

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

Jan 16, 2024 • 40min
The evolution of a CSM: From Old Mindset to New Mindset | Markus Rentsch
In today’s episode, we have the honor to have with us Markus Rentsch, CEO of Remark-able and,defenatly, the "Lord of CS Memes" he discusses the evolution of a customer success manager from the old mindset to the new mindset. The conversation highlights the shift in mindsets within the customer success industry, the importance of customer success as a company-wide mindset, and the changing role of customer success managers. It emphasizes the need for customer success managers to become trusted advisors to customers and to focus on delivering value and driving revenue.
We explore more, like the alignment of a customer success mindset with leadership and the use of revenue data to demonstrate the impact of customer success. Overall, the episode emphasizes the importance of proactive and strategic approaches to customer success.
Takeaways
- Customer success has evolved from a reactive and transactional role to a proactive and strategic one.
- Customer success should be a company-wide mindset and operating system, with customer success managers acting as trusted advisors.
- Measuring customer success should focus on customer needs, outcomes, and value delivered, rather than just usage and internal criteria.
- Leadership should be aligned with the new customer success mindset and incentivize the right behaviors to drive revenue growth.
Resources
Remark-able
Connect with us on LinkedIn:
Markus RentschBayron Toruno
Nav Thomas
Find us on YouTube

Jan 9, 2024 • 45min
Unlocking the Power of Voice of the Customer (VoC) | Andrew Marks
Andrew Marks, co-founder of SuccessHACKER, discusses the importance of Voice of the Customer (VoC) framework, its impact on customer satisfaction and revenue, creating customer stories from feedback, and the role of effective communication. Insights include continuous listening and balancing features for new and existing customers.

Jan 2, 2024 • 46min
The Art of Upselling and Cross-Selling in Customer Success | Jan Young
Jan Young, a remarkable guest in customer success and upselling, discusses the mindset shift in customer success, developing negotiation skills, and leveraging data for success. She highlights the three conditions for successful post-sale expansion and the importance of practicing and teamwork in negotiation. Jan also emphasizes the need to align with the company's go-to-market strategy and understand customer needs and goals for effective customer engagement.

Dec 11, 2023 • 36min
Strategies for Effective Customer Success Plans | Aisha Bajwa & Ayman Azmy
Ayman Azmy and Aisha Bajwa, experienced professionals in CS, discuss the importance of success plans, encouraging client commitment, crafting efficient plans, effective questioning, and collaborative sharing. They also explore common mistakes and the value of simplicity and collaboration in success plans. A goldmine for those new to CS or struggling with success plans.

Dec 11, 2023 • 38min
ChatGPT Content Secrets: Can AI Really Know Your Audience? with Mickey Powell
Join Mickey Powell, Co-founder of Update AI, as he discusses the impact of AI in Customer Success and how it enhances communication. Learn about leveraging AI in post-sales functions, the challenges of onboarding, the power of Chat GPT for CSMs, and personalizing communication for customer retention.

Dec 5, 2023 • 32min
Unlocking the Power of Proactive Customer Success | Akshat Mathur
Akshat Mathur, an expert in customer success, shares insights on the importance of proactiveness in customer success and strategies for transitioning from a reactive to proactive approach. He emphasizes breaking out of comfort zones to maximize efficiency and impact.

Dec 1, 2023 • 35min
Speak Up, Stand Out: Personal Branding Strategies for Customer Success Managers | Sally Stoewe & Ty LaFramboise
Join us as we explore personal branding for CSMs with Ty LaFramboise, a former Submarine Officer turned Customer Success Manager, and Sally Stoewe, co-founder of Customer Obsessing Consulting. Topics include articulating value in internal meetings, positioning as trusted advisors, amplifying the customer's voice, success story of bi-weekly meetings with the CEO, and leveraging personal branding for introverted CSMs.

Nov 30, 2023 • 20min
In-person events: How to overcome common challenges (Watch it on YouTube for a better experience)
Customer success experts share tips for overcoming challenges at in-person events. Topics include connecting with speakers, handling difficult customers, effective post-event follow-up strategies, navigating networking events, and managing a packed event schedule.

Nov 20, 2023 • 36min
Making Impact Reviews the new QBRs | Jennifer Peters & Ken Kreutzer
In today's episode, we explore the evolving landscape of Impact Reviews (No more "QBRs").
Joining us is, Jenifer Peters and Kenn Kreutzer, who both bring a wealth of experience and fresh perspectives to this crucial topic.
We will focus on:
- Redefining QBRs as Impact Reviews: We kick off with a fundamental question: Why is Impact Reviews a more fitting term than QBRs in today's customer success narrative?
- Training for High-Impact Conversations: A key challenge in conducting successful Impact Reviews is having the right training. - Data Selection for Maximum Impact: One of the critical components of an Impact Review is presenting valuable data.
- Maintaining Customer Engagement: We further explore techniques and approaches that ensure clients remain engaged throughout the Impact Review.
Quick-Fire Questions:
- Which stakeholders should be involved in Impact Reviews?- Ideal frequency for Impact Reviews.
- How long does your impact review session last?
- Should we use this important meeting for upselling and cross-selling?
This episode is a must-listen for any customer success professional looking to enhance their approach to customer meetings and make them more impactful. Join us as we uncover the secrets to transforming QBRs into meaningful, data-driven Impact Reviews with Jenifer and Kenn.
You can find us on Youtube
Connect with us on LinkedIn:
Jennifer Peters
Ken Kreutzer
Bayron Toruno

Nov 13, 2023 • 36min
How to Impress the C-Suite: Unlock Their Secrets! With James Lawson
In today's episode, we delve into the art of communication with senior stakeholders in customer success. We're thrilled to welcome James Lawson, an award-winning Customer Success leader with over 20 years of experience.The challenges we will cover today are:- Over-Communication Pitfalls: James Lawson shares his insights on avoiding the common trap of over-communicating in the customer success industry. We explore strategies for CSMs to convey their messages effectively, ensuring they don't overshadow their customers' needs.- Engaging Senior Customers Effectively: We delve into techniques for effectively engaging with senior customers, particularly during initial meetings. We will focus on how to extract vital information from less communicative customers and build more than just relationships.- Balancing Empathy and Assertiveness: In the high-pressure world of senior stakeholder management, striking the right balance between empathy and assertiveness is crucial. Join us for an episode filled with expert advice and practical strategies to elevate your stakeholder communication skills in customer success.You can find us on Youtube Connect with us on LinkedIn:James LawsonBayron TorunoNav Thomas