Summary
In this episode of the It All Depends podcast, host Prash speaks with Sam Kraus, a Customer Success Manager at Quantiv. They discuss the intricacies of customer success management, including the responsibilities of a CSM, the importance of prioritization, essential skills like diplomacy, and strategies for handling difficult conversations. Sam shares insights on daily habits, effective note-taking, and the significance of collaboration with account executives. The conversation also touches on learning from failures and the importance of formalizing processes within customer success teams.
Takeaways
- Customer success is about understanding client needs.
- Prioritization is key to effective customer management.
- Diplomacy helps in delivering bad news to clients.
- Transparency builds trust during difficult conversations.
- Daily routines can vary greatly for CSMs.
- Data-driven decisions enhance customer success efforts.
- Formalizing processes improves collaboration between teams.
- Learning from failures is crucial for growth.
- Collaboration with sales is essential for client success.
- Engaging with the customer is vital for understanding their goals.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:12 About Quantiv and the OKR methodology
04:24 Collaboration with Account Executives
05:19 Number of customers and onboarding
07:44 Prioritization and the 80/20 rule
09:11 Diplomacy as a skill in customer success
11:20 Skills for success as a CSM
13:50 Approaching difficult conversations
15:48 Daily habits and calendar management
21:45 Working with Account Executives
30:15 Learning from failures
33:40 Recommendation for next guest
35:37 Closing remarks
35:37 Podcast Video Intro YT.mp4