Customer Success Talks

Kai-Markus Mueller, a neuroscientist and consumer behavior expert, discusses the hidden dynamics of negotiation that can make or break deals. He reveals how framing can influence perceptions of value, using the Prada sweater strategy to illustrate this. The power of anchoring, why silence can be your secret weapon, and the psychology behind decision-making are explored in depth. Listeners gain insights on effective negotiation tactics that can be applied immediately, enhancing their sales and customer success strategies.

In a captivating discussion, Andrew Marks, co-founder of SuccessHACKER and expert in post-sales strategies, unpacks the transformative power of the Voice of the Customer (VoC) framework. He emphasizes how a solid VoC program fosters customer satisfaction and drives revenue growth. Andrew shares insights on crafting compelling customer stories and the importance of continuous listening. He also provides practical tips for echoing customer sentiments to build stronger connections, transforming feedback into powerful drivers of organizational improvement.

Join Marija Skobe-Pilley, a Customer Success leader and founder of Women in Customer Success, as she dives into the importance of an entrepreneurial mindset for CSMs. She shares tactical advice on mastering revenue conversations and discovering upsell opportunities without coming off as 'salesy.' Marija emphasizes the significance of understanding customer metrics and offers insights into building confidence through practice. This conversation is rich with actionable strategies to elevate your customer success game!

Diego Fernandez Perez De Ponga, CEO of Port Hotels and author of 'The Art of Revenue', dives into how Customer Success Managers can adopt revenue management tactics for growth. He highlights the importance of data-driven decision-making to predict churn and improve client relationships. Diego emphasizes segmentation's role in enhancing customer outcomes and discusses transforming customer success from a cost center to a profit center. His insights equip listeners with actionable strategies to become more strategic and revenue-focused in their roles.

AI is reshaping Customer Success—but are we using it the right way?In this episode, I sit down with Jamie Davidson, CEO and co-founder of Vitally, to dive deep into how AI is being thoughtfully integrated into customer success workflows. Jamie shares the origin story behind Vitally, why his team waited to invest in AI, and the critical balance between automation and human touch.Sponsored by Vitally: Book a demo and receive free AirPods Pro! → https://try.vitally.io/cs-talks/We explore:- Why not every company should rush to adopt AI- The real AI skill every CSM should master (hint: it’s not just prompting!)- The dangers of misusing AI in high-touch relationships- The future role of CSMs in an AI-driven world. Whether you're new to CS or leading a team, this episode will help you think more strategically about AI and its role in your work. Want to explore Vitally and get a free pair of AirPods Pro after a qualified demo?Click here: vitally.io/cstalksConnect with Us:Jamie Davidson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidsonjamie/Bayron Toruno - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bayron-toru%C3%B1o-solano-3a9408113/Follow us on:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cstalkspodcast/Tik-Tok @customer.success6Explore Our Podcast Website - https://cstalkspodcast.com/We're expanding to Latin America! Check out Customer Success Talks Latin America, our Spanish version of the show. Find the links in the description below.Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/5R8kF7Yt0VbvNS1Wz06bmEsi=zshhJqR9RDevDal5GluZ0QYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC11VRvlLrv3r46TaUr0zFlA

Kelley Turner, SVP of Global Customer Success at Vitally.io, shares insights from her diverse journey in customer success. She discusses the transformative role of AI in driving customer retention and efficiency. Kelley emphasizes the importance of balancing technology with human relationships, showcasing prompt-writing as a crucial CSM skill. Furthermore, she provides a tactical framework for advocating AI in organizations and forecasts how AI will redefine future customer success roles, enhancing proactive strategies and streamlining workloads.

Tamara Kempf, a seasoned Regional Director of EMEA Customer Success, and Ayman Azmy, a customer-centric leader with over 20 years of experience, dive deep into what true customer success means. They discuss the importance of understanding customer outcomes over mere feature delivery. By asking probing questions, they emphasize discovering the 'why' behind customer goals. Effective communication and transparency, even when saying 'no', are highlighted as critical for building trust. Their practical strategies promise to redefine how businesses can create genuine value for their clients.

Lincoln Murphy, a world-renowned growth architect and early advocate of Customer Success, shares invaluable insights on aligning customer needs with desired outcomes. He emphasizes three key questions to uncover goals and advocates for joint accountability to empower both customers and service providers. Lincoln also discusses the evolution of Customer Success literature and the shift from focusing on product usage to delivering meaningful outcomes. His actionable advice is a game-changer for both individual contributors and early-career customer success managers.

Melina Palmer, an applied behavioral economist and author, dives into the world of decision-making with insights from her podcast, The Brainy Business. She discusses the subconscious role in our daily choices, emphasizing how 35,000 decisions are influenced before we even realize it. Melina shares practical communication techniques like reframing language to enhance engagement and influence customer behavior. She also highlights the importance of testing messaging strategies to better resonate with audiences and drive customer loyalty.

In this episode, we dive deep into the art of asking the right questions with special guest Andrea Rijna, trainer, coach, podcast host, and founder of The Power Lab.Andrea shares why listening is one of the most powerful skills in building customer relationships and how great questions unlock not just upsell opportunities but genuine impact for your customers. She introduces the SPICED Framework (Situation, Pain, Impact, Critical Event, Decision) — a simple, customer-centric method to structure conversations and uncover real needs without being pushy.You'll also hear about Andrea's inspiring journey: how a career setback led her to founding her own company, and the powerful lesson she learned about empathy after a big early mistake as a CSM.Key Takeaways:- Why being a great listener is more powerful than being a great speaker.- The SPICED Framework explained step-by-step for real-life application.- How to uncover upsell opportunities naturally through discovery questions.Whether you're an early-career CSM or a seasoned pro wanting to level up your customer conversations, this episode is packed with practical tips you can start using right away!Check out the links below to learn more about Andrea and her work with The Power Lab - https://www.thepowerlab.nl/Connect with Us:Andrea Rijna - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrearijna/Bayron Toruno - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bayron-toru%C3%B1o-solano-3a9408113/Follow us on:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cstalkspodcast/Tik-Tok @customer.success6Explore Our Podcast Website - https://cstalkspodcast.com/We're expanding to Latin America! Check out Customer Success Talks Latin America, our Spanish version of the show. Find the links in the description below.Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/5R8kF7Yt0VbvNS1Wz06bmEsi=zshhJqR9RDevDal5GluZ0QYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC11VRvlLrv3r46TaUr0zFlA