Impact Show

ON TODAY'S EPISODE:
Convincing non-tech users to embrace change can be a challenge. In this week’s episode of Impact Weekly, Johan and Lincoln delve into the underlying reasons behind the excuse of being “non-tech” and share valuable insights on how to overcome resistance, understand customer motivations, and navigate customer reluctance to drive successful adoption.

THIS WEEKS QUESTION:
“My users are very non-tech, and I have a hard time convincing them to change their way. What can I do here?”

TOPICS BEING ADDRESSED:
* The importance of understanding user motivation and acknowledging the human element in Customer Success Management
* Underlying reasons for resistance to change
* Approaches to help users adapt

QUOTES:
Lincoln Murphy (03:02): “We need to understand that convincing doesn't work”

Lincoln Murphy (03:28): “People don't like to change, so they make excuses”

Johan Nilsson (09:57): “When you use the non-tech excuses you are actually afraid of showing that you don't know this product”

Lincoln Murphy (14:54): “As a CSM we want to empower the people that are buying our product”

Lincoln Murphy (16:20): “Empower your customers to involve their users”

Johan Nilsson (19:59): “Try to identify a champion that has the acceptance of the group.”

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 week of Impact Weekly, Johan and Lincoln take on the customer role and talk about their experiences of both successful and challenging customer interactions. Join them as they discuss the power of turning around a customer's negative experience and the long-term benefits it can bring to a business relationship.

THIS WEEKS QUESTION:
“Can you share an example of when you yourself got Customers Success-ed? And also perhaps the opposite?”

TOPICS BEING ADDRESSED:
*Johan and Lincoln’s personal experiences receiving Customer Success
* The need for overall success
* The importance of understanding what your customer us going through

QUOTES:
Lincoln Murphy (01:43): “Human nature is to always remember the negative experiences”

Lincoln Murphy (03:27): “Our customers need to have their goal met. But in a way that is appropriate.”

Lincoln Murphy (05:39): “How many of your customers are in a situation right now where you're helping them achieve their goal, but they're not getting their appropriate experience?”

Lincoln Murphy (08:06): “Do we mess up with our customer intentionally so that we can come in as the hero and solve?”

Johan Nilsson (11:31): “I think it could be like a carrot to say: if we do this, we're gonna even be stronger going out of it.”

Lincoln Murphy (12:04): “We can't solve for a customer's happiness but when we are able to turn something around, we do invoke emotional happiness”

Lincoln Murphy (20:16): “Ultimately we're working with humans.”

Johan Nilsson (20:36): “You want to know what's best for you, you don't want someone that's trying to make you happy.”

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 of Impact Weekly, Johan Nilsson and Lincoln Murphy discuss the importance of churn analysis and the pitfalls of false data and biased customer feedback, which can lead to distorted insights during churn analysis. They emphasize that churn is not the problem itself and introduce a simple classification system to gain insights into customer churn.

THIS WEEKS QUESTION:
"I know we should do some type of churn analysis, but I don't know where to start. Can you point me in the right direction?"

TOPICS BEING ADDRESSED:
* The different kinds of churn
* Tools to understand the reason for churn
* Strategies to address underlying issues of churn

QUOTES:
Lincoln Murphy (03:46): “The idea of zero churn is probably not realistic for most companies”

Johan Nilsson (04:34): “Even though you don't think you have a problem, you might have a bigger problem than you actually think.”

Lincoln Murphy (05:48): “Churn in and of itself is not the problem. The problem is something that's causing the churn.”

Lincoln Murphy (11:09): “We just want to find a simple way to look at the churn”

Lincoln Murphy (14:11): “The best way to get good intel is to talk to a customer after they've already churned”

Lincoln Murphy (19:31): “I think so many of the problems that we see in customer success have nothing to do with customer success but with culture.”

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:
This week, Johan and Lincoln will dive into a discussion about the scalability of customer success management and the possibility of building successful customer relationships without personal contact. They explore the motivations behind removing personal contact, the role of technology in engagement strategies, the importance of human interaction in product-led growth companies, and effective strategies for scaling customer success while maintaining high-impact personal interactions.

THIS WEEKS QUESTION:
“Is there a way to scale the CSM job? Can we build relationships and make customers successful without personal contact?”

TOPICS BEING ADDRESSED:
* Analyzing the necessity for personal contact
* Strategies to increase high impact interactions
* Defining the objectives of scaling customer success

QUOTES:
Lincoln Murphy (01:54): “We need to start with why do you feel the need to build a relationship or make customers successful without personal contact?”

Lincoln Murphy (05:10): “if you're trying to get rid of personal contact with your customer, and that is not what your customer wants, you will be violating their appropriate experience”

Lincoln Murphy (11:15): “Even in a product led growth type of company human power is still required.”

Lincoln Murphy (15:36): “Do an audit of the use of your time, because time is the thing that you don't have an unlimited supply of.”

Johan Nilsson (19:49): “High impact things that are usually when we have personal contact with the customer, those things we should not try to remove or automate.”

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:
Impact Weekly is all about helping our listeners solve common Customer Success challenges. When talking about all these challenges, one could wonder: “Why should I even consider taking a job in customer success?” In this week’s episode of Impact Weekly, Johan and Lincoln discuss what to consider when choosing your role and share their top 3 reasons to work in Customer Success.

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION:
"I love the pod but why should I even consider taking a job in customer success? Especially after listening to your podcast."

TOPICS BEING ADDRESSED:
* Common characteristics of the CSM role
* Things to consider when choosing your job
* The importance of considering the company and leadership team when entering a CS role

QUOTES:
Johan Nilsson (07:20): “We wanted to bring everything together and find a bay where people can anchor and get advice.”

Johan Nilsson (10:49): “Customer Success is the most authentic part of the business. It’s the core, why business really exists”

Johan Nilsson (11:50): “Customer Success that's really where our product has to prove our service”

Lincoln Murphy (14:11): “You really get to grow and evolve with your customer.”

Lincoln Murphy (19:14): “it'd be boring if you didn't have some challenges.”

Johan Nilsson (23:33): “Keep in mind what company and what leadership team you sign up to do customer success in.”

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 week’s episode of Impact Weekly, Johan and Lincoln help a Customer Success Manager to navigate pushy customers trying to negotiate discounts. They shed light on the reasons behind it and tactics to handle those interactions. They also share processes and strategies to avoid those situations.

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION:
“One of my least favorite things is to deal with customers that are really pushy and want to negotiate discounts. I've had several customers now threatening to cancel unless they get a better deal at renewal. Help me here. What should I do?”

TOPICS BEING ADDRESSED:
* Effective tactics to handle pushy customers
* Recognizing irrational request
* Necessary processes to avoid those situations

QUOTES: 
Lincoln Murphy (01:52): “We need CSMs to be comfortable with the fact that we are in a commercial relationship with the customer”

Lincoln Murphy (07:18): “Something that was happening inside the company has nothing to do with the competitor’s market forces.”

Lincoln Murphy (11:59): “One of the few times I wanna send somebody to our competitor is when they're being irrational with us.”

Lincoln Murphy (14:04): “You as the CSM should not be having to figure out what to do in the moment”

Johan Nilsson (19:23): “A simple rule of thumb when you negotiate is that you need to communicate clearly”

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 of Impact Weekly Johan and Lincoln explore the challenges of recognizing and empowering superusers. They highlight the long-term impact of genuine recognition and share best-practices and strategies to ensure their invaluable contributions are acknowledged through building authority and implementing workflows.

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION:
 “One of our super users is doing a great job, but is going unnoticed by her colleagues and her manager. I'm worried that she will leave and that everyone will be worse off. Can I do something here?”

TOPICS BEING ADDRESSED:
* Reasons behind lack of recognition
* Importance of recognizing super users
* Strategies to build authority and recognition

QUOTES:
Lincoln Murphy (03:06): “Making sure they get that recognition [...] could have an impact on the customer’s ability to be successful.”

Johan Nilsson (11:06): “We need to tell people as well what we feel.”

Lincoln Murphy (14:47): “You don't have to overthink this. You can just tell somebody: this person's doing a great job.”

Lincoln Murphy (16:34): “You could actually build workflows to automatically communicate the successes up the chain of command”

Lincoln Murphy (19:40): “Positioning somebody as an authority is a great way to get other people to recognize and listen to them."

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 of Impact Weekly, Johan and Lincoln discuss the complexities of customer success management when faced with significant changes and transitions within a customer's organization. From layoffs and key contacts leaving to organizational growth and new team dynamics, they navigate the nuances of situational awareness, multiple points of contact, and leveraging opportunities that arise from change. They offer practical insights and strategies for restarting customer relationships, building stronger partnerships, and achieving success in the face of shifting landscapes.

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION:
“One of my larger customers has been through a lot of change in the past couple of months. Several users have been laid off and our main contact has quit. What can I do here?”

TOPICS BEING ADDRESSED:
* Strategies for be prepared for stakeholders leaving
* How to restart customer relationships
* Opportunities that come with a new point of contact

QUOTES:
Lincoln Murphy (05:33): “You just have to know change is inevitable.”

Lincoln Murphy (08:57): “You can't just take what you hear. Yeah. Even if it's from a person that was affected by this or in this case quit. You can't just take that at face value.

Lincoln Murphy (12:57): “Don't be afraid to reach out to people that maybe you've never talked to before to figure out what's going on.”

Johan Nilsson (22:59): “You need to be sensitive around timing here, because if there's been a lot of chaos and you push too hard it might backfire.”

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 of Impact Weekly, Johan and Lincoln discuss common challenges faced by customer success managers in getting appointments and meetings with customers. They emphasize the importance of positioning oneself correctly, preparing for objections, and overcoming them. The hosts also explore the significance of goal discovery and alignment, especially in bigger companies with multiple stakeholders. They share practical tips and strategies for customer success in overcoming objections, positioning yourself effectively, and making progress with customers.

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION:
“I'm getting tired of always having to postpone my meetings and projects with my customers. What am I doing wrong here?”

TOPICS BEING ADDRESSED:
* The importance of positioning
* Objection Breakthrough formula

QUOTES:
Johan Nilsson (04:40): “We should also elaborate a little bit on what type of objections the customer can come with.”

Johan Nilsson (08:49): “If you see a lot of postponing that's someone not wanting to meet”

Lincoln Murphy (10:29): “You have to go through the discovery process to uncover your customer's goals”

Johan Nilsson (12:55): “Understanding what the customer's trying to do here will help you in your positioning”

Lincoln Murphy (15:18): “Always position it like I wanna make sure that you're using our product in the most efficient way possible to achieve your goals.”

Lincoln Murphy (21:11): “I's not just the customer's goal, it's also the goals of the individual contributors that we're working with that we really have to understand.”

Lincoln Murphy (33:14): “If you can come in with something that is not what they were looking for you can break their pattern”

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 week’s episode of Impact Weekly Johan and Lincoln explore the question of whether a new CS team should handle expansion sales or if it should be the sales team's responsibility. From the importance of capacity planning and negotiation skills to the benefits of customer success-driven opportunities. They discuss the pros and cons of having account managers handle upselling opportunities and provide insights on the right strategies to approach upsell opportunities.

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION:
“I'm building a new CS team. I've been talking to many other leaders and trying to understand who should be doing the upgrade, Customer Success or Sales?”

TOPICS BEING ADDRESSED:
* The importance of capacity planning in carving out specialist roles
* The pros and cons of having account managers handle upselling opportunities
* The right strategies to approach upsales

QUOTES:
Johan Nilsson (02:36): “It depends on where you are on that journey”

Lincoln Murphy (05:17): “It all has to do with understanding what your customer is trying to accomplish and giving them what they need to do to actually achieve those goals”

Lincoln Murphy (10:56): “it comes down to complexity and timing and process”

Lincoln Murphy (13:18): “So capacity planning should be the basis for the majority of your decisions around carving out specialist roles”

Lincoln Murphy (15:55): “It should be a very clear process if for no other reason than clarity from the customer standpoint”

Johan Nilsson (21:57): “From a leadership point of view, you want someone that's looking at NRR here because that's gonna make you the whole difference.”

Lincoln Murphy (24:54): “Customer Success driven opportunities can come up much more frequently and actually end up doubling the value of that customer account.”

Lincoln Murphy (25:53): “If a CRO or CCO or any other executive is looking at NRR growth, they should be looking at customer success driving this process”

Lincoln Murphy (28:14): “if your customers have a logical reason to buy more from you and they don't, that's curious”

Lincoln Murphy (30:01): “In order to make the customer successful, there are some operational metrics that we can look at to make sure that the customers are getting what they need.”

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.