The CS Promotion Tracker: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/offers/wh6BFvEc

In this episode, Anika Zubair discusses the common mistakes made by customer success leaders and how to avoid them. She emphasizes the importance of aligning customer success with revenue, building a high-performing team, defining success metrics, and becoming a strategic partner within the organization. Anika shares her personal experiences and insights on delegation, coaching, and empowering teams to achieve their goals. The episode concludes with a call to action for leaders to reflect on their practices and make necessary changes to enhance their leadership effectiveness.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Customer Success Leadership Challenges
02:51 Common Mistakes in Customer Success Leadership
05:40 Aligning Customer Success with Revenue
08:49 Building Effective Teams and Metrics
11:35 Strategies for Exceptional Customer Success Leadership
14:43 Defining Success and Tracking Impact
17:48 Becoming a Strategic Partner in Customer Success
20:35 Wrap up 

Connect with Anika Zubair:
Website: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/
CSM RevUP Academy: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revup

Send Anika a text :)

Want to be our next guest? Apply here: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/podcast-guest

Book Anika as a speaker at your next team event: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/team-event

The CS Promotion Tracker: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/offers/wh6BFvEc

In this episode of the Customer Success Pro Podcast, Anika Zubair discusses the importance of building a customer-centric culture within organizations. She highlights common mistakes companies make in their approach to customer success and outlines actionable steps to create a culture that prioritizes customer outcomes. Anika emphasizes the need for cross-departmental collaboration, operationalizing customer feedback, and empowering teams to lead in customer success initiatives. The episode concludes with a metaphor comparing the customer journey to a relay race, underscoring the importance of teamwork in achieving customer success.

Chapters

00:00 Building a Customer-Centric Culture
02:48 Common Mistakes in Customer-Centricity
06:02 Steps to Create Customer-Centricity
12:15 Empathy and Recognition in Customer Success
18:19 The Relay Race of Customer Success
21:33 Actionable Challenge for Cross-Functional Collaboration

Connect with Anika Zubair:
Website: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/
CSM RevUP Academy: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revup

Send Anika a text :)

Want to be our next guest? Apply here: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/podcast-guest

Book Anika as a speaker at your next team event: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/team-event

Join the VIP Waitlist for RevUP: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/revup

In this episode, Anika Zubair discusses the transition from customer service to customer success with Lena Therese Zimmerman, Head of Customer Experience at Do Instruct. They explore the importance of curiosity, team collaboration, and the need for a strategic approach in customer success. Lena shares her journey in transforming a reactive customer service team into proactive customer success managers, emphasizing the significance of aligning internal goals with customer success metrics. The conversation highlights the shift in mindset required to prioritize customer success over mere customer happiness, and the strategies for educating customers about the role of customer success managers. In this conversation, the speakers delve into the intricacies of customer success, focusing on the challenges faced during onboarding, the importance of empathy, and the need for effective communication. 

Chapters
00:00 Introduction 
02:52 Transitioning from Customer Service to Customer Success
05:52 Understanding the Role of Customer Experience
08:51 The Importance of Team Collaboration in Customer Success
12:07 Curiosity as a Key Trait in Customer Success
15:02 Transforming Reactive Teams into Strategic Partners
18:11 Aligning Internal Goals with Customer Success
21:10 The Shift from Customer Happiness to Customer Success
23:53 Educating Customers on the Role of Customer Success
28:38 Understanding Customer Fears and Onboarding Challenges
31:38 Empathy in Customer Success
33:02 Overcoming Customer Hesitation
34:32 Communicating Effectively During Onboarding
36:09 Setting Expectations: The Importance of Honesty
39:33 The Balance of Saying No: Guiding Customers to Success
41:00 Collaboration Between Sales and Customer Success
43:40 Transitioning from Support to Strategic Advisor
47:59 Lessons Learned: Shifting from Service to Revenue Focus
51:25 The Future of Customer Success: Embracing AI
52:59 Changing Perceptions of Customer Success

Connect with Anika Zubair:
Website: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/
CSM RevUP Academy: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revup

Connect with Lena Theres Zimmermann:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lena-theres-zimmermann/

Lena Zimmermann is Head of Customer Experience at doinstruct, a fast-growing Compliance Tech startup. With over 7.5 years of experience in SaaS, she has led Customer Success teams across DACH and BENELUX, helping companies create meaningful, long-term customer relationships.

Lena is passionate about turning Customer Success into a strategic growth lever — especially in contexts where customer bases are more traditional and starting their digital transformation. Her leadership approach blends structure with empathy, enabling scalable processes that support retention, adoption, and revenue expansion.

Send Anika a text :)

Want to be our next guest? Apply here: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/podcast-guest

Book Anika as a speaker at your next team event: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/team-event

The CS Promotion Tracker: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/offers/wh6BFvEc?coupon_code=PODCAST50

In this episode of the Customer Success Pro Podcast, Anika Zubair emphasizes the importance of taking charge of one's career development in customer success. She discusses the necessity of creating a personal development plan, identifying skills gaps, and proactively tracking accomplishments to secure promotions. Anika outlines common mistakes professionals make in their career growth and provides actionable steps to build a successful career trajectory. The episode encourages listeners to prioritize their personal development and take ownership of their career paths.

Chapters

00:00 Taking Charge of Your Career Development
07:52 Building Your Personal Development Plan
14:51 Tracking Your Wins for Career Growth
19:36 Recap and Action Steps for Success

Connect with Anika Zubair:
Website: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/
CSM RevUP Academy: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revup

Send Anika a text :)

Want to be our next guest? Apply here: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/podcast-guest

Book Anika as a speaker at your next team event: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/team-event

Download the FREE Revenue guide: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/resources

In this episode of the Customer Success Pro Podcast, Anika Zubair emphasizes the critical role of active listening in customer success. She discusses common mistakes customer success professionals make, such as listening to reply instead of understanding, and offers practical strategies to enhance listening skills. Anika shares personal experiences and actionable tips to help listeners become better active listeners, ultimately leading to improved customer relationships and increased revenue opportunities.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Customer Success and Active Listening
01:40 The Importance of Active Listening in Customer Success
08:01 Common Mistakes in Listening and How to Avoid Them
12:32 Strategies for Effective Active Listening
17:17 Real-Life Application of Active Listening
20:07 Recap and Final Thoughts on Active Listening

Connect with Anika Zubair:
Website: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/
CSM RevUP Academy: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revup

#customersuccesspro #podcast #customersuccessmanager

Send Anika a text :)

Want to be our next guest? Apply here: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/podcast-guest

Book Anika as a speaker at your next team event: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/team-event

Signup for the RevUP Academy: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/revup

In this episode of The Customer Success Pro podcast, Anika Zubair discusses the common challenges faced by customer success professionals, particularly around time management and prioritization. She emphasizes that the real issue is not a lack of time but rather the inability to prioritize effectively. Anika outlines three major mistakes that CS pros often make: reactive planning, treating all customers equally, and neglecting strategic thinking time. She provides actionable strategies for overcoming these challenges, including the importance of blocking time like a CEO, using the 80-20 rule for account management, and protecting focus blocks to enhance productivity. The episode concludes with a call to action for listeners to implement these strategies in their own work.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Customer Success Time Management
10:07 Common Mistakes in Time Management
19:55 Strategies for Effective Time Management
29:55 Implementing CEO Time and Prioritization Techniques

Connect with Anika Zubair:
Website: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/
CSM RevUP Academy: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revup

Send Anika a text :)

Want to be our next guest? Apply here: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/podcast-guest

Book Anika as a speaker at your next team event: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/team-event

Signup for the RevUP Academy: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/revup

In this episode of the Customer Success Pro Podcast, Anika Zubair discusses the critical metric of Time to Value (TTV) in customer success. She emphasizes the importance of quickly demonstrating value to customers to enhance retention and drive revenue growth. The episode covers common mistakes that customer success managers (CSMs) make that hinder TTV, such as generic onboarding processes and failing to define value with customers. Anika provides actionable strategies to reduce TTV, including defining measurable outcomes, collaborating with internal teams, and using success plans to track progress. The episode concludes with a call to action for listeners to implement these strategies and join the RevUp Academy for further development.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Time to Value in Customer Success
02:04 Understanding Time to Value (TTV) and Its Importance
05:53 Common Mistakes Sabotaging Time to Value
09:43 Strategies to Reduce Time to Value
13:56 Practical Examples and Final Tips
20:07 Conclusion and Call to Action

Connect with Anika Zubair:
Website: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/
CSM RevUP Academy: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revup

#customersuccesspro #podcast #customersuccessmanager

Send Anika a text :)

Want to be our next guest? Apply here: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/podcast-guest

Book Anika as a speaker at your next team event: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/team-event

Signup for the FREE Masterclass: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/masterclass

In this episode of the Customer Success Pro Podcast, host Anika Zuber and guest Kelley Turner, SVP of Global Customer Success at Vitally, discuss the critical role of customer segmentation in driving effective customer success strategies. They explore the importance of understanding customer needs, the balance between automation and personalization, and how AI can enhance segmentation efforts. Kelley shares her unique background in finance and how it informs her approach to customer success, emphasizing the need for curiosity and engagement in building strong customer relationships. The conversation also touches on measuring success in customer success initiatives and the evolving landscape of customer engagement.

#customersuccessmanager #podcast #revenuegrowth 

Chapters
00:00 Introduction 
02:54 The Importance of Customer Segmentation
05:57 Kelley Turner's Background and Role at Vitally
08:48 Understanding Customer Success at Vitally
14:51 The Role of Curiosity in Customer Success
18:01 Operational vs. Service Segmentation
20:51 Creative Segmentation Strategies
23:54 Impact of Segmentation on Customer Outcomes
27:06 Balancing Automation and Personalization
29:59 Measuring Success in Segmentation
32:59 Future of Segmentation and AI in Customer Success
36:06 Quick Fire Round with Kelley Turner

Connect with Anika Zubair:
Website: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/
CSM RevUP Academy: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revup

Connect with Kelley Turner:

Email: [email protected]

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelleyturner/

Kelley Turner is a seasoned leader in Customer Success, currently serving as SVP of Global Customer Success at Vitally. With a career spanning across multiple industries, Kelley is known for building high-performing teams that deliver measurable value and lasting customer partnerships. At Vitally, she leads the full post-sale experience—spanning onboarding, support, education, and CSM teams —to drive retention, expansion, and strategic impact across the customer base.

Prior to Vitally, Kelley held executive roles at Iterable, Guild Education, and Kapost, where she managed portfolios exceeding $200M ARR, built customer success functions from the ground up, and championed initiatives around DEI and employee development. Whether scaling customer teams, driving retention, or mentoring future leaders, Kelley is driven by the belief that customer success is everyone’s business.

Send Anika a text :)

Want to be our next guest? Apply here: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/podcast-guest

Book Anika as a speaker at your next team event: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/team-event

Signup for the FREE Masterclass: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/masterclass

In this episode of the Customer Success Pro Podcast, Anika Zubair emphasizes the importance of negotiation skills for customer success managers (CSMs). She discusses how CSMs often overlook their negotiation role, leading to missed opportunities for renewals and upsells. Anika outlines common mistakes CSMs make during negotiations, such as lack of preparation, over-explaining, and avoiding directness. She introduces a four-step framework for strategic negotiation, focusing on preparation, leading with a clear starting point, framing around value, and using silence effectively. The episode aims to empower CSMs to become confident negotiators and strategic partners in their customer relationships.

Chapters:
00:00 The Power of Negotiation in Customer Success
15:43 Common Mistakes in Negotiation
27:53 Framework for Strategic Negotiation

Connect with Anika Zubair:
Website: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/
CSM RevUP Academy: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revup

Send Anika a text :)

Want to be our next guest? Apply here: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/podcast-guest

Book Anika as a speaker at your next team event: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/team-event

In this episode of the Customer Success Pro Podcast, Anika Zubair discusses how customer success professionals can drive customer growth without feeling like salespeople. She emphasizes the evolving role of customer success as a revenue-driving function and the importance of building trust with customers. Anika outlines common mistakes in customer expansion, the significance of the expansion mindset, and the need for collaboration between customer success and sales teams. She provides practical steps for engaging customers and highlights the importance of tracking expansion signals to unlock growth opportunities.

Train AI to be Your Revenue Generating Co-Pilot Guide: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/offers/P66P25Uw/checkout?coupon_code=PODCAST50

Use the discount code: PODCAST50

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
02:53 The Evolving Role of Customer Success
05:55 Overcoming Hesitations in Commercial Conversations
08:49 Common Mistakes in Customer Expansion
12:07 The Expansion Mindset: Enabling Growth
15:01 Collaboration Between CS and Sales
17:58 Tracking Expansion Signals
20:48 Practical Steps for Customer Engagement
24:07 Final Thoughts

Connect with Anika Zubair:
Website: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/
CSM RevUP Academy: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revup

Send Anika a text :)

Want to be our next guest? Apply here: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/podcast-guest

Book Anika as a speaker at your next team event: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/team-event