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The Customer Success Pro Podcast
By Anika ZubairBusiness
The Customer Success Pro Podcast episodes
- Why Your Team Is Missing NRR Targets (It’s Not What You Think)
FREE Masterclass - https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/masterclass
Anika Zubair discusses the real reasons behind missing net revenue retention targets in SaaS, emphasizing system design over talent and providing practical solutions for customer success teams to drive revenue growth.Chapters00:00 Introduction: Why NRR Misses Are Not Talent Problems08:08 The Role of Customer Success in SaaS Growth09:29 Common Systemic Mistakes in SaaS Organizations12:08 Treating NRR as an Outcome, Not a Process16:21 Building Effective Renewal Processes17:12 Activity vs. Impact in Customer Success20:52 Skills and Systems Gaps in Customer Success23:12 What a Revenue-Driven Customer Success Team Looks Like31:21 Weekly Challenge36:54 Investing in Your Customer Success Skills37:23 Closing and Next Steps:
Connect with Anika Zubair:
Website: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/
RevUP Academy: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revupGrab our FREE resources here: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/resources
Want to be our next podcast 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
40 min - Scaling Digital Customer Success with AI with Joe Di Grande
FREE Masterclass - https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/masterclass
In this episode, Joe De Grande from Gong discusses the evolution of digital customer success, the role of AI, and how to measure success in an AI-driven environment. He shares insights on building scalable, automated customer success programs and the importance of data and human touch.Chapters:00:00 Introduction 03:03 Joe De Grande's background and role at Gong07:12 The change from digital CS to revenue architecture11:57 Defining digital and scaled customer success16:36 Impact of AI on digital customer success23:39 Starting an AI-powered digital CS program30:01 Data as the foundation for AI in CS37:43 The future of AI in customer success43:48 Quickfire predictions and insightsConnect with Anika Zubair:
Website: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/
RevUP Academy: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revupConnect with Joe Di Grande Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephdigrande/
Grab our FREE resources here: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/resources
Want to be our next podcast 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
48 min - Stop Reporting Churn. Start Forecasting NRR.
Book a call to discuss a workshop - https://bit.ly/4wEOJbD
In this episode, Anika Zubair discusses the importance of forecasting net revenue retention (NRR) instead of focusing on past churn numbers. She explains how forward-looking metrics can elevate customer success teams to strategic business leaders and drive growth.Chapters00:00 Introduction: The problem with churn reporting03:28 Understanding and calculating NRR06:18 The shift from growth at all costs to efficiency10:30 Why focus on existing customers for growth16:54 How to forecast NRR effectively20:28 Tracking leading indicators for customer health22:18 Confidently presenting forecasts to leadership28:41 Building a forecasting culture within your team30:35 The importance of embedding NRR into daily reporting
Connect with Anika Zubair:
Website: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/
RevUP Academy: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revupGrab our FREE resources here: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/resources
Want to be our next podcast 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
36 min - Your First 90 Days Owning an NRR Number: The VP of Customer Success Operating Plan
Book a workshop: https://bit.ly/4wEOJbD
Anika Zubair shares a comprehensive guide for new and aspiring VP of Customer Success, focusing on how to manage and improve net revenue retention (NRR) in the first 90 days. She emphasizes the importance of data, systematized processes, and leadership mindset to succeed in a revenue-driven customer success role.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
09:37 The importance of a proactive operating system
13:41 Training teams on commercial skills
16:24 The mistake of accepting numbers without math
19:11 Operating as a super CSM versus a leader
24:00 Building your NRR math and forecast system
31:17 Weekly renewal and expansion review meetings
33:57 Rebuilding the math and predicting the number
35:49 Applying lessons: homework challenge for listeners
39:02 Final thoughts: system, numbers, and leadership mindset
Connect with Anika Zubair:
Website: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/
RevUP Academy: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revupGrab our FREE resources here: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/resources
Want to be our next podcast 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
44 min - The CS Playbook Is Broken: Change Management in the AI Era with Tom Ronen
Join RevUP VIP: https://bit.ly/45Bb9yz
In this episode, Tom Ronen, VP of Customer Success at Harvey, shares insights on how AI is transforming customer success, the importance of the human element, and how to adapt playbooks for the AI era. Discover strategies for effective change management, renewal success, and balancing AI tools with human touch.
Connect with Tom Ronen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-ronen-83b6a1118/
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Tom Rennan
04:16 Tom's background and transition from Monday.com to Harvey
09:09 The evolution of customer success and future ambitions
12:18 The human element remains crucial despite AI advancements
17:11 The importance of trust and deep discovery in customer success
22:13 The old playbook is broken: new strategies needed
30:44 Measuring value and adoption in an AI-driven world
44:13 Systematic approaches to renewals and forecasting
50:29 Quick fire questions
Connect with Anika Zubair:
Website: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/
RevUP Academy: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revupGrab our FREE resources here: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/resources
Want to be our next podcast 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
58 min - AI For QBR Prep and How To Build A Board Ready Value Story
Book a team workshops: https://bit.ly/4wEOJbD
This episode explores how customer success professionals can leverage AI to streamline quarterly business review prep, build compelling value stories, and ultimately drive revenue growth. Anika Zubair shares practical frameworks and tips to transform data analysis into strategic conversations.Chapters00:00 Introduction to AI in Customer Success03:13 The Gap Between AI Curiosity and Usage11:45 Introducing the BOARD Framework13:39 Measuring Outcomes with AI18:11 Quantifying Revenue Impact20:55 Using AI to Identify Growth Opportunities21:23 The Human Element in Value Storytelling24:38 From Status Reports to Closing Arguments25:07 The Power of a Revenue-First Approach26:01 Weekly Challenge: Implementing the Framework28:47 Final Tips for Effective QBRs
Connect with Anika Zubair:
Website: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/
RevUP Academy: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revupGrab our FREE resources here: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/resources
Want to be our next podcast 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
34 min - Handling Price Increase Conversations Without Losing Customer Trust
Book a team workshop - https://bit.ly/4wEOJbD
This episode explores how customer success professionals can effectively handle price increase conversations without damaging trust. It covers common mistakes, a proven framing method, and practical tips to protect and grow revenue during renewal discussions.
Chapters
00:00 The common fear around price increase conversations
04:22 Value alignment reduces churn
07:08 Common mistakes in price increase conversations
14:02 Frame the value first before discussing price
16:45 Anchor prices against value and cost of leaving
17:41 Meet objections with curiosity
19:02 Earn the customer’s yes by linking to future value
22:17 Handling objections with questions and curiosity
25:31 Recap: The key to successful price increases
26:00 The importance of framing and trust
29:01 Final thoughts
Connect with Anika Zubair:
Website: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/
RevUP Academy: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revup
Grab our FREE resources here: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/resources
Want to be our next podcast 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
31 min - AI Adoption in Customer Success: What ServiceNow Is Actually Doing with Neil Sparkes
Join RevUP Academy: https://bit.ly/4wRZDuY
Neil Sparkes, AVP of Customer Excellence at ServiceNow UK&I, has a global mandate to move agentic AI out of the experiment phase and into live production inside heavily regulated enterprises. In this episode he breaks down why efficiency gains no longer land with a CFO, how ServiceNow benchmarks real cost savings before and after agents, and where to draw the line between what an agent executes on its own and what still needs a human. We also get into the AI divide that is separating fast adopters from everyone else, why token bills are landing on finance desks with no ROI attached, and whether the SaaS model actually survives all this. Neil also shares why he brought in external training on value conversations for his team, and what he thinks CS will be held accountable for next year.
Chapters:00:00 Intro
03:19 Meet Neil "Sparky" Sparks of ServiceNow
16:50 Getting regulated enterprises to adopt agentic AI
22:05 Why efficiency gains no longer convince a CFO
25:00 Treat an AI agent like a new employee
31:10 Start here: low risk, zero human touch workflows
35:06 Separating your personal AI from your work AI
39:30 The AI divide and token bills with no ROI
42:13 Ripping out your tech stack: is SaaS dead?
49:41 What AI is doing to renewals and upsells
Connect with Neil Sparkes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-sparkes/
Connect with Anika Zubair:
Website:
https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/
RevUP Academy™:
https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revup
Book Anika as a speaker at your next team event: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/team-event
Want to be my next podcast guest apply here: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/podcast-guest
Download my freebies:https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/resources
1 hr - Revenue Storytelling For Every Post Sale Role
Book a team workshop: https://bit.ly/4egTU9D
Anika Zubair discusses how customer success teams can better articulate their value to drive revenue, avoid being seen as a cost center, and climb the revenue proof ladder through effective storytelling and metrics.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
02:19 The receipts era and the importance of proof in SaaS
03:47 AI's impact on CS activities and the value of storytelling
05:14 The importance of storytelling to articulate CS value
06:08 The problem with reporting activity
07:27 How to connect work to revenue
19:36 The four levels of the proof
34:27 The key to recognition
36:16 Weekly challenge
Connect with Anika Zubair:
Website: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/
RevUP Academy™: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revup
Book Anika as a speaker at your next team event: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/team-event
Want to be my next podcast guest apply here: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/podcast-guest
Download my freebies:https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/resources
39 min - The Visibility Framework That Makes Leadership Remember Your Name For Promotions
Team Workshop: https://bit.ly/4egTU9D
Anika Zubair shares practical strategies for customer success professionals to increase visibility, demonstrate impact, and advance their careers by focusing on revenue-driven storytelling and multi-threading within organizations.
Chapters
00:00 The Invisible CSM
02:48 Understanding Recognition in Customer Success
05:36 The Importance of Visibility in Career Growth
08:51 Common Mistakes Keeping CSMs Invisible
11:36 The Seen Framework for Visibility
23:21 Implementing the Scene Framework
35:25 Personal Journey: From Invisible to Visible
Connect with Anika Zubair:
Website: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/
RevUP Academy: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revupGrab our FREE resources here: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/resources
Want to be our next podcast 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
47 min
About The Customer Success Pro Podcast
From the publisher's feed
This is The Customer Success Pro Podcast, hosted by Anika Zubair. Customer Success is not a destination, but a a journey. Join me on this crazy CS journey as I chat to leaders, strategists and…
experts in customer success about their experiences and definitions of customer success and share with your their best practices on how to build and scale world class CS organization. Each interview will unlock tips, tricks and best practices to help scale your customer success career and company. I will dive into important and relevant topics to help spread knowledge about customer success in order to help companies put the customer at the center of their business. Because at the end of the day when customer are successful, so is the company.
Learn more at: thecustomersuccesspro.com
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