

Customer Success Talks
Real Challenges, Experts Advice
Welcome to Customer Success Talks: Real Challenges, Expert Advice – the podcast for everyone passionate about CS! Whether you're transitioning into CS or a CSM with around three years of experience, this podcast is here for you. Our discussions tackle day-to-day CSM challenges in a practical way, ensuring value for everyone. Hosted by Bayron Toruno, a true CS enthusiast, each episode features in-depth conversations with industry experts, real-life stories, and actionable advice. Join us and be part of our community, where we grow and succeed together!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 4, 2024 • 49min
Bridging the Gap | Customer Success Meets Product Management | With Delia Visan
Delia Visan, a seasoned customer success expert with 15 years in customer-facing roles, dives into effective collaboration between customer success and product management. She shares her personalized framework for saying 'no' to customers, emphasizing transparent communication. Delia discusses the importance of aligning teams to enhance workflows, balancing customer needs with business goals, and mastering the art of empathy in customer interactions. Tune in for actionable insights that elevate both customer success and product management strategies.

Nov 27, 2024 • 41min
Scaling Customer Success: Digital Strategies and Automation | Nick Morris
Nick Morris, Director of Customer Success at Gainsight, shares his remarkable journey from the beer industry to SaaS. He highlights the evolution of Customer Success and the vital role of digital strategies and automation. Topics of interest include the contrasts between digital and scaled models, and how to align these with customer needs. Nick offers practical steps on automating processes while preserving human connections, ensuring efficiency and enhanced customer engagement. His insights provide valuable guidance for both newcomers and seasoned professionals in the field.

Nov 20, 2024 • 43min
How Customer Education Drives Retention and Success | Vicky Kennedy
In today's episode, I had the pressure to talk about Customer Education and how it's interconnected with Customer Success, with Vicky Kennedy, CEO of Echtus and a leading expert in developing customer-focused learning programs. Vicky shares her experience in crafting data-driven, strategic education initiatives that go beyond onboarding, helping organizations drive deeper engagement, higher adoption, and lasting customer loyalty.
Vicky brings light to the strategic importance of customer education in driving customers' success. She explores how well-structured education programs can significantly enhance product adoption, customer retention, and overall satisfaction.
She shares best practices for creating effective educational content, how to measure success, and how customer education can help businesses engage and retain customers in the long term.
Key Takeaways:
Best practices for designing scalable and effective education programs.
How to measure the impact of education on customer retention and satisfaction.
How to turn education into a growth lever for your organization.
The future of customer education and emerging trends.
Whether you're a customer success manager, product strategist, or team leader, this episode is packed with actionable insights that will help you elevate customer relationships and empower users through education.
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Meet Echtus - http://www.echtus.com
Connect with Us:
Vicky Kennedy - https://www.linkedin.com/in/vickykennedy/
Listen to the episode on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Di7rGGs25vRMBrSUUEnxn?si=c63b6826030b45e8
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/5R8kF7Yt0VbvNS1Wz06bmE?si=zshhJqR9RDevDal5GluZ0Q
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC11VRvlLrv3r46TaUr0zFlA

Nov 7, 2024 • 53min
The Power of Persuasion in Customer Success: Cialdini's 7 principles of influence | Dr. Chris Phelps
Dr. Christopher Phelps, an entrepreneur and Cialdini Method certified trainer, dives into the art of ethical persuasion. He outlines Dr. Cialdini's 7 principles, explaining how reciprocity and liking can build lasting client relationships. Unity and social proof are highlighted as crucial for fostering loyalty and influencing decisions. Phelps also discusses the importance of authority in being a trusted advisor and the role of scarcity in marketing. His insights provide a robust framework for customer success through genuine persuasion.

Nov 7, 2024 • 41min
The Power of Persuasion in Customer Success: Practical Strategies | Dr. Christopher Phelps
Dr. Christopher Phelps, US CEO of the Robert Cialdini Institute and expert in persuasion, shares his insights on using ethical persuasion in customer success. He explains 'Pre-suasion' and its power in influencing behavior. Discover how to navigate the 'Do Nothing' choice in decision-making and tackle customer resistance to change. Phelps also discusses leveraging persuasion techniques to drive upselling, enhancing engagement by understanding customer needs rather than making assumptions. Tune in for practical strategies to elevate your influence!

Oct 23, 2024 • 30min
From Cost Center to Profit Center: Showcasing Customer Success Impact | Steven Cronin
In this episode I had the pleasure of speaking with Steven Cronin, a customer success leader with over 27 years of experience in the B2B space. We kicked things off by diving into Stephen’s career journey—from his beginnings as a customer support engineer to eventually managing entire post-sales teams, including customer success, support, and professional services.
One of the most insightful parts of our conversation revolved around the importance of customer success managers showcasing their impact within the organization.
Stephen emphasized how critical it is for CS teams to move away from being seen as cost centers and instead highlight their role in driving revenue growth through retention, upsells, and cross-sells. Just like sales teams celebrate their wins, customer success managers should also ring the bell when they help secure renewals or grow accounts. This isn’t just about recognition—it’s about making the entire organization more customer-centric by consistently communicating the value that CS brings.
Here are my main takeaways:
- CS teams need to move from being seen as cost centers to revenue drivers, highlighting their role in retention and growth.
- Just like sales, CS should celebrate renewals and upsells to foster a customer-centric culture.
- Tracking impact through metrics like NRR, churn, and satisfaction is key to demonstrating value.
Connect with Us:
Steven Cronin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevencronin123/
Bayron Toruno - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bayron-toru%C3%B1o-solano-3a9408113/
Jan Young’s - Free Guide Inside: 7 steps for CS leaders to become revenue leaders. https://www.janyoungcx.com/7-steps-revenue-leader
Listen to the episode on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Di7rGGs25vRMBrSUUEnxn?si=c63b6826030b45e8
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/5R8kF7Yt0VbvNS1Wz06bmE?si=zshhJqR9RDevDal5GluZ0Q
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC11VRvlLrv3r46TaUr0zFlA
Want to learn to level up your Persuasion skills in an ethical way?
Go to the link below and receive a SPECIAL DISCOUNT from $897 to only $497:
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Oct 9, 2024 • 34min
The Power of Visual Communication | Jay Sanchez
In this discussion, Jay Sanchez, an expert in visual communication and creator of EstellaVite, shares how visuals can revolutionize customer success management. He reveals how visual aids reduce meeting times and enhance onboarding for complex products, emphasizing the power of mind maps and visual workflows. Jay also highlights the psychological effects of color and design on decision-making. With practical insights on choosing between visual and verbal communication, this conversation is rich with actionable strategies to boost customer engagement and understanding.

Oct 9, 2024 • 25min
A Conversation with Jay Sanchez on Autism & Customer Success
In this episode of Customer Success Talks, I had the pleasure of hearing Jay Sanchez’s inspiring story. Thank you, Jay, for opening up and sharing your personal experience with autism, a topic you are deeply passionate about and live with every day.
Jay Sanchez is not only a leader in customer success but also a dedicated advocate for neurodiversity and inclusion. Starting from a background in forensic psychology and digital animation to becoming a key player in the customer success field.
We dive into how visual communication can be a secret weapon for CSMs, improving collaboration with teams and customers. BUT before that, Jay opens up about what it’s like navigating the customer success world as an autistic individual, offering a candid look at the strengths and challenges that neurodivergent professionals, particularly those with autism, face.
In this honest and personal conversation, Jay shares insights on:
- How autism shapes their unique approach to customer success and achieving a healthy work-life balance.
Join us as we explore the powerful connection between neurodiversity, visual communication, and success in the customer success field!
Connect with Us:
Jay Sanchez - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasanc13/
Bayron Toruno - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bayron-toru%C3%B1o-solano-3a9408113/
Listen to the episode on Youtube - https://youtu.be/jmry4nFccVY
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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/5R8kF7Yt0VbvNS1Wz06bmE?si=zshhJqR9RDevDal5GluZ0Q
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC11VRvlLrv3r46TaUr0zFlA
Want to learn to level up your Persuasion skills in an ethical way? Go to the link below and receive a SPECIAL DISCOUNT from $897 to only $497:
https://cialdini.com/persuasion-power-course-for-dentistry/special-offer?via-rr=OA54EGAO

Sep 25, 2024 • 34min
Getting Customers the Results They Came For | Rachel Provan
In this power-packed episode, I sit down with the customer success expert Rachel Provan, the founder of Provan Success. With 17 years of experience, Rachel has built a reputation for helping CS leaders develop revenue-generating customer success departments while fast-tracking their careers toward leadership roles. She’s also the host of The Psychology of Customer Success, a podcast exploring the intersection of human behavior, business psychology, and leadership.
She explains why customer success isn’t just about building relationships; it’s about understanding human behavior, motivation, and the psychology of adoption. Rachel shares practical advice on why retention is the cornerstone of success and how to balance expansion efforts with delivering measurable results. Through intentional communication, active listening, and asking the right questions.
Key Takeaways:
- Customer success isn’t just about relationships—it's about delivering the outcomes customers need.
- The importance of understanding human behavior, motivation, and how habits are formed in product adoption.
- CSMs act as guides, ensuring customers stay on track to meet their goals.
- How focusing too much on expansion at the cost of retention can harm long-term success, and why keeping customers happy through measurable results is key to reducing churn.
Don’t miss Rachel’s insights, and check out her podcast The Psychology of Customer Success for even more!
Connect with Us:
Bayron Toruno
Rachel Provan
Provan SuccessPsychology of Customer Success
Want to learn to level up your Persuasion skills in an ethical way? Go to the link below and receive a SPECIAL DISCOUNT from $897 to only $497:
https://cialdini.com/persuasion-power-course-for-dentistry/special-offer?via-rr=OA54EGAO

Sep 11, 2024 • 36min
Customer Success as an Introvert: Building Rapport and Handling Calls | Prashad "Prash" Jothi
Join Prashad "Prash" Jothi, a seasoned customer success manager and award-winning strategist, as he shares his insights on thriving as an introvert in an extroverted field. Discover practical tips for building rapport through meaningful small talk and overcoming anxiety during tough calls. Prash emphasizes the power of preparation to foster confidence and effective communication. Whether you’re introverted or extroverted, his experiences offer valuable strategies to enhance your customer interactions and drive success.