever your product or service does, show how it captures value in the form of time and money.”

(20:52) - How to tell if your business needs more than one CS role operating - “At a certain point you realize that there aren’t enough hours in the day.”

Resources

Connect with Selena via LinkedIn

Connect with Shaun via LinkedIn

Customer Success by Dan Steinman and Nick Mehta 

Hosted by Adam Joseph, The Gamechanger Podcast is a show brought to you by Gainsight. For more information about all of our episodes, please visit https://www.gainsight.com/podcasts.

This show is produced and edited by StudioPod. If you want more details on how to fully record and produce your podcast with our services, you can reach us at http://studiopodsf.com, send us an email at [email protected] or contact us through our social media channels as @studiopodsf.

StudioPod also offers an AirBnB Experience, where you can learn how to podcast; to learn more or to book one of our amazing courses, go to