#updateai #customersuccess #saas #business

22:20 - Difficulties CSMs face in getting CEO attention

25:20 - Strategies to get the executive buy-in to facilitate customer interactions

28:10 - Importance of multithreading approach

29:00 - Setting realistic expectations for executive relationship-building

31:27 - Communicating the importance of tracking & maintaining data

#updateai #customersuccess #saas #business

Josh Schachter (UpdateAI) and Kristi Faltorusso (ClientSuccess) are joined by Andrew Gaer, Senior Director of Customer Success, and Sean Andrews, VP of Global Customer Success at Bluebeam. In this episode, they explore Bluebeam's journey transitioning from a desktop application to a cloud-based SaaS model, focusing on the intricate details of customer success, internal team support, and transition challenges. They also discuss how Bluebeam leverages AI to enhance product functionalities while minimizing user disruptions and delve into the dynamics of community engagement and feedback for better customer satisfaction.

Plus, there’s a sprinkle of light-hearted banter and a playful detour into the world of fast food!

Timestamps

0:00 - Preview, Intros & Del Taco

7:30 - Transition from desktop applications to SaaS

10:30 - Challenges and Successes of Transitioning into a SaaS model

18:15 - Approach to Customer Enablement & CS

25:23 - Measuring and analyzing KPIs for customer success

35:20 - For your customers -- You are an expert on your product

38:50 - AI Integration and Product Enhancements

___________________________

👉 Follow the podcast

Youtube: https://youtu.be/JprAz-o-dWk

Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3dfWXmD

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl

👉 Connect with the guest

Andrew Gaer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewgaer/

Sean Andrews: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smandrews/

👉 Connect with hosts

Jon Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamjohnson/

Kristi Faltorusso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/

Josh Schachter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/

👉 Sign up for ⁠UpdateAI⁠ - the only Zoom virtual assistant for customer-facing teams.

👉 Be the first to know when a new episode of Unchurned is dropped. Sign up for our newsletter at ⁠https://blog.update.ai/⁠

________________

Keywords:

How to keep your customers happy, customer success manager, customer support, customer success management, Customer Success Manager role, customer success metrics, Bluebeam, SaaS, Desktop Applications, Cloud Services, Customer Success Approach, AI Integration, AI Operational Efficiency, Product Enhancements via AI, AI User Experience, Customer Transition Management, Customer Feedback, Customer Delight Index, Product Loyalty, SaaS Model Visibility, Community Engagement, Educational Resources for customers

______________________

Unchurned is presented by UpdateAI

About UpdateAI

At UpdateAI our mission is to empower CS teams to build great customer relationships. We work with early & growth-stage B2B SaaS companies to help them scale CS outcomes. Everything we do is devoted to removing the overwhelm of back-to-back customer meetings so that CSMs can focus on the bigger picture: building relationships.

#updateai #customersuccess #saas #business

This week Jon Johnson (UserTesting) & Josh Schachter (UpdateAI) are joined by Parul Bhandari (CustomerXSuccess), Lawrence Waldman (Exegy), and Jenny Calvert to advocate for a proactive, strategic approach to customer management. Throughout this conversation, our guests highlight the importance of internal alignment, strategic planning, and a holistic approach to customer success—all aimed at fostering sustainable growth and alignment with long-term business objectives. So, sit back, relax, and join us as we unearth valuable insights and actionable strategies to elevate your customer success efforts.

Timestamps

0:00 - Preview & Intros

3:42 - Defining success for a customer

6:20 - Applying past playbooks in new organizations

12:02 - Adopting a 360-review approach for a holistic view of problems

15:00 - Necessity to ensure there is "Product-Market fit"

17:45 - Customer Success is HARD

21:45 - Understanding Customer Success Problems and Root Causes

27:14 - Adjusting Prices and Market Realities

31:18 - Aligning sales pitches with actual product capabilities

32:23 - Forecast customer outcomes and strategically manage accounts

35:52 - Frustration about end-of-quarter exceptions and paperwork

39:45 - First move after joining a new organization

___________________________

👉 Follow the podcast

Youtube: https://youtu.be/JprAz-o-dWk

Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3dfWXmD

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl

👉 Connect with the guest

Parul Bhandari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parul-bhandari-1294488/

Jenny Calvert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennycalvert/

Lawrence Waldman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrencejwaldman/

👉 Connect with hosts

Jon Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamjohnson/

Kristi Faltorusso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/

Josh Schachter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/

👉 Sign up for ⁠UpdateAI⁠ - the only Zoom virtual assistant for customer-facing teams.

👉 Be the first to know when a new episode of Unchurned is dropped. Sign up for our newsletter at ⁠https://blog.update.ai/⁠

________________

Keywords:

How to keep your customers happy, customer success manager, customer support, customer success management, Customer Success Manager role, Customer Success Management, customer churn, customer success metrics, forecasting customer outcomes, revenue growth, customer satisfaction, fear in customer success, NRR (Net Revenue Retention), GRR (Gross Revenue Retention), customer loyalty, Customer Success Manager training, core responsibilities, preventive measures, customer feedback, holistic approach, market fit, strategic planning, leadership in customer success, sales and product alignment, churn problem solutions.

______________________

Unchurned is presented by UpdateAI

About UpdateAI

At UpdateAI our mission is to empower CS teams to build great customer relationships. We work with early & growth-stage B2B SaaS companies to help them scale CS outcomes. Everything we do is devoted to removing the overwhelm of back-to-back customer meetings so that CSMs can focus on the bigger picture: building relationships.

#updateai #customersuccess #saas #business

In this podcast episode, Arit Nsemo (Senior Director of Customer Success at SearchSpring) joins hosts Josh Schachter (Founder & CEO, UpdateAI) and Kristi Faltorusso (CCO, Client Success) to share how she navigates the challenges of proactive customer risk management and managing interruptions to boost productivity for CSMs. She also discusses her experience at CS100.

Timestamps

0:00 - Preview, BS & Intros

3:00 - Experience at CS100

9:00 - Arit talks about her presentation at CS100

12:30 - Learn about Searchspring & Arit's role

15:00 - Predicting customer risks manually to enable future automation

18:57 - Using customer data to draw insights

21:15 - Customers inquire about AI but lack specifics

23:45 - Kristi's inquiry about scaling manual processes for insights

27:35 - Getting CSMs aligned to the eagle view

29:45 - Dealing with cross-functional requests & demands

31:58 - Evolution of Kristi's leadership style

34:09 - CSMs are busy serving others

___________________________

👉 Follow the podcast

Youtube: https://youtu.be/JprAz-o-dWk

Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3dfWXmD

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl

👉 Connect with the guest

Arit Nsemo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aritnsemo/

👉 Connect with hosts

Jon Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamjohnson/

Kristi Faltorusso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/

Josh Schachter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/

👉 Sign up for ⁠UpdateAI⁠ - the only Zoom virtual assistant for customer-facing teams.

👉 Be the first to know when a new episode of Unchurned is dropped. Sign up for our newsletter at ⁠https://blog.update.ai/⁠

________________

Keywords:

How to keep your customers happy, customer success manager, customer support, customer success management, Customer Success Manager, SearchSpring, Customer Success Managers,CS100 event

______________________

Unchurned is presented by UpdateAI

About UpdateAI

At UpdateAI our mission is to empower CS teams to build great customer relationships. We work with early & growth-stage B2B SaaS companies to help them scale CS outcomes. Everything we do is devoted to removing the overwhelm of back-to-back customer meetings so that CSMs can focus on the bigger picture: building relationships.

He also shares Carta’s strategies for predicting customer churn through data analysis, the challenges of maintaining effective prediction models, and the shift toward actionable data triggers. Daniel discusses the importance of customer education via webinars, training programs, and video tutorials, alongside strategies for navigating market conditions and IPO readiness.

The episode also explores AI's future role in predictive analytics and customer health, highlighting how ongoing education and internal enablement are crucial for CSMs. Lastly, Jon and Daniel examine the impacts of market consolidation and M&A trends on customer churn, offering valuable insights for businesses looking to enhance their customer success initiatives.

Key Takeaways:

- Understanding customer life cycles is essential for effective engagement.

- Constraints can drive innovation within customer success strategies.

- Structured communication and targeted plays fuel upselling and retention.

- Predictive analytics and AI are transforming customer health insights.

- Ongoing education and certification are vital for CSM effectiveness.

- Market trends significantly influence customer churn dynamics.

Tune in for a wealth of knowledge on how to elevate your customer success strategies and adapt to evolving market landscapes!

Timestamps

0:00 - Preview, Meet Daniel

2:05 - Introduction to Carta & its mission

7:53 - Understanding core components of Customer Success & the venture lifecycle

13:00 - Efforts to ensure customer engagement and education

17:00 - Navigating a sticky product amidst challenging market conditions

24:00 - Mergers and acquisitions lack transparency and clarity

28:15 - Gathering customer insights using data, liquidity triggers

35:10 - Identifying moments to ensure customer success

41:50 - Closing

___________________________

👉 Follow the podcast

Youtube: https://youtu.be/JprAz-o-dWk

Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3dfWXmD

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl

👉 Connect with the guest

Daniel Silverstein: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-silverstein-4125735b/

👉 Connect with hosts

Jon Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamjohnson/

Kristi Faltorusso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/

Josh Schachter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/

👉 Sign up for ⁠UpdateAI⁠ - the only Zoom virtual assistant for customer-facing teams.

👉 Be the first to know when a new episode of Unchurned is dropped. Sign up for our newsletter at ⁠https://blog.update.ai/⁠

________________

Keywords:

How to keep your customers happy , customer success manager, customer support, customer success management, Customer Success Manager role, hiring tips for customer success, steps in hiring a customer success manager, customer success metrics, Customer success, Daniel Silverstein, customer lifecycle, venture-backed companies, training CSMs, AI influence, CSM processes, customer engagement, upselling, revenue growth, cross-selling, retention, operational life cycles, fundraising rounds, predictive modeling, churn prediction, Net Promoter Score (NPS), market conditions

______________________

Unchurned is presented by UpdateAI

About UpdateAI

At UpdateAI our mission is to empower CS teams to build great customer relationships. We work with early & growth-stage B2B SaaS companies to help them scale CS outcomes. Everything we do is devoted to removing the overwhelm of back-to-back customer meetings so that CSMs can focus on the bigger picture: building relationships.

#updateai #customersuccess #saas #business

Jon Johnson, Josh Schachter, and Kristi Faltorusso sit down with Ziv Peled, the Chief Customer Officer at AppsFlyer. Ziv shares his valuable insights on managing customer relationships, the impact of AI on customer success, and the crucial role of human touch in building strong connections.

Ziv explains how focusing on key stakeholders, using tools like Gong for actionable insights, and employing a manual scoring system can enhance relationship management. He also discusses scenarios where rule-based systems can be more effective than AI, and how to rank opportunities based on user engagement and decision-making influence.

Additionally, Ziv shares his thoughts on long-term employee retention, tackling global business challenges, and strategies for managing crises, drawing from his extensive experience at AppsFlyer.

Timestamps

0:00 - Preview & Intro

2:20 - Jon is healing, recovering, recharging

7:25 - Meet Ziv

10:52 - Balancing business responsibilities amid ongoing war challenges

14:40 - Teamwork boosts motivation and productivity

20:59 - Balancing business goals with employees' personal challenges

26:05 - Planning 2025 growth, maximizing efficiency, leveraging AI.

28:31 - Here's what every CSM needs from AI

31:10 - Evaluating relationships to maximize business growth

35:35 - Customers remember onboarding experiences vividly

37:40 - AI as a laser pointer for focus

38:38 - How is AI helping customer success

44:25 - Using AI to enhance strategic customer success outcomes

47:03 - Feedback from experienced leaders empowers niche strategies

50:15 - AI aids in customer strategy and revenue growth

___________________________

👉 Follow the podcast

Youtube: https://youtu.be/JprAz-o-dWk

Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3dfWXmD

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl

👉 Connect with the guest

Ziv Peled: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zivpeled/

👉 Connect with hosts

Jon Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamjohnson/

Kristi Faltorusso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/

Josh Schachter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/

👉 Sign up for ⁠UpdateAI⁠ - the only Zoom virtual assistant for customer-facing teams.

👉 Be the first to know when a new episode of Unchurned is dropped. Sign up for our newsletter at ⁠https://blog.update.ai/⁠

________________

Keywords:

How to keep your customers happy, customer success manager, customer success management, Customer Success Manager role, engagement strategies, Gong insights, relationship scoring, customer engagement, AI in customer success, scalability with AI, AI-enhanced efficiency, strategic relationships, user engagement signals, efficient contact targeting, personalized customer success, AI strategic role, B2B SaaS, customer needs identification, strategic planning, CSM management via AI, proactive health scoring, sentiment analysis, impact of AI on Customer Success, human-AI collaboration, importance of human relationships, organizational memory, crisis management, global teamwork, trust building in crisis.

______________________

Unchurned is presented by UpdateAI

About UpdateAI

At UpdateAI our mission is to empower CS teams to build great customer relationships. We work with early & growth-stage B2B SaaS companies to help them scale CS outcomes. Everything we do is devoted to removing the overwhelm of back-to-back customer meetings so that CSMs can focus on the bigger picture: building relationships.

#updateai #customersuccess #saas #business

Brett Queener, Managing Director at Bonfire Ventures joins Kristi Faltorusso & Josh Schachter to shed light on the challenges faced by startups, the significance of customer success, and the transformative impact of AI in the industry. Brett shares insights from his extensive experience being on 15 boards, highlighting the critical role of board meetings and the need for a dedicated customer person in the early stages of a company.

As the discussion unfolds, Brett emphasizes the significance of understanding product fit, customer needs, and the economic sustainability of customer success resources. From the impact of AI on customer success roles to the future of SaaS, tune into uncover the true worth of CS.

Timestamps

0:00 - Preview & Intro

4:50 - The first CS hire

7:25 - The product is a vision

10:25 - The founders don't know

13:15 - CSMs & leaders - LISTEN!!!

17:46 - Should CSMs be responsible for upsells, cross-sells & renewals?

26:06 - We shouldn't give revenue to CS

29:20 - AI & SaaS helps you do your job

37:37 - The need for onboarding

41:16 - Solve the pains of the customer

___________________________

👉 Follow the podcast

Youtube: https://youtu.be/JprAz-o-dWk

Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3dfWXmD

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl

👉 Connect with the guest

Brett Queener: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettqueener/

👉 Connect with hosts

Jon Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamjohnson/

Kristi Faltorusso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/

Josh Schachter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/

👉 Sign up for ⁠UpdateAI⁠ - the only Zoom virtual assistant for customer-facing teams.

👉 Be the first to know when a new episode of Unchurned is dropped. Sign up for our newsletter at ⁠https://blog.update.ai/⁠

______________________________________

Unchurned is presented by UpdateAI

About UpdateAI

At UpdateAI our mission is to empower CS teams to build great customer relationships. We work with early & growth-stage B2B SaaS companies to help them scale CS outcomes. Everything we do is devoted to removing the overwhelm of back-to-back customer meetings so that CSMs can focus on the bigger picture: building relationships.

#updateai #customersuccess #saas #business

Brent Grimes, Founder and CEO at Reef.ai joins the hosts ⁠⁠Kristi Faltorusso⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Jon Johnson⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠Josh Schachter⁠⁠. Brent shares insights on outcome-based scoring for customer health and the power of leveraging data for predictive modeling in customer success. They also discussed the potential future convergence of structured and unstructured data and the impact of AI agents on future work.

Timestamps

0:00 - Preview, BS & Intros

7:09 - Reef's origin story

13:50 - Importance of outcome-based scoring

20:35 - Smart targeting & smart recommendations

26:26 - CSMs need to do high-value work

30:30 - ReefAI versus Gainsight

34:47 - Data privacy & security

37:07 - Convergence of structured and unstructured data

___________________________

👉 Follow the podcast

Youtube: https://youtu.be/JprAz-o-dWk

Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3dfWXmD

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl

👉 Connect with the guest

Brent Grimes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brentgrimes/

👉 Connect with hosts

Jon Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamjohnson/

Kristi Faltorusso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/

Josh Schachter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/

👉 Sign up for ⁠UpdateAI⁠ - the only Zoom virtual assistant for customer-facing teams.

👉 Be the first to know when a new episode of Unchurned is dropped. Sign up for our newsletter at ⁠https://blog.update.ai/⁠

______________________

Unchurned is presented by UpdateAI

About UpdateAI

At UpdateAI our mission is to empower CS teams to build great customer relationships. We work with early & growth-stage B2B SaaS companies to help them scale CS outcomes. Everything we do is devoted to removing the overwhelm of back-to-back customer meetings so that CSMs can focus on the bigger picture: building relationships.

#updateai #customersuccess #saas #business

Hosts Kristi Faltorusso, Jon Johnson and Josh Schachter are joined by Julio Franco, Chief Customer Officer of Zappi. They discuss the hurdles of educating customers on best customer success practices, the struggle to invest in customer education and consulting services, and the need for systematizing and reboarding customers. Join us as we uncover the complexities of balancing efficiency and maintaining a human touch in customer interactions while driving operational efficiency and growth in customer success.

Timestamps

0:00 - Preview, BS & Intros

8:00 - Simplified market research for quick, inexpensive feedback

11:55 - Improving efficiency & re-onboarding customers

17:45 - Working with customers that "Get It" & those that don't get it

28:05 - CSMs need to do better with what they have

31:54 - The challenge of maintaining a human touch while being efficient

37:42 - Incentivising overstretched CSMs

41:50 - Digital CS is a program, not a segment

45:20 - Reboarding & educating long-time customers

___________________________

👉 Follow the podcast

Youtube: ⁠https://youtu.be/JprAz-o-dWk⁠

Apple Podcast: ⁠https://apple.co/3dfWXmD⁠

Spotify: ⁠https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl⁠

👉 Connect with the guest

Julio Franco: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliocfranco/⁠

👉 Connect with hosts

Jon Johnson: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamjohnson/⁠

Kristi Faltorusso: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/⁠

Josh Schachter: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/⁠

👉 Sign up for ⁠UpdateAI⁠ - the only Zoom virtual assistant for customer-facing teams.

👉 Be the first to know when a new episode of Unchurned is dropped. Sign up for our newsletter at ⁠⁠https://blog.update.ai/⁠⁠

_____________________________________

Unchurned is presented by UpdateAI

About UpdateAI

At UpdateAI our mission is to empower CS teams to build great customer relationships. We work with early & growth-stage B2B SaaS companies to help them scale CS outcomes. Everything we do is devoted to removing the overwhelm of back-to-back customer meetings so that CSMs can focus on the bigger picture: building relationships.

#updateai #customersuccess #saas #business

Ben Winn, Director of Community at FirstMark, joins Kristi Faltorusso & Josh Schachter to explore the dynamic landscape of venture capital, AI in customer success, and the challenges faced by early-stage companies. They also banter about their grades, dating apps, and much more.

Timestamps

0:00 - Preview, BS & Intros

- Biggest challenges faced by companies

12:36 - Ben's contribution to CS

22:30 - Navigating a career shift

23:45 - Josh & Kristi discuss grades

26:05 - What's up with CS & SaaS?

28:00 - Dating stories & apps

36:15 - The AI buzz in CS

40:56 - Closing

___________________________

👉 Follow the podcast

Youtube: https://youtu.be/JprAz-o-dWk

Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3dfWXmD

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl

👉 Connect with the guest

Ben Winn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benwinn/

👉 Connect with hosts

Jon Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamjohnson/

Kristi Faltorusso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/

Josh Schachter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/