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SaaS Therapy
By BrainStormBusiness
SaaS Therapy episodes
- A candid conversation with Mark Sunday, former CIO @Oracle
In this episode of SaaS Therapy, Todd Kirk and Casey Trujillo welcome Mark Sunday, former CIO of Oracle, to discuss his extensive career and insights into the role of a CIO.
Mark shares his journey from semiconductor companies to leading IT at Oracle, emphasizing the importance of strategic thinking, security, and driving adoption of technology. He provides valuable advice for startups looking to engage with large enterprises and discusses the evolving landscape of cloud technology.
Takeaways
- Security is a top priority when evaluating new applications.
- Driving adoption of technology is crucial for adding value.
- Startups should focus on building trust with enterprise leaders.
- Understanding the business is key to adding value as a vendor.
- Cloud technology has transformed how companies operate and innovate.
- Renewal discussions should focus on future value, not just past performance.
- CIOs should engage with teams to understand their needs and challenges.
- Building relationships and trust is essential for successful vendor partnerships.
Contents
- 00:00 Introduction to SaaS Therapy and Guest Background
- 03:01 Mark Sunday's Career Journey and Insights
- 06:44 Evaluating Applications from a CIO Perspective
- 12:11 The Proactive Role of a CIO
- 16:09 Advice for Startups Seeking Enterprise Engagement
- 22:15 The Persona of a CIO
- 27:01 Building Trust and Adding Value
- 29:02 Renewal Considerations for Software Subscriptions
- 34:28 The Impact of Cloud on Business Dynamics
- 41:20 Final Thoughts and Homework Assignment
Resources
Connect with Casey
Connect with Todd
Visit the show page
Get to know BrainStorm
Credits
Show direction: Debra Wilson
Show design: Kensie Smith
Show manager: Angela Allred
45 min - Check-In: Understanding 1 way and 2 way doors
Casey Trujillo recaps insights from our most recent panel episode with industry experts on how to effectively do more with less in today's business environment.
The conversation highlights practical strategies for maximizing resources, aligning initiatives with business objectives, and the importance of emotional detachment from results. Key takeaways include the significance of involving diverse perspectives, understanding the nature of initiatives, and learning from failures to drive success.
Takeaways
- Pick off something that's really easy.
- Align initiatives with business objectives.
- Involve the naysayers for diverse perspectives.
- Understand if initiatives are one-way or two-way doors.
- Don't be emotionally tied to the results.
- Allow time for one-way door initiatives to play out.
- Gather information quickly for two-way door initiatives.
- Look for small changes that can have a big impact.
- Be open and curious to making changes.
Contents
- 00:00 Introduction
- 00:30 Doing More with Less: Insights from Experts
- 02:20 Aligning Initiatives with Business Objectives
- 03:46 Understanding One-Way and Two-Way Doors
- 05:31 Emotional Detachment from Results and Learning from Failure
Resources
Connect with Casey
Connect with Todd
Visit the show page
Get to know BrainStorm
Credits
Show direction: Debra Wilson
Show design: Kensie Smith
Show manager: Angela Allred
9 min - Panel: Doing more with less in CS, with Utah CS experts
Recorded episode from a live podcast event on hosted at Silicon Slopes Studio on September 11th, 2024.
Welcome our guest panel:
Doug Norton | Head of CS @ Bill.com
Kate Sharp | Director of CS @ BrainStorm
Roger Mendez | Global Leader of CS @ Cisco
Alyssa Sorensen | Customer Education @ Spiff
These Utah CS experts join Casey Trujillo to discuss the landscape of customer success in the SaaS industry, particularly in the context of doing more with less. Listen to hear a variety of strategies and best practices from our guests on focusing on essential tasks, evaluating new initiatives, and the significance of collaboration across teams.
Takeaways
- Creating a consistent framework is essential for success.
- AI can be a valuable tool if used correctly.
- Aligning initiatives with leadership goals is crucial.
- Iterating on projects can lead to better outcomes.
- Identifying quick wins can build momentum.
- It's important to focus on essential tasks and let go of the rest.
- Collaboration across teams enhances effectiveness.
- Evaluating new initiatives requires clear metrics and timelines.
- Continuous improvement is key to success in customer success.
Contents
00:00 Introduction to SaaS Therapy and Guests
02:52 Navigating Customer Success in a Resource-Constrained Environment
06:32 Aligning Initiatives with Leadership Goals
09:14 Consulting Insights on Efficiency and Effectiveness
12:08 Best Practices for Focus and Clarity
20:30 Evaluating New Initiatives: When to Pivot or Pull the Plug
30:08 Homework Assignments for Continuous Improvement
Resources
Connect with Casey
Connect with Todd
Visit the show page
Get to know BrainStorm
Credits
Show direction: Debra Wilson
Show design: Kensie Smith
Show manager: Angela Allred
36 min - How emotional intelligence gets you longer-term customers
Welcome to Season 3! Today, Todd & Casey discuss conscious leadership and its importance in building strong relationships. Explore the idea of being above the line- curious, open, and committed to learning- and being below the line- closed off and committed to being right.
This conversation highlights the significance of emotional intelligence in navigating challenging situations and building trust with customers. The key takeaway is that conscious leadership leads to better relationships, longer-term customers, and improved leadership outcomes.
Takeaways
- Conscious leadership involves being curious, open, and committed to learning.
- Being above the line leads to better relationships and improved outcomes.
- Emotional intelligence is crucial in navigating challenging situations and building trust with customers.
- Conscious leaders are able to separate their emotional reactions from their actions and think with clarity in the moment.
Contents
- 00:00 Introduction
- 02:17 The Importance of Emotional Intelligence
- 06:20 Being Above the Line
- 08:44 Being Below the Line
- 11:49 Characteristics of Conscious Leadership
- 18:21 Avoiding Negative Approaches
- 23:04 Living the Principles in Relationships
- 27:03 Balancing Scale and Genuine Care
- 30:31 Nail It Before Scaling It
Resources
Connect with Casey
Connect with Todd
Visit the show page
Get to know BrainStorm
Credits
Show direction: Debra Wilson
Show design: Kensie Smith
Show manager: Angela Allred
35 min - End of Season 2: Highlights of our favorite episodes
Todd and Casey reflect on their favorite moments from the past season and discuss upcoming topics. They highlight conversations with Mark Stagi, Dave Darrington, Vicki Kennedy, the Jasons from the Jasons Take On podcast, and Josh Mollis.
They discuss the importance of giving and receiving feedback, focusing on the right metrics, aligning teams within an organization, and competing on the customer experience.
Listen for a challenge to stop saying no for their customers and to test new ideas based on data. We hope you feel encouraged to listen to past episodes and look forward to exploring topics such as aligning the organization around a vision and improving messaging and positioning.
Takeaways
- Give and receive feedback to improve customer success
- Focus on the right metrics that drive customer outcomes
- Align teams within the organization to avoid duplication of effort
- Compete on the customer experience to stand out among competitors
- Stop saying no for customers and test new ideas based on data
- Listen to past episodes of the SaaS Therapy podcast
- Explore topics such as aligning the organization around a vision and improving messaging and positioning
Contents
- 00:00 Introduction and Season Recap
- 02:53 The Power of Feedback and Metrics in Customer Success
- 06:00 Aligning Teams for Effective Customer Outcomes
- 09:12 Competing on the Customer Experience
- 12:07 Stop Saying No for Customers and Test New Ideas
- 14:47 Exploring Topics in Season 3: Vision Alignment and Messaging
Resources
Connect with Casey
Connect with Todd
Visit the show page
Get to know BrainStorm
Credits
Show direction: Debra Wilson
Show design: Kensie Smith
Show manager: Angela Allred
32 min - Balancing digital and human-led onboarding
Todd and Casey discuss the importance of properly introducing a digital academy in the onboarding process for SaaS vendors. They share examples of poor onboarding experiences and highlight the need for a balanced approach between digital and human-led onboarding.
Hear about the success of Fishbowl, a customer who reduced onboarding time, support call volume, and fully onboarded customers without human involvement by implementing a digital academy.
Takeaways
- Properly introducing a digital academy in the onboarding process is crucial for SaaS vendors
- A balanced approach between digital and human-led onboarding is necessary
- Adaptive learning can generate sales qualified leads and improve customer engagement
- Fishbowl's success story showcases the benefits of a well-implemented digital academy
- Evaluate your onboarding approach and make improvements based on data
Contents
- 00:00 Introducing a Digital Academy in Onboarding
- 08:13 The Importance of Balancing Digital and Human-led Onboarding
- 13:00 Generating Sales Qualified Leads through Adaptive Learning
- 19:03 Fishbowl's Success Story: The Power of a Digital Academy
- 25:06 Evaluating and Improving Your Onboarding Approach
Resources
Connect with Casey
Connect with Todd
Visit the show page
Get to know BrainStorm
Credits
Show direction: Debra Wilson
Show design: Kensie Smith
Show manager: Angela Allred
31 min - Rebranding L&D: From learning to performance with Kevin Alster, head of Synthesia Academy
Todd Kirk and Casey Trujillo are joined by Kevin Alster, the head of Synthesia Academy. They discuss the challenges of traditional lecture-based instruction and the need for more engaging and effective learning methods. It's time to rebrand L&D and shifting the focus to performance and outcomes.
Takeaways
- Traditional lecture-based instruction is not effective in engaging learners and driving behavior change.
- There is a need to close the gap between information and application in learning and development.
- Rebranding L&D as 'people and experience' or focusing on performance can help shift the mindset and improve outcomes.
- Metrics should focus on behavior change and impact on business goals rather than just course completion.
- Engaging and effective learning methods can lead to better adoption of features and upsell opportunities. Identify specific behaviors and metrics for customer success and retention.
- Measure the delivery of real value and the achievement of desired outcomes.
- Treat customer education academies as products and adapt and evolve.
Contents
- 00:00 Introduction
- 08:25 Bridging the Gap: Instructor-Led Training vs. E-Learning
- 25:48 Defining Quality Metrics for Videos
- 35:06 Treating Customer Education as a Product
- 41:32 Getting the Rest of the Organization Invested
Resources
Connect with Casey
Connect with Todd
Visit the show page
Get to know BrainStorm
Credits
Show direction: Debra Wilson
Show design: Kensie Smith
Show manager: Angela Allred
50 min - Driving change & adoption in SaaS
Todd Kirk and Casey Trujillo discuss the importance of driving change and adoption in SaaS organizations. They identify six key moments of need where customers are highly motivated to take action:
- Onboarding
- When customers ask for help and support
- During the renewal process
- When customers request professional services
- During major events
- Upsell situations
They emphasize the need for SaaS vendors to provide resources and enablement tools to empower customers to be successful on their own. The hosts also highlight the importance of timing and messaging in driving change and adoption.
Takeaways
- Identify the key moments of need where customers are highly motivated to take action
- Provide resources and enablement tools to empower customers to be successful on their own
- Timing and messaging are crucial in driving change and adoption
- Focus on the customer's moment of need and capitalize on it to drive adoption
Contents
- 00:00 Introduction and College Football Season
- 02:43 The Importance of Intention and Motivation in Driving Change
- 08:00 Onboarding New Customers
- 14:28 When Customers Ask for Help and Support
- 18:49 The Renewal Process
- 21:18 Professional Services
- 26:13 Major Events
- 28:00 Upsell Situations
- 33:10 Homework Assignment: Recognize Moments of Need
Resources
Connect with Casey
Connect with Todd
Visit the show page
Get to know BrainStorm
Credits
Show direction: Debra Wilson
Show design: Kensie Smith
Show manager: Angela Allred
44 min - Check-In: Focus on the next right step
Happy Friday! Join Todd Kirk for a quick recap on Kristi Faltorusso's episode on that was published this past Tuesday.
CSM's often have tons of different tasks on their plate. The key is to figure out what is most important and focus on taking the next right step forward.
Resources
Connect with Casey
Connect with Todd
Visit the show page
Get to know BrainStorm
Credits
Show direction: Debra Wilson
Show design: Kensie Smith
Show manager: Angela Allred
4 min - Tailoring customer onboarding to solve pain points with Kristi Faltorusso, CCO @ClientSuccess
Todd Kirk and Casey Trujillo are joined by Kristi Faltorusso, the Chief Customer Officer for ClientSuccess. They emphasize the need to focus on solving specific pain points for customers and tailoring the onboarding process accordingly. They also talk about the limitations of prescriptive playbooks and the importance of empowering customer success teams to make decisions based on individual customer needs.
Kristi brings up the need for a partnership kickoff meeting to align on objectives and priorities.
Takeaways
- Ruthless prioritization is key in managing work and personal life.
- Customer onboarding should focus on solving specific pain points for customers.
- Prescriptive playbooks can be limiting and may not address individual customer needs.
- Empowering customer success teams to make decisions based on customer needs is crucial.
- Conduct a partnership kickoff meeting to align on objectives and priorities.
- Engage executives early in the partnership to establish relationships and address issues proactively.
- Send an automated email to executives 45 days into the partnership to check in and gather feedback.
Contents
- 00:00 Introduction and Prioritization
- 07:27 Customer Onboarding and Pain Points
- 13:22 Limitations of Prescriptive Playbooks
- 17:39 Empowering Customer Success Teams
- 24:35 Setting Clear Goals and Expectations
- 31:14 Avoiding Commiseration and Saying No
- 36:35 The Power of Visionary Conversations
- 42:43 Engaging Executives with Automated Emails
Resources
Connect with Casey
Connect with Todd
Visit the show page
Get to know BrainStorm
Credits
Show direction: Debra Wilson
Show design: Kensie Smith
Show manager: Angela Allred
49 min
About SaaS Therapy
From the publisher's feed
Get comfy. It's time for "SaaS Therapy," with industry veterans Todd Kirk and Casey Trujillo – the podcast for customer-facing teams in SaaS. Casey and Todd leverage their experience working between…
software vendors and their clients to help you master your SaaS customer relationships. They dig into the complexities of client relationships, offer expert insights, and share proven strategies for overcoming common challenges. It's not just a podcast—it's a masterclass in nurturing and enhancing your SaaS customer connections.