The Customer Success Pro Podcast

Join the VIP Waitlist for RevUP: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/revupIn this episode, Anika Zubair discusses the transition from customer service to customer success with Lena Therese Zimmerman, Head of Customer Experience at Do Instruct. They explore the importance of curiosity, team collaboration, and the need for a strategic approach in customer success. Lena shares her journey in transforming a reactive customer service team into proactive customer success managers, emphasizing the significance of aligning internal goals with customer success metrics. The conversation highlights the shift in mindset required to prioritize customer success over mere customer happiness, and the strategies for educating customers about the role of customer success managers. In this conversation, the speakers delve into the intricacies of customer success, focusing on the challenges faced during onboarding, the importance of empathy, and the need for effective communication. Chapters00:00 Introduction 02:52 Transitioning from Customer Service to Customer Success05:52 Understanding the Role of Customer Experience08:51 The Importance of Team Collaboration in Customer Success12:07 Curiosity as a Key Trait in Customer Success15:02 Transforming Reactive Teams into Strategic Partners18:11 Aligning Internal Goals with Customer Success21:10 The Shift from Customer Happiness to Customer Success23:53 Educating Customers on the Role of Customer Success28:38 Understanding Customer Fears and Onboarding Challenges31:38 Empathy in Customer Success33:02 Overcoming Customer Hesitation34:32 Communicating Effectively During Onboarding36:09 Setting Expectations: The Importance of Honesty39:33 The Balance of Saying No: Guiding Customers to Success41:00 Collaboration Between Sales and Customer Success43:40 Transitioning from Support to Strategic Advisor47:59 Lessons Learned: Shifting from Service to Revenue Focus51:25 The Future of Customer Success: Embracing AI52:59 Changing Perceptions of Customer SuccessConnect with Anika Zubair:Website: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/CSM RevUP Academy: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revupConnect with Lena Theres Zimmermann:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lena-theres-zimmermann/Lena Zimmermann is Head of Customer Experience at doinstruct, a fast-growing Compliance Tech startup. With over 7.5 years of experience in SaaS, she has led Customer Success teams across DACH and BENELUX, helping companies create meaningful, long-term customer relationships.Lena is passionate about turning Customer Success into a strategic growth lever — especially in contexts where customer bases are more traditional and starting their digital transformation. Her leadership approach blends structure with empathy, enabling scalable processes that support retention, adoption, and revenue expansion.Send Anika a text :) Want to be our next 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

The CS Promotion Tracker: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/offers/wh6BFvEc?coupon_code=PODCAST50In this episode of the Customer Success Pro Podcast, Anika Zubair emphasizes the importance of taking charge of one's career development in customer success. She discusses the necessity of creating a personal development plan, identifying skills gaps, and proactively tracking accomplishments to secure promotions. Anika outlines common mistakes professionals make in their career growth and provides actionable steps to build a successful career trajectory. The episode encourages listeners to prioritize their personal development and take ownership of their career paths.Chapters00:00 Taking Charge of Your Career Development07:52 Building Your Personal Development Plan14:51 Tracking Your Wins for Career Growth19:36 Recap and Action Steps for SuccessConnect with Anika Zubair:Website: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/CSM RevUP Academy: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revupSend Anika a text :) Want to be our next 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

Active listening is a game-changer in customer success. Mistakes like listening to reply instead of understand can ruin relationships. The speaker offers practical strategies to enhance listening skills. Personal experiences illustrate how better listening leads to stronger connections and more revenue opportunities. This engaging discussion emphasizes that mastering active listening not only improves interactions but also drives success.

Explore the challenges customer success professionals face with time management and prioritization. Discover how to avoid common pitfalls like reactive planning and treating all clients equally. Learn actionable strategies, such as blocking time like a CEO and applying the 80-20 rule for account management. Find out how protecting focus blocks can elevate productivity. This insightful discussion provides the tools to master time management and enhance your efficiency in the customer success arena.

Signup for the RevUP Academy: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/revupIn this episode of the Customer Success Pro Podcast, Anika Zubair discusses the critical metric of Time to Value (TTV) in customer success. She emphasizes the importance of quickly demonstrating value to customers to enhance retention and drive revenue growth. The episode covers common mistakes that customer success managers (CSMs) make that hinder TTV, such as generic onboarding processes and failing to define value with customers. Anika provides actionable strategies to reduce TTV, including defining measurable outcomes, collaborating with internal teams, and using success plans to track progress. The episode concludes with a call to action for listeners to implement these strategies and join the RevUp Academy for further development.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Time to Value in Customer Success02:04 Understanding Time to Value (TTV) and Its Importance05:53 Common Mistakes Sabotaging Time to Value09:43 Strategies to Reduce Time to Value13:56 Practical Examples and Final Tips20:07 Conclusion and Call to ActionConnect with Anika Zubair:Website: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/CSM RevUP Academy: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revup#customersuccesspro #podcast #customersuccessmanagerSend Anika a text :) Want to be our next 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

Kelley Turner, SVP of Global Customer Success at Vitally, is a powerhouse in building teams that drive authentic customer partnerships. In their conversation, she emphasizes the need for effective customer segmentation in enhancing value and retention. Kelley balances the roles of automation and personalization for optimum engagement while sharing her unique shift from finance to customer success. Curiosity, creative strategies, and the potential of AI in segmentation take center stage, underscoring their importance in measuring success and nurturing lasting client relationships.

Negotiation skills are critical for customer success managers, yet often overlooked. The discussion highlights common pitfalls like inadequate preparation and over-explaining. A four-step framework is introduced to empower CSMs, emphasizing preparation, clarity on value, and the strategic use of silence. By mastering these techniques, CSMs can significantly boost renewals and upsells, transforming their role into that of a confident negotiator and strategic partner.

Discover the evolving role of customer success in driving growth without the pressure of traditional sales. Embrace the expansion mindset by building trust and engaging meaningfully with customers. Learn to recognize key signals for upselling and navigate common pitfalls. Collaboration between customer success and sales teams is essential for unlocking new opportunities. Practical steps for fostering relationships and facilitating growth are shared, ensuring customer success professionals can add value while enhancing revenue.

Explore the transformative power of AI in customer success. Discover how it alleviates administrative burdens and enhances efficiency in daily tasks. Learn to avoid common mistakes when adopting AI, and see how it can revolutionize discovery calls and quarterly business reviews. Anika Zubair introduces practical applications for forecasting renewals and managing customer relationships. Plus, get insights into training AI as a revenue-generating co-pilot to elevate your success strategies.

Parul Bhandari, a Chicago-based Customer Success consultant, shares insights on building impactful retention programs. She emphasizes the necessity of aligning with customer goals and the role of early engagement in setting up successful strategies. Parul discusses her journey into fractional consulting and the trend's rise in the industry. The conversation also highlights the importance of adapting retention efforts as customer relationships evolve, with a focus on viewing challenges as opportunities for growth in customer success.