Impact Show

Impact Academy Expansion Program starts 4-Dec, 2023!
==> Learn more and sign-up here.

ON TODAY'S EPISODE:
In this week’s episode of Impact Weekly, Johan and Lincoln tackle the challenging question of how to start finding expansion opportunities when there appear to be none. They delve into the importance of the right mindset, strategies for uncovering hidden growth potential, and practical approaches for driving expansion in customer success.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
"At the moment I have zero expansion opportunities. Where and how do I start?"

TOPICS BEING ADDRESSED:

1. The critical role of mindset in recognizing and creating expansion opportunities.
2. Strategies for operationalizing expansion as an integral part of the customer's journey.
3. The importance of pricing and planning in facilitating customer success and expansion.

QUOTES:
Lincoln Murphy (08:02): "We often see customers churn out... they just didn't know that, for this new goal they had, you were still the solution for it."

Johan Nilsson (14:37): "It's a lot about having, if you have a real expansion model working... you can trust that process."

Lincoln Murphy (19:59): "If you're tasked in Customer Success with expansion, and you don't have any input into pricing... That needs to change."

Johan Nilsson (22:03): "It's crucial for expansion... You have to be at the table when you talk about pricing and plans."

Lincoln Murphy (26:18): "We did that because we didn't trust the expansion process, or we just didn't have an expansion process in place."

Do you want more of this? Check out Impact Academy for interactive Customer Success training programs. https://www.impactdemy.com/

Do you have a question you want us to answer? Submit it here.

ON TODAY'S EPISODE:
In this episode, Johan and Lincoln explore the challenges and strategies for Customer Success Management amidst a shift from growth to profit in many companies. They focus on the implications and nuances of efficiency metrics such as ARR per employee, providing insights on how heads of customer success can effectively adapt to this changing landscape.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
"My company has recently switched focus from growth to profit, and with that came a lot of questions on efficiency, like measuring ARR per employee and such. How do I navigate this as head of CS?"

TOPICS BEING ADDRESSED:

1. The evolution from growth metrics to efficiency metrics within Customer Success.
2. Understanding and managing the implications of focusing on ARR per employee.
3. Strategies for Customer Success teams to thrive in an environment prioritizing profitability and efficiency.

QUOTES:
Johan Nilsson (00:01:37): "My company has recently switched focus from growth to profit... How do I manage or navigate in this new environment as head of CS?"

Lincoln Murphy (02:43): "We're seeing a move towards efficiency metrics... like ARR per employee."

Lincoln Murphy (04:15): "Customer success is about driving customer expansion, not just maintaining the status quo."

Johan Nilsson (02:22): "Customer Success is not a cost center, but a growth center."

Johan Nilsson (05:48): "Working with customers is not an immediate quick fix; it's the long term that makes the big difference."

Johan Nilsson (26:32): "Avoid this efficiency trap that's Customer Success. It's a cost center. It's not, it's a growth center."

Do you want more of this? Check out Impact Academy for interactive Customer Success training programs. https://www.impactdemy.com/

Do you have a question you want us to answer? Submit it here.

ON TODAY'S EPISODE:
Defining the customer journey can be complex and crucial. In this episode of Impact Weekly, Johan and Lincoln tackle the intricacies of life cycle stages in a company. They explore who typically defines these stages and what factors can impact their definition, offering valuable insights for Customer Success Managers and Heads of Customer Success.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
“Who typically defines the life cycle stages in a company? And what factors can impact the definition of life cycle stages?”

TOPICS BEING ADDRESSED:

1. The critical role of Customer Success in defining life cycle stages.
2. The importance of life cycle stages in understanding and tracking customer progress.
3. How life cycle stages aid in effective capacity planning and prioritization.

QUOTES:
Lincoln Murphy (00:04): “Onboarding is the most common life cycle stage, yet many companies lack a clear definition of when a customer is onboarded.”

Johan Nilsson (00:14): “Life cycle stages must be practical and operational, not just ideas on paper.”

Lincoln Murphy (00:18): “It's about making sure the customer is progressing towards their goal... that's what Life Cycle Stages are for.”

Johan Nilsson (00:22): “Life cycle stages should serve us, but more importantly, the customer.”

Lincoln Murphy (00:26): “We will sell more if we actually make our customers successful, rather than just trying to sell them more.”

Do you want more of this? Check out Impact Academy for interactive Customer Success training programs. https://www.impactdemy.com/

Do you have a question you want us to answer? Submit it here.

ON TODAY'S EPISODE:
Navigating the delicate balance of incorporating user feedback into product development is no small feat. This week on Impact Weekly, Johan and Lincoln unpack the complex dynamics of feedback loops in the world of Customer Success Management (CSM). They offer their seasoned perspectives on distinguishing valuable insights from noise and emphasize the critical nature of closing the communication loop with both customers and internal teams.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
“What's the best approach when collecting the feedback from sales and the CSM team? How do you find the balance between listening to clients and sticking to your roadmap?”

TOPICS BEING ADDRESSED:

• The art of discerning actionable feedback from the noise and how to prioritize it within the product development cycle.
• Strategies for managing customer expectations when they provide feedback and the reality of product feature implementation.
• The importance of communication in closing feedback loops internally between Customer Success, Sales, and Product teams.

QUOTES:
Johan Nilsson (00:27:00): "When they give feedback, they're opening up. We need to be extra careful to really listen and understand."

Lincoln Murphy (00:28:00): "Making customers feel heard is a huge part of human communication. It's not just about the feedback, it's about their experience and context."

Lincoln Murphy (00:30:00): "An open loop with the customer is way worse than being told 'no'—it leads to overthinking and negative speculation."

Johan Nilsson (00:32:00): "We need to avoid spamming our product team with everything; prioritize the feedback that aligns with our highest goals."

Lincoln Murphy (00:33:00): "Be clear with customers that their feedback is a request, not a promise. Honesty and transparency are key in managing expectations."

Do you want more of this? Check out Impact Academy for interactive Customer Success training programs. https://www.impactdemy.com/

Do you have a question you want us to answer? Submit it here.

ON TODAY'S EPISODE:
Navigating the complex world of Customer Success Management (CSM) often raises the question: How specialized should a CSM be in their customers' businesses? In episode 48 of Impact Weekly, Johan and Lincoln explore this intricate balance, emphasizing the importance of curiosity, resourcefulness, and focus on customer goals. Tune in to find out what CSMs should really be experts in—and what they shouldn't.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
“When working with a large amount of different customers, how do you manage to become an expert in each of their businesses and absorb everything you should know about them?”

TOPICS BEING ADDRESSED:

• The role of curiosity in customer engagement and understanding
• The importance of leveraging available resources for CSMs
• Managing expectations within Customer Success teams

QUOTES:
Lincoln Murphy (23:15): "If you're not curious about your customers, you're going to have a hard time as a CSM."

Johan Nilsson (24:47): "Being the expert on bridging the gap between the customer's goal and your product—that's where we should be the experts."

Lincoln Murphy (28:12): "If you have CSMs thinking they need to be experts in everyone's business, then as a Head of Customer Success, you've failed in managing expectations."

Lincoln Murphy (25:40): "Being curious gets them to talk about themselves and connects the dots between the process they have to go through and their goal attainment."

Johan Nilsson (30:00): "Curiosity will get you so far. Be curious about your customers and their business."

Do you want more of this? Check out Impact Academy for interactive Customer Success training programs. https://www.impactdemy.com/

Do you have a question you want us to answer? Submit it here.

Customer Advocacy program starting November 27th: Learn more and sign-up here

ON TODAY'S EPISODE:
Unlock the power of real, enthusiastic customer advocacy. This week on Impact Weekly, Johan and Lincoln explore the strategies to turn your customers into your most potent marketing force. They lay down the importance of a systematic approach to advocacy, tracking, and making data-backed asks to cultivate authentic customer champions.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
“How can customers see the value in being advocates? What's in it for the customer?”

TOPICS BEING ADDRESSED:

• Setting the stage for advocacy through "orchestration"
• How tracking advocacy influences can be leveraged for future asks
• Graduated Advocacy Asks: Making increasingly impactful requests over time

QUOTES:
Lincoln Murphy (18:00): "When you get to that point, the ask goes over much better because it's expected."

Johan Nilsson (19:00): "We need to keep track of that referral process, not just for our sake but to better our advocacy ask later."

Lincoln Murphy (20:00): "By reminding them how important unbiased reviews were to them, you make them want to share their story."

Lincoln Murphy (21:00): "We're having larger, more intense asks over time, and that's invoking consistency and commitment."

Johan Nilsson (22:00): "You need to operationalize this to get advocacy going. It's not just about asking; it's about setting things up."

Do you want more of this? Check out Impact Academy for interactive Customer Success training programs. https://www.impactdemy.com/

Do you have a question you want us to answer? Submit it here.

Customer Advocacy program starting November 27th: Learn more and sign-up here

ON TODAY'S EPISODE:
In this enlightening episode of Impact Weekly, Johan and Lincoln unpack the intricacies of customer advocacy, focusing on the subtle yet powerful differences between earned and incentivized advocacy. They explore why genuine, unsolicited customer testimonials are more effective and how to encourage them. Additionally, they discuss the pitfalls of offering incentives for customer reviews and share how to frame the 'ask' to create more compelling and authentic advocacy.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
“How can customers see the value in being advocates? What's in it for the customer?”

TOPICS BEING ADDRESSED:

• The psychology and implications of "earned" versus "incentivized" advocacy.
• Why putting a monetary value on a customer’s time can backfire when seeking reviews.
• Making the customer the 'hero' as a tactic for eliciting authentic, compelling stories.

QUOTES:

Lincoln Murphy (10:22): "We generally want earned advocacy rather than incentivized."

Johan Nilsson (11:07): "You put some sort of value on the time you request from the customer, and that can be really bad."

Lincoln Murphy (15:45): "The level of participation is going to be whatever the bare minimum is if it's incentivized."

Lincoln Murphy (17:33): "Whatever participation you do get, because it's earned, that participation is going to be so much more valuable."

Johan Nilsson (19:01): "When you make the customer the hero, you get really someone really engaged; it's a win-win."

Do you want more of this? Check out Impact Academy for interactive Customer Success training programs. https://www.impactdemy.com/

Do you have a question you want us to answer? Submit it here.

ON TODAY'S EPISODE:
Unpacking the critical difference between customer KPIs and user KPIs, Johan and Lincoln shed light on the importance of understanding and measuring true customer achievement. With a deep dive into the layers of success metrics, this episode reveals how best to align them with genuine business outcomes.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
“Customer KPIs VS users KPIs: which one to prioritize, are they both needed? Is there a need to differentiate?”

TOPICS BEING ADDRESSED:

• The pivotal distinction between customer-centric metrics and user-level metrics in driving outcomes.
• The role of key events in measuring progress and aligning them with customer goals.
• Leveraging different stakeholders, including admins, super users, and champions, to amplify success.

QUOTES:
Johan Nilsson (01:45): “When you open the Pandora box of Customer Success KPIs, you can actually talk about a lot of things.”

Lincoln Murphy (06:45): “The only reason you exist in their world is for them to achieve their goals.”

Lincoln Murphy (13:45): “If you don't know what the customer's goal is, you're not really doing customer success.”

Johan Nilsson (14:15): “Key events are indications, not the truth, but indications of a customer on their way to hitting a goal.”

Lincoln Murphy (20:40): “If the data is available somewhere in your company, it's your job to get access to it.”

Do you want more of this? Check out Impact Academy for interactive Customer Success training programs. https://www.impactdemy.com/

Do you have a question you want us to answer? Submit it here.

ON TODAY'S EPISODE:
Breaking through departmental silos, Johan and Lincoln shed light on the multifaceted value of Customer Success. Beyond just retention, they emphasize the interdependence of various teams and the pivotal role Customer Success plays across the entire company.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
“How do you show the importance of customer success to the wider team?”

TOPICS BEING ADDRESSED:

• The overarching impact of Customer Success on departments such as Product, Finance, Marketing, and Sales.
• Strategies for advocating and showcasing the importance of the Customer Success team internally.
• Exploring the intricacies of Net Revenue Retention and its relationship with different departments.

QUOTES:
Lincoln (07:52): "It's not that sales doesn't have these other things that influence them. They just take control of it and advocate for their team."

Johan (09:21): "Customers talk, customers change jobs, and they bring you in if they like you."

Lincoln (14:36): “You have to be the advocate for yourself as head of customer success. You have to be the advocate for your team.”

Johan (23:50): “If we can help sales and marketing do acquisition better, easier, faster, we will get their attention.”

Lincoln (24:45): "Think about it. If there are things that are going to impact the ability of sales to hit their numbers, the head of sales is going to do whatever they can to fix those things."

Johan (29:02): "Today we're at 102 percent NRR and I have a plan here to get us to 120 percent NRR by end of next year."

Do you want more of this? Check out Impact Academy for interactive Customer Success training programs. https://www.impactdemy.com/

Do you have a question you want us to answer? Submit it here.

Impact Academy 2-Week Retention program for CSMs and Heads of CS starts on September 25, 2023. Learn more and sign-up here.

ON TODAY'S EPISODE:
In this episode, we delve into the transformative world of customer success, exploring strategies that shift the focus from firefighting reactive measures to proactive, sustainable solutions. Johan and Lincoln share invaluable insights on breaking the cycle of customer churn, empowering teams, and achieving long-term growth by prioritizing the success of your customers.

THIS WEEKS QUESTION:
 "I'm swamped over here. We're running around, putting out fires, barely holding on to customers. But we also know we should be planning for the long term. How do I even balance that?"

TOPICS BEING ADDRESSED:
* Challenge of Balancing Short-Term and Long-Term Goals
* Reactive and Proactive Customer Success
* Deprioritization and Resource Allocation

QUOTES:
Lincoln Murphy (03:14): "Reality is messy."

Johan Nilsson (05:24): "It's a vicious cycle. Customers that you're dropping the ball on, they will have one foot out of the door."

Lincoln Murphy (09:20): "Chasing customers and spending all of our resources to save just a few will lower NRR most likely."

Lincoln Murphy (21:05):  we're not looking at how to prioritize everything, but what we are looking at is right now, what can we deprioritize?

Lincoln Murphy (29:15): "Celebrate moving customers through progress milestones; it's a crucial part of proactive customer success."

Johan Nilsson (29:47): "Visibility is key; you need a system that provides real visibility to drive positive change."

Do you want more of this? Check out Impact Academy for interactive Customer Success training programs. https://www.impactdemy.com/

Do you have a question you want us to answer? Submit it here.