The Customer Success Playbook

Send us a textIn this final part of the Katie Smith trilogy on the Customer Success Playbook, we enter the brave new world of AI and marketing. Host Kevin Metzger explores the promises and pitfalls of generative tools with Katie, who brings her thoughtful and grounded take on how businesses can embrace automation while fiercely protecting their authenticity. If you’ve ever wondered how to use AI effectively without sounding like a robot, this one’s for you.Detailed Analysis: AI isn't going anywhere—and that's exactly why it's time to get strategic. Katie Smith walks listeners through the essentials of adopting AI in a way that enhances rather than dilutes your marketing. The episode kicks off with her advice on building internal AI policies: what your team will use AI for, what it won’t, and how to protect sensitive data along the way. Her mantra? Be proactive, not reactive.Katie also shares her go-to applications of AI in the creative process:Use AI as a co-creator to spark content ideas and draft early versionsTrain AI with your brand’s voice and tone to maintain consistencyStay vigilant about hallucinations and homogenized contentShe emphasizes the importance of human review at every stage, especially when publishing customer-facing materials. AI is a brilliant assistant, but not a final authority.The discussion evolves into deeper insights on lead generation and real-time responsiveness. Kevin adds his own tricks for applying brand tone through prompt engineering and post-processing, offering a compelling use case that blends Claude, GPTs, and content repurposing magic.Finally, the two zoom out to a broader question: How do you optimize your brand for AI-driven search and recommendations? It’s an emerging discipline with massive implications, and Katie teases what’s to come from leaders in B2B and digital strategy.Whether you're testing the AI waters or already building internal GPTs, Katie’s thoughtful approach provides the guardrails needed to preserve quality and trust in a world of automation.Now you can interact with us directly by leaving a voice message at https://www.speakpipe.com/CustomerSuccessPlaybookCheck out https://funnelstory.ai/ for more details about Funnelstory. You can also check out our full video review of the product on YouTube at https://youtu.be/4jChYZBVz2Y.Please Like, Comment, Share and Subscribe. You can also find the CS Playbook Podcast:YouTube - @CustomerSuccessPlaybookPodcastTwitter - @CS_PlaybookYou can find Kevin at:Metzgerbusiness.com - Kevin's person web siteKevin Metzger on Linked In.You can find Roman at:Roman Trebon on Linked In.

Send us a text Back for part two with Katie Smith on the Customer Success Playbook, and this time we’re tearing down silos. In this Wednesday edition, host Kevin Metzger guides a conversation focused on how to bring marketing and customer success into harmony. Katie—founder of Wild Path Consulting and fractional CMO—shares a blueprint for unifying teams, streamlining customer journeys, and turning internal collaboration into a competitive advantage.Detailed Analysis: This episode is less about theory and more about execution. Katie Smith gets candid about why alignment between marketing and customer success isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s the lifeline of sustainable growth. Her argument is clear: the closer these departments work together, the more seamless and authentic the customer experience becomes.Katie emphasizes that customer success is the closest link a company has to real-time customer sentiment. And yet, too often, that feedback gets lost in the shuffle. Her proposed fix? Cross-functional meetings, shared goals, and a top-down commitment to break the silos. She outlines how marketing can use insights from customer success to better tailor messaging, avoid overpromising, and reinforce consistent value.The conversation gets practical with ideas on how to structure interdepartmental communication, including:Setting up regular syncs between CS and marketingReporting loops where both sides share qualitative and quantitative insightsShared definitions of success, ideal customer profiles, and journey checkpointsKatie also urges organizations to think beyond marketing and CS. Sales, product, ops—even the loadout teams in a manufacturing company—all contribute to the customer experience and need to be part of the marketing ecosystem. It’s a holistic view that turns internal collaboration into customer satisfaction.And if you’ve ever felt the pain of over-promised marketing and under-delivered onboarding, Katie’s advice on co-created alignment is a must-listen.Now you can interact with us directly by leaving a voice message at https://www.speakpipe.com/CustomerSuccessPlaybookCheck out https://funnelstory.ai/ for more details about Funnelstory. You can also check out our full video review of the product on YouTube at https://youtu.be/4jChYZBVz2Y.Please Like, Comment, Share and Subscribe. You can also find the CS Playbook Podcast:YouTube - @CustomerSuccessPlaybookPodcastTwitter - @CS_PlaybookYou can find Kevin at:Metzgerbusiness.com - Kevin's person web siteKevin Metzger on Linked In.You can find Roman at:Roman Trebon on Linked In.

Katie Smith shares how strategic marketing and constant customer feedback can unlock growth. She emphasizes the importance of listening to customers throughout their journey, moving away from traditional surveys to subtle, everyday interactions. Effective onboarding and engagement are crucial for understanding shifting preferences. By integrating customer insights into marketing strategies, brands can stay agile and refine their offerings, ensuring stronger connections and sustained success even in unpredictable markets.

Send us a textClose out the week with a power-packed episode of the Customer Success Playbook, as Roman Trebon and Kevin Metzger welcome Joe Di Grande for a lively Friday discussion on AI in customer success! Joe shares an honest look at how AI can supercharge your customer success playbook—but only if deployed with clarity and purpose. Learn how to avoid the common pitfall of chasing shiny AI tools without aligning them to your actual goals. From automation to predictive analytics, this episode is a must-listen for forward-thinking CS and product marketing teams.Detailed Analysis: In a world where every scroll brings a new "game-changing" AI app, Joe Di Grande brings much-needed sanity to the conversation. Returning to the Customer Success Playbook, Joe shares practical ways AI can drive serious gains—faster customer engagement, smarter predictive analytics, better documentation—but not without a word of caution: it's not about the tool, it's about the goal.Joe lays out a clear decision framework: start by asking what business problem you're solving, measure the potential time savings, and always weigh the cost versus value, much like any traditional tech investment. He shares examples from his own consulting work, including custom GPT bots, clever workflow automation with tools like Tango, and AI-driven stakeholder management.Kevin and Roman add extra layers of wisdom, emphasizing that AI project evaluation is not fundamentally different from any other project: start with objectives, measure value, manage implementation smartly. Along the way, they give a shoutout to innovative tools like Cast.app and discuss how to stay grounded when AI hype is everywhere.If you want to integrate AI into your customer success playbook—without losing focus or budget—this episode delivers practical, optimistic, and realistic strategies.Now you can interact with us directly by leaving a voice message at https://www.speakpipe.com/CustomerSuccessPlaybookCheck out https://funnelstory.ai/ for more details about Funnelstory. You can also check out our full video review of the product on YouTube at https://youtu.be/4jChYZBVz2Y.Please Like, Comment, Share and Subscribe. You can also find the CS Playbook Podcast:YouTube - @CustomerSuccessPlaybookPodcastTwitter - @CS_PlaybookYou can find Kevin at:Metzgerbusiness.com - Kevin's person web siteKevin Metzger on Linked In.You can find Roman at:Roman Trebon on Linked In.

Send us a textGear up for an energizing discussion on tech stacks and smart scaling! In this midweek episode of the Customer Success Playbook, Kevin Metzger and Roman Trebon welcome Joe Di Grande back to tackle a pressing issue: bloated CS tech stacks. Joe shares why so many organizations fall into this trap and delivers actionable advice on how to avoid or fix it. From building cross-functional committees to starting tech ops planning early, Joe's wisdom is essential for anyone striving to build a lean, mean customer success machine.Detailed Analysis: Joe Di Grande's return to the Customer Success Playbook is like having your favorite professor hand you the cheat sheet to a passing grade. In this session, he unpacks why bloated tech stacks happen: a lack of operational foresight, siloed decision-making, and the absence of data-first strategies. Acquisition fever might keep the lights on, but without systems thinking, organizations find themselves in a tangled mess of redundant tools.Joe highlights a proactive cure: form a cross-functional committee that includes sales, marketing, CS, and product voices. Bonus points if you find your "ops-minded" champions by tapping the power users of existing tools! His approach is practical, tactical, and refreshingly unpretentious.For those starting from scratch (aka "dream budget approved!" scenarios), Joe delivers a fantasy list of tech essentials: a reliable CRM, a centralized data warehouse, sales engagement tools, data enrichment platforms, marketing automation solutions, and customer success platforms—all strategically selected to foster scalability and transparency.Joe’s core advice? Think operations early, communicate often, and let your data be the thread tying it all together. It's a masterclass in balancing ambition with operational excellence for any customer success playbook.Now you can interact with us directly by leaving a voice message at https://www.speakpipe.com/CustomerSuccessPlaybookCheck out https://funnelstory.ai/ for more details about Funnelstory. You can also check out our full video review of the product on YouTube at https://youtu.be/4jChYZBVz2Y.Please Like, Comment, Share and Subscribe. You can also find the CS Playbook Podcast:YouTube - @CustomerSuccessPlaybookPodcastTwitter - @CS_PlaybookYou can find Kevin at:Metzgerbusiness.com - Kevin's person web siteKevin Metzger on Linked In.You can find Roman at:Roman Trebon on Linked In.

Send us a textReady to rethink your approach to customer success without draining your budget? In this episode of the Customer Success Playbook, hosts Roman Trebon and Kevin Metzger sit down with Joe Di Grande, founder of Joe DE's Tech Touch, to demystify tech touch strategies. Joe shares practical methods for building a tech touch framework even when your data is scattered and your budget is tight. You'll discover how understanding your goals, auditing your current data, and leveraging freemium tools can set the foundation for scalable and impactful customer success initiatives.Detailed Analysis: Joe Di Grande dives into the evolution of "tech touch" — from a basic method of handling long-tail customer segments to a full-fledged strategic pillar within modern customer success playbooks. He emphasizes that success doesn't start with the fanciest tools but with a clear understanding of your goals and the data you already have. Joe cleverly outlines how even spreadsheet-based strategies can kick off a winning initiative if you keep your eyes on key lifecycle markers like contract dates.Resourcefulness takes center stage as Joe highlights a roster of budget-friendly tools — including Zapier, Apollo.io, and Tango.io — that can empower even the scrappiest startups to automate engagement and education touchpoints. By focusing first on aligning data and customer lifecycle stages, organizations can set up low-cost experiments that yield big insights and pave the way for future investment in tech success platforms.Whether you're a startup looking to stretch every dollar or an enterprise recalibrating your customer success operations, this conversation offers a refreshing, grounded take on scaling smartly. Joe's energy and real-world examples make this a can't-miss episode for anyone seeking to modernize their customer success playbook with tech touch strategies.Now you can interact with us directly by leaving a voice message at https://www.speakpipe.com/CustomerSuccessPlaybookPlease Like, Comment, Share and Subscribe. You can also find the CS Playbook Podcast:YouTube - @CustomerSuccessPlaybookPodcastTwitter - @CS_PlaybookYou can find Kevin at:Metzgerbusiness.com - Kevin's person web siteKevin Metzger on Linked In.You can find Roman at:Roman Trebon on Linked In.

Send us a textIn the final chapter of a compelling three-part series on the Customer Success Playbook, hosts Kevin Metzger and Roman Trebon sit down once more with communication strategist Mary Schmid to explore whether artificial intelligence can play a meaningful role in building trust. With AI Fridays in full swing, the conversation veers into uncharted territory: can AI actually help us become better listeners, or are we outsourcing our empathy to machines?Detailed Analysis: AI in customer success is no longer theoretical; it's operational. From onboarding workflows to meeting recaps, AI is here to streamline. But the question Mary Schmid challenges us with is not can AI help, but how and where should it be used? With characteristic wit and wisdom, she makes it clear: AI can emulate empathy, but it can't feel it. The result? AI may simulate care, but it can’t substitute human connection.The group reflects on how AI, while useful for efficiency and summarization, may inadvertently encourage disengagement. Roman candidly shares how AI-generated transcripts have made him a lazier listener—a relatable confession for many knowledge workers navigating tech overload. Mary counters with a powerful reminder: presence is a choice. No matter how smart your tools, nothing replaces being fully in the conversation.This episode offers a practical and philosophical blueprint for integrating AI responsibly. Use it for insights, yes. Use it for speed, definitely. But never let it replace your human instinct to connect. Mary leaves us with a challenge: show up with your eyes, ears, and heart—because no algorithm can replicate that.Bonus treat: Mary created a downloadable resource exclusively for Customer Success Playbook listeners. Grab it at maryschmid.com/csb — it includes free resources and even complimentary access to her book.Now you can interact with us directly by leaving a voice message at https://www.speakpipe.com/CustomerSuccessPlaybookCheck out https://funnelstory.ai/ for more details about Funnelstory. You can also check out our full video review of the product on YouTube at https://youtu.be/4jChYZBVz2Y.Please Like, Comment, Share and Subscribe. You can also find the CS Playbook Podcast:YouTube - @CustomerSuccessPlaybookPodcastTwitter - @CS_PlaybookYou can find Kevin at:Metzgerbusiness.com - Kevin's person web siteKevin Metzger on Linked In.You can find Roman at:Roman Trebon on Linked In.

Send us a textStrap in for another riveting episode of the Customer Success Playbook, where empathy isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a business advantage. Hosts Kevin Metzger and Roman Trebon are once again joined by communication maven Mary Schmid, who unpacks the neurological power of empathy and its pivotal role in client trust and loyalty. From the depth of scuba diving to the magic of emotional connection, Mary shares how listening with genuine curiosity can shift even the most transactional relationships into long-term partnerships.Detailed Analysis: In this Wednesday "One Big Question" edition, the trio explores how empathy drives client loyalty, especially in high-stakes sectors like finance. Mary challenges the misconception that empathy is about agreement, reframing it instead as a courageous act of understanding. Through her neuroscience-informed approach, she explains how empathy fosters psychological safety, laying the groundwork for trust.The conversation ventures into practical insights for customer success professionals: the importance of leading with emotional curiosity, the discipline of "listening to connect," and how to gracefully introduce differing perspectives once mutual understanding is established. Mary introduces a powerful sequence: empathy first, connection second, and then collaboration. The episode highlights that curiosity and compassion aren’t liabilities—they are strategic tools.Also discussed: how leaders can break free from monologue mode by shifting into learner mode, and how to handle moments when your perspective diverges from the client’s. Spoiler: it involves asking permission to share, not bulldozing your view across the conversation table.Roman humorously pitches Mary for a bigger stage beyond customer success, and honestly, we agree.The bottom line? Connection comes before correction. Action comes after understanding.Now you can interact with us directly by leaving a voice message at https://www.speakpipe.com/CustomerSuccessPlaybookCheck out https://funnelstory.ai/ for more details about Funnelstory. You can also check out our full video review of the product on YouTube at https://youtu.be/4jChYZBVz2Y.Please Like, Comment, Share and Subscribe. You can also find the CS Playbook Podcast:YouTube - @CustomerSuccessPlaybookPodcastTwitter - @CS_PlaybookYou can find Kevin at:Metzgerbusiness.com - Kevin's person web siteKevin Metzger on Linked In.You can find Roman at:Roman Trebon on Linked In.

Send us a text In this high-impact episode of the Customer Success Playbook, hosts Kevin Metzger and Roman Trebon welcome Mary Schmid, MBA, a communication and leadership expert with a passion for rewiring how we listen. Mary reveals how to shift from surface-level exchanges to trust-building dialogues by embracing her "Conversational Edge" framework. Rather than defaulting to advice-giving, Mary urges professionals to pause and lean into connection-first listening. With a foundation in neuroscience, she explains how we unconsciously drop out of conversations every 12 to 18 seconds—and how to stay tuned in. If you think you’re a good listener, this episode might surprise you.Detailed Analysis: This episode flips the script on what it means to be a "trusted advisor." Mary Schmid argues that client relationships are often eroded by a focus on proving expertise instead of demonstrating care. Using brain science as a guide, she introduces the idea that effective listening triggers the brain’s trust response. Listeners are walked through a conversational sequence that begins with understanding the situation, moves into exploring the client’s thoughts and emotions, and culminates in assessing the impact. The goal? Helping clients feel heard, not herded.Mary deftly explains how traditional expertise-driven dialogue creates power imbalances, pushing clients into defensive, disengaged states. In contrast, her approach taps into the oxytocin-powered trust circuit by creating psychological safety. The episode offers practical examples and humorous insights—including Kevin getting called out for zoning out every few seconds (we’re looking at you, Kevin).For business leaders and customer success professionals, Mary provides a vital reminder: real influence stems from emotional connection, not intellectual superiority. When you guide a client into collaborative discovery, rather than corner them with solutions, you spark engagement and build lasting loyalty.Her parting wisdom? Respect begins with listening to connect, not correct.Now you can interact with us directly by leaving a voice message at https://www.speakpipe.com/CustomerSuccessPlaybookCheck out https://funnelstory.ai/ for more details about Funnelstory. You can also check out our full video review of the product on YouTube at https://youtu.be/4jChYZBVz2Y.Please Like, Comment, Share and Subscribe. You can also find the CS Playbook Podcast:YouTube - @CustomerSuccessPlaybookPodcastTwitter - @CS_PlaybookYou can find Kevin at:Metzgerbusiness.com - Kevin's person web siteKevin Metzger on Linked In.You can find Roman at:Roman Trebon on Linked In.

Send us a textIn this forward-looking Friday edition of the Customer Success Playbook, Cairo Marsh returns to round out his trilogy of episodes with a critical discussion: can artificial intelligence enhance empathy in customer experience, or does it risk eliminating the human touch? Cairo, Roman, and Kevin dive into the real-world uses of AI in sentiment analysis, automation, and service design, exploring when and how AI tools can be customer-centric rather than just cost-centric. From call centers to cultural nuance, this conversation balances optimism with realism.Detailed Analysis: The final installment in Cairo Marsh's series on the Customer Success Playbook podcast explores the intersection of artificial intelligence and empathetic customer experience. While AI is often championed for its efficiency and cost-saving potential, Cairo is quick to caution that most implementations prioritize business needs over customer value—a misalignment that risks undermining trust.He argues that true empathy-driven AI must empower the customer, not just the brand. The conversation unpacks this idea with practical examples: AI as a helpful tool for low-value, transactional queries ("Did my payment clear?") versus high-emotion, high-stakes moments ("I’ve been in a car accident"), where human connection is irreplaceable. The team discusses the strategic importance of context in deciding where AI belongs.But the episode doesn't stop at critique. Kevin and Roman offer ideas on human-AI collaboration—pairing agents with AI copilots to enhance real-time service without sacrificing warmth. Cairo reinforces that the real opportunity lies in using AI to support customers on their terms, not as a substitute for authentic engagement.In a surprisingly touching moment, Cairo shares a story from a bank in Taiwan, illustrating that sometimes, the most valuable service is simply human presence. As businesses embrace automation, remembering our innate desire for connection may be the key to designing AI with empathy.This episode challenges us to ask: Is your AI working for you, or for your customers?Now you can interact with us directly by leaving a voice message at https://www.speakpipe.com/CustomerSuccessPlaybookCheck out https://funnelstory.ai/ for more details about Funnelstory. You can also check out our full video review of the product on YouTube at https://youtu.be/4jChYZBVz2Y.Please Like, Comment, Share and Subscribe. You can also find the CS Playbook Podcast:YouTube - @CustomerSuccessPlaybookPodcastTwitter - @CS_PlaybookYou can find Kevin at:Metzgerbusiness.com - Kevin's person web siteKevin Metzger on Linked In.You can find Roman at:Roman Trebon on Linked In.