The Customer Success Pro Podcast

Explore the spooky world of customer ghosting during Halloween! Discover why customers go silent and how being reactive hurts engagement. Learn the importance of clear value and expectations to keep conversations alive. Anika shares a personal ghosting story and effective strategies for re-engaging clients, focusing on adapting communication styles and understanding customer needs. Get ready for actionable tips to transform ghostly interactions into successful partnerships!

Discover the key strategies for building an effective Customer Success function from scratch. Anika Zubair shares her insights on avoiding common pitfalls and emphasizes the importance of collaboration across teams. Learn why focusing solely on renewals can limit your success and how to measure what truly matters. She stresses starting small, mapping the customer journey, and tracking predictive metrics instead of vanity ones. Anika also encourages listeners to start by listening to customers to create impactful strategies.

Discover how to turn customer objections during renewals into golden opportunities. The speaker highlights common pitfalls and emphasizes the importance of strategic listening. Explore techniques like validating concerns and reframing discussions to emphasize business impact. Learn the significance of following up and documenting next steps for effective resolutions. Plus, a challenge encourages listeners to craft response strategies that can enhance their confidence and career growth in customer success.

Explore the vital investment in customer success teams to match sales efforts. Learn about the pitfalls of motivational training and the need for practical skills that drive revenue. Discover how building commercial confidence and structured frameworks can transform CSMs into strategic partners. From handling objections to multi-threading accounts, the focus is on developing a revenue-driven mindset. Anika also challenges leaders to evaluate their training investments and emphasizes the importance of tailored, hands-on workshops for long-term success.

Want to win a free pair of airpod pros, sign up for a demo with Vitally: https://www.vitally.io/csproIn this episode of the Customer Success Pro Podcast, host Anika Zubair speaks with Cara Benecke, the Head of Customer Success and Support at Workflex. They discuss the critical importance of building a customer onboarding program from scratch, the challenges faced in establishing customer success as a revenue driver, and the significance of creating 'wow moments' during onboarding. Kara shares her insights on how to effectively engage customers, the necessity of understanding their needs, and the importance of feedback in refining onboarding processes. The conversation emphasizes the need for customer success teams to be proactive, data-driven, and customer-centric in their approach to onboarding and retention.Chapters:00:00 Introduction to Customer Success and Onboarding03:34 Building Customer Success from Scratch11:39 Challenges in Building Customer Success22:51 The Importance of Onboarding35:36 Creating Wow Moments in Onboarding55:22 Key Takeaways for Building Onboarding ProgramsDownload The CS Pro freebies:https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/resourcesConnect with Anika Zubair: Website: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/CSM RevUP Academy: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revupConnect with Cara Benecke:Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/cara-benecke/Send Anika a text :) Grab our FREE resources here: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/resources Want to be our next podcast guest? Apply here: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/podcast-guest Book Anika as a speaker at your next team event: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/team-event

Anika Zubair shares her inspiring journey from Customer Success Manager to Vice President in just seven years. She highlights common pitfalls that keep professionals stuck, like relying on tenure and avoiding risk. Anika encourages embracing leadership roles early and seeking environments that foster growth. She stresses the importance of visibility and self-promotion using tools like the CS Promotion Tracker. Listeners are challenged to identify bold career moves and understand that tangible proof of impact is key to advancing in their careers.

The first 90 days of a customer's journey are crucial for ensuring long-term success and adoption. Common pitfalls include an overemphasis on features rather than focusing on positive outcomes. A personalized approach to onboarding can greatly enhance customer satisfaction and retention. The podcast outlines a playbook for driving adoption while encouraging customer success managers to understand specific customer needs. Anika also shares personal insights and finishes with a practical challenge for listeners to implement these strategies effectively.

In this engaging discussion, Chad Horenfeldt, VP of Customer Success at Sienna AI and author of 'The Strategic Customer Success Manager,' shares insights from his two decades of experience. He emphasizes shifting from traditional roles to a strategic focus on business outcomes. Chad introduces frameworks like ACE and the 3C framework for effective customer conversations. He also outlines the importance of measurable success plans and the SOON funnel in driving customer success while advocating for a proactive mindset among CSMs.

Delve into the art of managing product delays and preserving customer trust. Discover how setbacks aren't just timeline hiccups but can jeopardize relationships. Learn about the missteps Customer Success Managers often make and the proactive strategies to rectify them. Transparency and open communication are key themes, as they help rebuild trust. Plus, find out how to reframe value narratives to maintain strong partnerships, even in tough times!

Explore the pitfalls customer success leaders often face and discover effective strategies to avoid them. Learn how aligning success with revenue can transform your approach. Anika Zubair emphasizes the importance of building strong teams and defining measurable success metrics. She shares personal insights on delegation and coaching to empower performance. The conversation wraps up with the need for leaders to reflect on their practices and enhance their effectiveness in driving exceptional customer experiences.