[Un]Churned – The No. 1 Podcast for Customer Retention
Gainsight
Retention is the new growth & AI is rewriting the rules. Hosted by Josh Schachter, SVP of Atlas at Gainsight, [Un]Churned—the No. 1 podcast for retention and Customer Success leaders—features real talk with the sharpest minds in the Customer Success space. We dig into how teams are scaling smarter, activating AI agents, and redesigning the customer journey for lasting impact.
If you're experimenting with automation, questioning the traditional post-sales model, or trying to drive more value with less headcount, you're in the right place. AI won’t fix churn, but these conversations might.
If you're experimenting with automation, questioning the traditional post-sales model, or trying to drive more value with less headcount, you're in the right place. AI won’t fix churn, but these conversations might.
Episodes
Mentioned books
May 8, 2024 • 29min
Industry Realities and Frontline Insights on Pulse 2024 from Gainsight's Nick Mehta
Customer success icon Nick Mehta, CEO of Gainsight, joins our hosts Kristi Faltorusso, Jon Johnson, & Josh Schachter for a candid conversation packed with insights on the evolving CS landscape. From a sneak peek at Pulse 2024 to the future of AI in CS, Nick brings his trademark wit along with wisdom on key trends like:
- The changing job market and customer expectations
- Aligning CS with revenue and business outcomes
- Standardizing practices while keeping the human touch
- Major industry moves and consolidation
Get an insider's perspective from one of CS's most respected voices - with some surprises along the way. A must-listen for CS pros at any level.
Timestamps:
0:00 - Preview & Intros
3:44 - Pulse 2024 at St. Customer Success
5:23 - Nick's Pulse 2024 outfit
10:20 - The state of CS in 2024
18:00 - The lack of accountability
18:53 - The term "Customer Success" is vague
22:40 - Customer Success is a part of the product
25:59 - Nick's priorities for the rest of 2024 & BS!
___________________________
👉 Follow the podcast
Youtube: https://youtu.be/H6mnKkpU2lI?feature=shared
Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3dfWXmD
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl
Thank you for tuning into the Unchurned podcast! If you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe to the show and leave us an awesome rating & review.
👉 Connect with the guest
Nic Mehta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickmehta/
👉 Connect with hosts
Jon Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamjohnson/
Kristi Faltorusso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/
Josh Schachter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/
👉 Sign up for UpdateAI - the only Zoom virtual assistant for customer-facing teams.
👉 Be the first to know when a new episode of Unchurned is dropped. Sign up for our newsletter at https://blog.update.ai/
👉 Get the advice and insights you need to thrive in Customer Success. Subscribe to the CS Insider Newsletter
👉 Check out the most loved episodes
Who Wins the Tug-of-War, Team Customer Success or Team Sales? ft. Hamish Stephenson ( Selr.io)
How to Keep Customers from Churning When Renewal Budgets Are Tight ft. Gillian Heltai, CCO (Lattice)
CS [Un]churned: Do We Really Need QBRs With Every Customer?
Transitioning Into a Customer Success Role: The Before and After ft. Julie Raeder (CSM, Dooly)
👉 Past guests on The Unchurned Podcast include Nick Mehta (GainSight), Mike Molinet (Branch), Edward Chiu (Catalyst), Kristi Faltorusso (Client Success), and customer success leaders and CCOs from top companies like Cloudflare, Google, Totango, Zoura, Workday, Zendesk, Braze, BMC Software, Monday.com, and best-selling authors like Geoffrey Moore and Kelly Leonard.
______________________
Unchurned is presented by UpdateAI
About UpdateAI
At UpdateAI our mission is to empower CS teams to build great customer relationships. We work with early & growth-stage B2B SaaS companies to help them scale CS outcomes. Everything we do is devoted to removing the overwhelm of back-to-back customer meetings so that CSMs can focus on the bigger picture: building relationships.
May 1, 2024 • 36min
Intersecting Customer Success and Account Management for Value Delivery ft. Emily Lockhart (Percona)
Emily Lockhart, VP of Customer Success at Percona, joins the hosts Kristi Faltorusso, & Josh Schachter. They discuss the importance of value delivery in partnerships, building proactive customer relationships, utilizing AI and technology to enhance efficiency, and automating playbooks, hiring for CS roles. Kristi also explains the difference between product and customer advisory boards and their significance.
Timestamps
0:00 - Preview & Intros
3:10 - Customer Success at Percona
4:30 - Customer Success Account Managers
7:07 - Breaking into Customer Success
10:55 - Fostering relationships with customers to focus on value delivery
18:30 - Prioritising High Touch & Tech Touch
22:10 - Utilizing Product Advisory Board
24:00 - Difference between Product Advisory Boards & Customer Advisory Board
27:30 - Hiring for Customer Success Roles
35:16 - Closing
___________________________
👉 Follow the podcast
Youtube: https://youtu.be/H6mnKkpU2lI?feature=shared
Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3dfWXmD
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl
Thank you for tuning into the Unchurned podcast! If you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe to the show and leave us an awesome rating & review.
👉 Connect with the guest
Emily Lockhart: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyclockhart/
👉 Connect with hosts
Jon Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamjohnson/
Kristi Faltorusso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/
Josh Schachter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/
👉 Sign up for UpdateAI - the only Zoom virtual assistant for customer-facing teams.
👉 Be the first to know when a new episode of Unchurned is dropped. Sign up for our newsletter at https://blog.update.ai/
👉 Get the advice and insights you need to thrive in Customer Success. Subscribe to the CS Insider Newsletter
👉 Check out the most loved episodes
Who Wins the Tug-of-War, Team Customer Success or Team Sales? ft. Hamish Stephenson ( Selr.io)
How to Keep Customers from Churning When Renewal Budgets Are Tight ft. Gillian Heltai, CCO (Lattice)
CS [Un]churned: Do We Really Need QBRs With Every Customer?
Transitioning Into a Customer Success Role: The Before and After ft. Julie Raeder (CSM, Dooly)
👉 Past guests on The Unchurned Podcast include Nick Mehta (GainSight), Mike Molinet (Branch), Edward Chiu (Catalyst), Kristi Faltorusso (Client Success), and customer success leaders and CCOs from top companies like Cloudflare, Google, Totango, Zoura, Workday, Zendesk, Braze, BMC Software, Monday.com, and best-selling authors like Geoffrey Moore and Kelly Leonard.
______________________
Unchurned is presented by UpdateAI
About UpdateAI
At UpdateAI our mission is to empower CS teams to build great customer relationships. We work with early & growth-stage B2B SaaS companies to help them scale CS outcomes. Everything we do is devoted to removing the overwhelm of back-to-back customer meetings so that CSMs can focus on the bigger picture: building relationships.
Apr 24, 2024 • 51min
Are Customer-Centric Strategies a Solution to Customer Crisis? ft. Seth Terbeek (DrFirst)
Seth Terbeek, VP of Customer Transformation at DrFirst joins Josh Schachter & Jon Johnson to emphasize the
- Importance of journey mapping and scaling
- Challenges around value creation and management
- Necessity of proving the value of your CS department
- Importance of open-ended questions when interacting with customers
Seth emphasizes failing forward, pivoting, and fostering a customer-centric mindset.
Timestamps
0:00 - Preview, BS, & Meet Seth Terbeek
4:05 - Effectiveness of phone calls and texting in a business setting
7:06 - What is Customer Transformation?
11:40 - Creating a customer transformation department to increase renewal dollars
16:40 - Sharing customer information cross-functionally and centralizing information
20:44 - the need for focusing on managing accounts and addressing friction separately
26:46 - Finding the right customer experience balance
30:00 - Customer Transformation Goals 2024
32:36 - Change management and training for using Plan Hat effectively
34:10 - Plan Hat coffee and its Swedish origins
36:46 - Failing forward, creating safe spaces, and customer-centric thinking
41:30 - Recognizing areas for improvement, & customer journey map
47:06 - CS Meetup, London
48:08 - Sponsorship of Pulse event and Jess Cohen's upcoming workshop
50:30 - Closing
___________________________
👉 Follow the podcast
Youtube: https://youtu.be/H6mnKkpU2lI?feature=shared
Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3dfWXmD
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl
Thank you for tuning into the Unchurned podcast! If you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe to the show and leave us an awesome rating & review.
👉 Connect with the guest
Seth Terbeek: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethterbeek/
👉 Connect with hosts
Jon Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamjohnson/
Kristi Faltorusso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/
Josh Schachter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/
👉 Sign up for UpdateAI - the only Zoom virtual assistant for customer-facing teams.
👉 Be the first to know when a new episode of Unchurned is dropped. Sign up for our newsletter at https://blog.update.ai/
👉 Get the advice and insights you need to thrive in Customer Success. Subscribe to the CS Insider Newsletter
👉 Check out the most loved episodes
Who Wins the Tug-of-War, Team Customer Success or Team Sales? ft. Hamish Stephenson ( Selr.io)
How to Keep Customers from Churning When Renewal Budgets Are Tight ft. Gillian Heltai, CCO (Lattice)
CS [Un]churned: Do We Really Need QBRs With Every Customer?
Transitioning Into a Customer Success Role: The Before and After ft. Julie Raeder (CSM, Dooly)
👉 Past guests on The Unchurned Podcast include Nick Mehta (GainSight), Mike Molinet (Branch), Edward Chiu (Catalyst), Kristi Faltorusso (Client Success), and customer success leaders and CCOs from top companies like Cloudflare, Google, Totango, Zoura, Workday, Zendesk, Braze, BMC Software, Monday.com, and best-selling authors like Geoffrey Moore and Kelly Leonard.
______________________
Unchurned is presented by UpdateAI
About UpdateAI
At UpdateAI our mission is to empower CS teams to build great customer relationships. We work with early & growth-stage B2B SaaS companies to help them scale CS outcomes. Everything we do is devoted to removing the overwhelm of back-to-back customer meetings so that CSMs can focus on the bigger picture: building relationships.
Apr 17, 2024 • 51min
Can We Set up Fair Expectations for Customer Success? Ft. Mike Sasaki
Mike Sasaki, a seasoned CCO joins the hosts Kristi Faltorusso and, Jon Johnson to discuss the complexities of engaging with executives, the importance of domain expertise, leadership's role in fostering an authentic workplace, and the significance of understanding a company's culture and core values.
Timestamps
0:00 - Preview & Intros
2:25 - Advice from LinkedIn posts lacks validation
9:00 - Leadership demands constant work and willingness to upskill
12:08 - CSMs should not learn to talk to C-level executives
18:30 - Setting up fair expectations for customer success
20:16 - Engaging with executives
25:30 - Engaging as a subject matter expert
30:00 - Evaluating success in a career role
35:50 - Importance of open conversations with managers about career aspirations
40:15 - Identifying culture-fit at an org
49:05 - Closing
___________________________
#updateai #customersuccess #saas #business
___________________________
👉 Follow the podcast
Youtube: https://youtu.be/H6mnKkpU2lI?feature=shared
Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3dfWXmD
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl
Thank you for tuning into the Unchurned podcast! If you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe to the show and leave us an awesome rating & review.
👉 Connect with the guest
Mike Sasaki - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sasakimike/
👉 Connect with hosts
Jon Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamjohnson/
Kristi Faltorusso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/
Josh Schachter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/
👉 Sign up for UpdateAI - the only Zoom virtual assistant for customer-facing teams.
👉 Be the first to know when a new episode of Unchurned is dropped. Sign up for our newsletter at https://blog.update.ai/
👉 Get the advice and insights you need to thrive in Customer Success. Subscribe to the CS Insider Newsletter
👉 Check out the most loved episodes
Who Wins the Tug-of-War, Team Customer Success or Team Sales? ft. Hamish Stephenson ( Selr.io)
How to Keep Customers from Churning When Renewal Budgets Are Tight ft. Gillian Heltai, CCO (Lattice)
CS [Un]churned: Do We Really Need QBRs With Every Customer?
Transitioning Into a Customer Success Role: The Before and After ft. Julie Raeder (CSM, Dooly)
👉 Past guests on The Unchurned Podcast include Nick Mehta (GainSight), Mike Molinet (Branch), Edward Chiu (Catalyst), Kristi Faltorusso (Client Success), and customer success leaders and CCOs from top companies like Cloudflare, Google, Totango, Zoura, Workday, Zendesk, Braze, BMC Software, Monday.com, and best-selling authors like Geoffrey Moore and Kelly Leonard.
______________________
Unchurned is presented by UpdateAI
About UpdateAI
At UpdateAI our mission is to empower CS teams to build great customer relationships. We work with early & growth-stage B2B SaaS companies to help them scale CS outcomes. Everything we do is devoted to removing the overwhelm of back-to-back customer meetings so that CSMs can focus on the bigger picture: building relationships.
Apr 10, 2024 • 52min
Should Sales and Customer Success Teams Align on Customer Success Plans? ft. Alex Farmer (Nezasa) & Michael Forney (Responsive)
#updateai #customersuccess #saas #business
Alex Farmer, CCO at Nezasa, & Michael Forney, VP CS at Responsive join the hosts Kristi Faltorusso, Jon Johnson & Josh Schachter. They discuss:
- Challenges of constant employee turnover
- Aligning Sales & CS on Success Plans
- Strategies for successful cross-functional collaboration
- Role of AI in sharing the voice of the customer
- Differentiating onboarding phases
- Prioritizing customer-centric tactics
- Strategic approaches to improving customer retention
- Navigating challenges related to M&A
Timestamps
0:00 - Preview
1:25 - Meet our guests & Solar Eclipse
6:31 - Leadership is lonely
8:35 - Challenges in cross-function collaboration
10:58 - Challenges dealing with churn, employee turnover
16:50 - Kristi shares the benefits of re-onboarding & strategies around it
22:50 - Alex shares his perspective on onboarding & non-regretted churn
24:35 - How you can tactically be customer-centric
28:20 - Responsive ---Behind the scenes
32:50 - Re-onboarding doesn't have to be free
35:35 - Identifying customer behavior
38:50 - Using AI to keep customer insights aligned across teams
40:22 - Alex shares about transitioning to an enterprise value selling motion
44:20 - How Alex 6x'ed the average contract value and boosted the win rate from 20 to 33%
45:45 - Adjusting success plans
50:43 - Closing
___________________________
#updateai #customersuccess #saas #business
___________________________
👉 Follow the podcast
Youtube: https://youtu.be/H6mnKkpU2lI?feature=shared
Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3dfWXmD
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl
Thank you for tuning into the Unchurned podcast! If you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe to the show and leave us an awesome rating & review.
👉 Connect with the guest
Michael Forney - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-forney/
Alex Farmer - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderfarmer/
👉 Connect with hosts
Jon Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamjohnson/
Kristi Faltorusso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/
Josh Schachter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/
👉 Sign up for UpdateAI - the only Zoom virtual assistant for customer-facing teams.
👉 Be the first to know when a new episode of Unchurned is dropped. Sign up for our newsletter at https://blog.update.ai/
👉 Get the advice and insights you need to thrive in Customer Success. Subscribe to the CS Insider Newsletter
👉 Check out the most loved episodes
Who Wins the Tug-of-War, Team Customer Success or Team Sales? ft. Hamish Stephenson ( Selr.io)
How to Keep Customers from Churning When Renewal Budgets Are Tight ft. Gillian Heltai, CCO (Lattice)
CS [Un]churned: Do We Really Need QBRs With Every Customer?
Transitioning Into a Customer Success Role: The Before and After ft. Julie Raeder (CSM, Dooly)
👉 Past guests on The Unchurned Podcast include Nick Mehta (GainSight), Mike Molinet (Branch), Edward Chiu (Catalyst), Kristi Faltorusso (Client Success), and customer success leaders and CCOs from top companies like Cloudflare, Google, Totango, Zoura, Workday, Zendesk, Braze, BMC Software, Monday.com, and best-selling authors like Geoffrey Moore and Kelly Leonard.
______________________
Unchurned is presented by UpdateAI
About UpdateAI
At UpdateAI our mission is to empower CS teams to build great customer relationships. We work with early & growth-stage B2B SaaS companies to help them scale CS outcomes. Everything we do is devoted to removing the overwhelm of back-to-back customer meetings so that CSMs can focus on the bigger picture: building relationships.
Apr 3, 2024 • 31min
Customer-Centric Operations at the Heart of Customer Delight ft. Jonathan Corbin (former Global VP of CS & Strategy HubSpot)
Building customer relationships is a foundational pillar of ensuring business success. Over time, as the company's business grows, maintaining this initial touchpoint with each of the customers from a widespread pool of customers serves as a challenge. Dealing with such an issue needs the backing and support of people who form a close-knit team.
Jonathan Corbin, former Global Vice President of Customer Success & Strategy at HubSpot joins Josh to have an unchurned conversation about
How Hubspot identifies different categories of customers
Engaging and nurturing relationships to deliver a great customer experience
Team segmentation & secrets to the motivating and progressive culture at Hubspot
Aligning cross-functionality in team
“Providing customers a delightful experience is deliberate, it doesn’t happen by accident. A lot of people say, - We are going to create a CS team and they are going to solve all the problems. That’s NOT true." - Jonathan Corbin
Timestamps
0:00- Preview & Intro
2:30 - HubSpot, as a holistic solution for GTM teams
4:27 - Fostering relations with customers across different segments
11:00 - Maintaining company culture
17:00 - Using Hubspot internally
19:00 - Aligning teams cross-functionally
29:42 - Closing
#updateai #customersuccess #saas #business
___________________________
👉 Follow the podcast
Youtube: https://youtu.be/H6mnKkpU2lI?feature=shared
Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3dfWXmD
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl
Thank you for tuning into the Unchurned podcast! If you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe to the show and leave us an awesome rating & review.
👉 Connect with the guest
Jonathan Corbin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcorbin01/
👉 Connect with hosts
Jon Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamjohnson/
Kristi Faltorusso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/
Josh Schachter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/
👉 Sign up for UpdateAI - the only Zoom virtual assistant for customer-facing teams.
👉 Be the first to know when a new episode of Unchurned is dropped. Sign up for our newsletter at https://blog.update.ai/
👉 Get the advice and insights you need to thrive in Customer Success. Subscribe to the CS Insider Newsletter
👉 Check out the most loved episodes
Who Wins the Tug-of-War, Team Customer Success or Team Sales? ft. Hamish Stephenson ( Selr.io)
How to Keep Customers from Churning When Renewal Budgets Are Tight ft. Gillian Heltai, CCO (Lattice)
CS [Un]churned: Do We Really Need QBRs With Every Customer?
Transitioning Into a Customer Success Role: The Before and After ft. Julie Raeder (CSM, Dooly)
👉 Past guests on The Unchurned Podcast include Nick Mehta (GainSight), Mike Molinet (Branch), Edward Chiu (Catalyst), Kristi Faltorusso (Client Success), and customer success leaders and CCOs from top companies like Cloudflare, Google, Totango, Zoura, Workday, Zendesk, Braze, BMC Software, Monday.com, and best-selling authors like Geoffrey Moore and Kelly Leonard.
______________________
Unchurned is presented by UpdateAI
About UpdateAI
At UpdateAI our mission is to empower CS teams to build great customer relationships. We work with early & growth-stage B2B SaaS companies to help them scale CS outcomes. Everything we do is devoted to removing the overwhelm of back-to-back customer meetings so that CSMs can focus on the bigger picture: building relationships.
Mar 20, 2024 • 48min
Driving Customer Success with $1 Billion in Verified Customer Value and Insights ft. Elisabeth Zornes (Autodesk)
Elisabeth Zornes, Chief Customer Officer at Autodesk joins the hosts Kristi Faltorusso, Jon Johnson & Josh Schachter to explore the challenges and strategies in articulating and delivering value to customers.
Timestamps
0:00 - Preview
0:58 - BS & Intros
3:30 - How does a CCO work with customers?
4:40 - Where is Kate Middleton?
7:00 - Making the customer a success
9:00 - Articulating the value of the product to customers
13:50 - Planning customer success, measuring and assessing data
16:45 - Collecting customer data to create solid foundations
18:35 - How to use AI for customer insights & recommendations
23:15 - Best conversations for customers' success & technical success
25:40 - How to build a scalable customer success process for small businesses?
30:15 - CS This or That
32:14 - CSMs spent 33% of their time on preparing and follow-ups
36:05 - How can CSMs track and enforce product adoption?
39:50 - The future of CS
44:25 - Closing
___________________________
👉 Follow the podcast
Youtube: https://youtu.be/H6mnKkpU2lI?feature=shared
Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3dfWXmD
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl
👉 Connect with the guest
Elisabeth Zornes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisabethzornes/
👉 Connect with hosts
Jon Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamjohnson/
Kristi Faltorusso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/
Josh Schachter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/
👉 Sign up for UpdateAI - the only Zoom virtual assistant for customer-facing teams.
👉 Be the first to know when a new episode of Unchurned is dropped. Sign up for our newsletter at https://blog.update.ai/
👉 Get the advice and insights you need to thrive in Customer Success. Subscribe to the CS Insider Newsletter
👉 Check out the most loved episodes
Who Wins the Tug-of-War, Team Customer Success or Team Sales? ft. Hamish Stephenson ( Selr.io)
How to Keep Customers from Churning When Renewal Budgets Are Tight ft. Gillian Heltai, CCO (Lattice)
CS [Un]churned: Do We Really Need QBRs With Every Customer?
Transitioning Into a Customer Success Role: The Before and After ft. Julie Raeder (CSM, Dooly)
👉 Past guests on The Unchurned Podcast include Nick Mehta (GainSight), Mike Molinet (Branch), Edward Chiu (Catalyst), Kristi Faltorusso (Client Success), and customer success leaders and CCOs from top companies like Cloudflare, Google, Totango, Zoura, Workday, Zendesk, Braze, BMC Software, Monday.com, and best-selling authors like Geoffrey Moore and Kelly Leonard.
______________________
Unchurned is presented by UpdateAI
About UpdateAI
At UpdateAI our mission is to empower CS teams to build great customer relationships. We work with early & growth-stage B2B SaaS companies to help them scale CS outcomes. Everything we do is devoted to removing the overwhelm of back-to-back customer meetings so that CSMs can focus on the bigger picture: building relationships.
Mar 13, 2024 • 46min
Exploring Diverse Customer Views Using Cross-Functional Expertise ft. Jill Sawatzky (CCO, Thought Industries)
Jill Sawatzky, the Chief Customer Officer at Thought Industries joins Jon Johnson and Josh Schachter, as they discuss the impact of rotating leaders within an organization aiming to gain empathy and cross-functional skills. They also explore the importance of in-person customer interactions and continuously enhancing the customer experience to meet evolving business needs using digital CS.
Timestamps
0:00 - Preview
1:22 - BS & Intros
3:22 - Meet Jill
4:50 - Merger of Totango & Catalyst
5:55 - Josh pokes fun at Jon
7:53 - Do less, better together
11:53 - Communicating customer requirements to the product team
14:55 - One-to-many high tough digital CS
16:45 - Technical investigations team saves CSMs from burnouts
21:21 - Here's what CSMs need to focus on
23:30 - Meeting customers in-person
32:15 - Rotating leaders to understand customer needs better
35:43 - Benefits of having a support leader doing customer education
39:30 - Jill's experience executing the rotation
45:17 - Closing
___________________________
👉 Follow the podcast
Youtube: https://youtu.be/H6mnKkpU2lI?feature=shared
Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3dfWXmD
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl
👉 Connect with the guest
Jill Sawatzky: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillsawatzky/
👉 Connect with hosts
Jon Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamjohnson/
Kristi Faltorusso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/
Josh Schachter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/
👉 Sign up for UpdateAI - the only Zoom virtual assistant for customer-facing teams.
👉 Be the first to know when a new episode of Unchurned is dropped. Sign up for our newsletter at https://blog.update.ai/
👉 Get the advice and insights you need to thrive in Customer Success. Subscribe to the CS Insider Newsletter
👉 Check out the most loved episodes
Who Wins the Tug-of-War, Team Customer Success or Team Sales? ft. Hamish Stephenson ( Selr.io)
How to Keep Customers from Churning When Renewal Budgets Are Tight ft. Gillian Heltai, CCO (Lattice)
CS [Un]churned: Do We Really Need QBRs With Every Customer?
Transitioning Into a Customer Success Role: The Before and After ft. Julie Raeder (CSM, Dooly)
👉 Past guests on The Unchurned Podcast include Nick Mehta (GainSight), Mike Molinet (Branch), Edward Chiu (Catalyst), Kristi Faltorusso (Client Success), and customer success leaders and CCOs from top companies like Cloudflare, Google, Totango, Zoura, Workday, Zendesk, Braze, BMC Software, Monday.com, and best-selling authors like Geoffrey Moore and Kelly Leonard.
______________________
Unchurned is presented by UpdateAI
About UpdateAI
At UpdateAI our mission is to empower CS teams to build great customer relationships. We work with early & growth-stage B2B SaaS companies to help them scale CS outcomes. Everything we do is devoted to removing the overwhelm of back-to-back customer meetings so that CSMs can focus on the bigger picture: building relationships.
Mar 7, 2024 • 37min
Should we ease the workload of superhero customer success managers? ft. Sarah Parker (BetterUp)
#updateai #customersuccess #saas #business
Sarah Parker, SVP, Global Customer Success at BetterUp joins the hosts Kristi Faltorusso, Jon Johnson & Josh Schachter. They discuss the need for a transition from high-touch to low-touch customer interactions and the mindset shift required for CSMs for a self-service approach.
Timestamps
0:00 - Preview
1:02 - Josh's childhood bedroom & Men need pillows
2:36 - Wish Jon a Happy Birthday!
4:15 - Meet Sarah Parker & Learn about BetterUp
6:42 - How coaching equips leaders to navigate challenges
10:30 - Challenges at BetterUp
13:00 - High-touch approach for customer success
14:40 - Challenges despite a high NPS
18:18 - Services offered by BetterUp
22:04 - Mindset transition from a service provider to a partner
25:15 - Augmenting CSMs & enabling customers as platform owners
29:10 - High demand for low-touch models faces resistance.
31:45 - Articulating worth for maximizing impact
33:54 - CSMs are trained to be a superhero
35:33 - Transitioning from UiPath to BetterUp was personal
37:35 - Wrap up!
___________________________
👉 Follow the podcast
Youtube: https://youtu.be/H6mnKkpU2lI?feature=shared
Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3dfWXmD
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl
👉 Connect with the guest
Sarah Parker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahkparker/
👉 Connect with hosts
Jon Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamjohnson/
Kristi Faltorusso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/
Josh Schachter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/
👉 Sign up for UpdateAI - the only Zoom virtual assistant for customer-facing teams.
👉 Be the first to know when a new episode of Unchurned is dropped. Sign up for our newsletter at https://blog.update.ai/
👉 Get the advice and insights you need to thrive in Customer Success. Subscribe to the CS Insider Newsletter
👉 Check out the most loved episodes
Who Wins the Tug-of-War, Team Customer Success or Team Sales? ft. Hamish Stephenson ( Selr.io)
How to Keep Customers from Churning When Renewal Budgets Are Tight ft. Gillian Heltai, CCO (Lattice)
CS [Un]churned: Do We Really Need QBRs With Every Customer?
Transitioning Into a Customer Success Role: The Before and After ft. Julie Raeder (CSM, Dooly)
👉 Past guests on The Unchurned Podcast include Nick Mehta (GainSight), Mike Molinet (Branch), Edward Chiu (Catalyst), Kristi Faltorusso (Client Success), and customer success leaders and CCOs from top companies like Cloudflare, Google, Totango, Zoura, Workday, Zendesk, Braze, BMC Software, Monday.com, and best-selling authors like Geoffrey Moore and Kelly Leonard.
______________________
Unchurned is presented by UpdateAI
About UpdateAI
At UpdateAI our mission is to empower CS teams to build great customer relationships. We work with early & growth-stage B2B SaaS companies to help them scale CS outcomes. Everything we do is devoted to removing the overwhelm of back-to-back customer meetings so that CSMs can focus on the bigger picture: building relationships.
Feb 28, 2024 • 48min
Identifying Overwhelm in the Catch-All Role of CSMs ft. Carie Buchanan (Popmenu)
Unchurned is presented by UpdateAI
Carie Buchanan, the Chief Experience Officer (CXO) at Popmenu, participates in CS & BS conversations with the hosts Kristi Faltorusso and Josh Schachter. They discussed the technology landscape in Atlanta and Carie's experiences while working at big companies like Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, and ERPs. The conversation covered various topics, including the evolution of customer success roles at Salesforce, how Carie's consulting background led her to leadership in the tech industry and much more.
Timestamps
0:00 - Preview
1:17 - Weekend Highlights & Intros
4:46 - Tech landscape in Atlanta
7:03 - Popmenu
9:45 - Listening Strategy & Customer Feedback
11:55 - Kristi's obsession with consultants
13:10 - Consulting mindset for problem-solving and success
17:00 - 3 skills Carie picked up from her time in consulting
19:05 - Feedback on customer requests vs. software innovation
21:50 - Balancing leadership and contact with individual contributors & customers
24:55 - Setting up governance models
26:50 - Gaining insights from skip-level meetings
28:22 - Dealing with the conflicting perspectives of employees and customers
29:50 - Why Salesforce did not choose to dominate the CS industry - Running Customer Success from Salesforce
34:50 - Kristi's She's So Suite Podcast
39:20 - Forming a CS team to manage your customer base
43:35 - Customer Success Roles and Responsibilities
45:00 - The interplay between Account Managers and Customer Success Managers
47:00 - Closing
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👉 Follow the podcast
Youtube: https://youtu.be/H6mnKkpU2lI?feature=shared
Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3dfWXmD
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl
👉 Connect with the guest
Carie Buchanan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cariebuchanan/
👉 Connect with hosts
Jon Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamjohnson/
Kristi Faltorusso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/
Josh Schachter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/
👉 Sign up for UpdateAI - the only Zoom virtual assistant for customer-facing teams.
👉 Be the first to know when a new episode of Unchurned is dropped. Sign up for our newsletter at https://blog.update.ai/
👉 Get the advice and insights you need to thrive in Customer Success. Subscribe to the CS Insider Newsletter
👉 Check out the most loved episodes
Who Wins the Tug-of-War, Team Customer Success or Team Sales? ft. Hamish Stephenson ( Selr.io)
How to Keep Customers from Churning When Renewal Budgets Are Tight ft. Gillian Heltai, CCO (Lattice)
CS [Un]churned: Do We Really Need QBRs With Every Customer?
Transitioning Into a Customer Success Role: The Before and After ft. Julie Raeder (CSM, Dooly)
👉 Past guests on The Unchurned Podcast include Nick Mehta (GainSight), Mike Molinet (Branch), Edward Chiu (Catalyst), Kristi Faltorusso (Client Success), and customer success leaders and CCOs from top companies like Cloudflare, Google, Totango, Zoura, Workday, Zendesk, Braze, BMC Software, Monday.com, and best-selling authors like Geoffrey Moore and Kelly Leonard.
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Keywords:
How to keep your customers happy
customer success manager
customer support
customer success management
Customer Success Manager role
hiring tips for customer success
customer success engineer
customer success marketing
consulting and customer success
______________________
About UpdateAI
At UpdateAI our mission is to empower CS teams to build great customer relationships. We work with early & growth-stage B2B SaaS companies to help them scale CS outcomes. Everything we do is devoted to removing the overwhelm of back-to-back customer meetings so that CSMs can focus on the bigger picture: building relationships.
