The Digital CX Podcast: Driving digital customer success and outcomes in the age of A.I.

This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Markus Rentsch, CEO of Remark-able, where he spends his time consulting and building products to help CS orgs navigate Customer Value Led Growth initiatives. Markus and I share some commonalities, the first of which is that we are both native German speakers and are from the Vienna area - though admittedly I haven't lived there in years. The second, and probably most important/relevant is that we share a love for Customer Success and talk about a variety of topics related to the practice in this conversation, including:ChatGPT and trusting (or not trusting) Generative AI.Customer Value Led Growth (CVLG) vs Product Led GrowthHow Apple excels at CVLG by providing value to a broad set of peopleData hygiene and how to solve for common data issuesAligning the entire organization around customer goalsPolling exiting customers5 Whys as a great tool for root cause analysisCS in EMEA vs Americas and how innovation tends to move from west to eastEvolution of Digital CS due to current economic conditionsAsking your customers how they want to be engaged...and much much more!Enjoy! I know I sure did...Markus' LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markus-rentsch-customer-value-led-growth-for-saas/Remark-able: https://remark-able.at Resources:Customer Value Led Growth Framework: https://remark-able.at/customer-value-led-growth-book/UpdateAI: https://update.aiGamma: https://gamma.appSupport the show+++++++++++++++++Like/Subscribe/Review:If you are getting value from the show, please follow/subscribe so that you don't miss an episode and consider leaving us a review. Website:For more information about the show or to get in touch, visit DigitalCustomerSuccess.com. Buy Alex a Cup of Coffee:This show runs exclusively on caffeine - and lots of it. If you like what we're, consider supporting our habit by buying us a cup of coffee: https://bmc.link/dcspThank you for all of your support!The Digital Customer Success Podcast is hosted by Alex Turkovic🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com

In what is probably the most quotable episode of the podcast yet, Greg Daines drops some INCREDIBLE knowledge on the root causes of churn and how digital customer success programs are pivotal in driving long-term retention.  How? By driving consistent Customer Results and addressing the variability inherent in changing customer behaviors.As you will likely know - Greg is an absolute legend in the CS space and speaking with him invigorated and clarified my own thinking about the programs I'm building.In our conversation, we talk about:The hardest thing founders & CEOs have to to nail down is how to make customers successful at scaleThe variable you don’t control is the customer propensity to drive change within their organizationThe tech doesn’t necessarily help your customer - their ability to change behavior around that technology DOES!The best predictor of long term retention is customers getting measurable results - CSAT does not predict this and isn’t even correlated with long term retention. Standardizing what you do around customer outcomes & values. The vast majority of your customers will have a standard set of problems. Build the digital machine around the things that you know will lead to success in every customer and then report to them on how they are doing along that path.Magic Words “Our most successful customers do…” Companies look to you to see how they compare with others in the space. 6% of customers know from the beginning where their customer journey is going, which is all the more justification for being their guide in the journey.Transitioning from tools being a "place to do your work" to tools that tell you what work to do. ...and much much more!Enjoy! I know I sure did...Greg's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregdaines/GregDaines.com: https://www.gregdaines.com/ChurnRX: https://www.churnrx.com/Shoutouts:Geoffrey Moore - Author of Crossing the Chasm and his Adoption Lifecycle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffreyamoore/DuolingoHubspotSupport the show+++++++++++++++++Like/Subscribe/Review:If you are getting value from the show, please follow/subscribe so that you don't miss an episode and consider leaving us a review. Website:For more information about the show or to get in touch, visit DigitalCustomerSuccess.com. Buy Alex a Cup of Coffee:This show runs exclusively on caffeine - and lots of it. If you like what we're, consider supporting our habit by buying us a cup of coffee: https://bmc.link/dcspThank you for all of your support!The Digital Customer Success Podcast is hosted by Alex Turkovic🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com

In this episode, I was privileged to be able to sit down with Donna Weber, who literally wrote the book on Onboarding (called Onboarding Matters). The book itself is a fantastic resource for leaders and ICs alike and is aimed at driving a consistent language within an org to ensure that everyone is working together towards positive onboarding outcomes.Our conversation doesn't just revolve around onboarding however and delves into all sorts of interesting topics related to digital cs:How digital motions should assist your high touch CSMs be more efficient and be the specialistsStart your digital motions where your repetition existsDeploying technology before you’re ready for itThe Orchestrated Onboarding Framework in featured in the bookFocus on handoff from sales to onboarding and transferring of informationHybrid CS and some examples for integrating digital motions in your human motionsPutting yourself into the shoes of your customerProviding context to your customers at all times so that they know where they are in the journey at all timesFavorite quote from this episode: "Systemize the predictable so that you can humanize the exceptional!"This conversation was both fun and informative and I hope you enjoy it. I know I sure did...Donna's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnaweb/Website: https://www.donnaweber.com/Resources Mentioned in this Episode:Books: Onboarding Matters: How Successful Companies Transform New Customers Into Loyal Champions by Donna Weber - https://amzn.to/3QEVbNmThe Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less by Barry Schwartz - https://amzn.to/46NZUBXA More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas by Warren Berger - https://amzn.to/49gZ9CPThe ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller & Jay Papasan - https://amzn.to/46PxNCmSupport the show+++++++++++++++++Like/Subscribe/Review:If you are getting value from the show, please follow/subscribe so that you don't miss an episode and consider leaving us a review. Website:For more information about the show or to get in touch, visit DigitalCustomerSuccess.com. Buy Alex a Cup of Coffee:This show runs exclusively on caffeine - and lots of it. If you like what we're, consider supporting our habit by buying us a cup of coffee: https://bmc.link/dcspThank you for all of your support!The Digital Customer Success Podcast is hosted by Alex Turkovic🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com

As mentioned at the start of this episode, our CS friend Mickey Powell and his family are experiencing hardship with the loss of a mother and brother in very short succession. If you'd like to help:Engage with Mickey Powell's LinkedIn Post: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7122633026576031744/GoFundMe to support his dad through end of life costs: https://gofund.me/fc16dc72 Thank you!+++++++++++++++++++++++Today, I am pleased to offer you this great conversation with one of the original Digital CS practitioners, Lane Holt of Gainsight. When I first got into this whole "digital thing", lane was there for me and helped me shape the program I was working on. She has bravely blazed the trail of this crazy practice and continues to do so with her team, creating some amazing motions focused on personalization.In this fun discussion, we cover off a number of topics including: Using your data to know who your customer is and how they are engagingUsing your digital motions to keep your contact data freshTeam structure at Gainsight and how the digital, pooled and ops teams interplayThree key skills to look for when hiring for a digital CS role: marketing metrics, customer success, data relationships Creating digital automations by first doing things manuallyDigital Business ReviewsWhere to start: at the customer journey’s milestone momentsThree different calendars of events: company, account & personaAs you can see, a lot of info packed into this one. Enjoy! I know I sure did...Lane's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laneholt/Resources Mentioned in This Episode:Girls That Invest Podcast: https://girlsthatinvest.com/Previous Digital CS Podcast Episodes with Gainsight folks:Aaron Hatton - Episode 18: https://podcast.digitalcustomersuccess.com/2186702/13696934Nick & Kellie - Episode 12: https://podcast.digitalcustomersuccess.com/2186702/13435077Digital CS Shoutouts:Melissa Allen @ Okta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissaannallen/Jordan Barker @ Alteryx: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordangbarker/Nisha Baxi @ Gong.io: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nishabaxi/Support the show+++++++++++++++++Like/Subscribe/Review:If you are getting value from the show, please follow/subscribe so that you don't miss an episode and consider leaving us a review. Website:For more information about the show or to get in touch, visit DigitalCustomerSuccess.com. Buy Alex a Cup of Coffee:This show runs exclusively on caffeine - and lots of it. If you like what we're, consider supporting our habit by buying us a cup of coffee: https://bmc.link/dcspThank you for all of your support!The Digital Customer Success Podcast is hosted by Alex Turkovic🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com

As a neutral podcast host, I am not supposed to pick favorites...so I won't.But if I did - this conversation with Dillon Young  ( Lifetime Value Podcast) would rank among my favorites because it combines great insights, a lot of fun and some shared background/experiences into one lovely package. Yes, there is some fun banter in the episode (you're welcome for those of you who enjoy that). Besides that, Dillon and I discuss quite a few Digital CS related topics including:Podcasting in CSThe evolution of digital CS towards making CSMs more effectiveThe infancy of GenAI and speaking the language of promptsDealing with data collation and a disjointed tech stack Optimizing your data so that CSMs have an easier time prepping for calls/meetingsUsing downtime to maintain your data and systems so that you can be ready when the wave comesMental health and focusing on being careful what and how much you consume on a daily/hourly basis.I hope you'll have as much fun listening to this episode as Dillon and I had recording it. If you'd like more, go check out his podcast, Lifetime Value - where I'll be a guest this fall as well.Enjoy! I know I sure did...Dillon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dillonryoung/Lifetime Value Podcast: https://lifetime-value-the-customer-success-podcast.simplecast.com/Resources Mentioned in this Episode:Customer Success: How Innovative Companies Are Reducing Churn and Growing Recurring Revenue by Nick Mehta, Dan Steinman, Lincoln Murphy and Maria Martinez (forward): https://amzn.to/40bmr95The Chief Customer Officer Playbook: 8 Strategies that Will Accelerate Your Career and Win You a Seat at the Executive Table by Rod Cherkas, Gemma Cipriani-Espineira (Preface) and Nick Mehta (Foreward) : https://amzn.to/3QtNQA7The Seven Pillars of Customer Success: A Proven Framework to Drive Impactful Client Outcomes for Your Company by Wayne McCulloch: https://amzn.to/3QCzZHPDigital CS ShoutoutsMickey Powell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickeypowell/Dan Ennis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-ennis-cs/Support the show+++++++++++++++++Like/Subscribe/Review:If you are getting value from the show, please follow/subscribe so that you don't miss an episode and consider leaving us a review. Website:For more information about the show or to get in touch, visit DigitalCustomerSuccess.com. Buy Alex a Cup of Coffee:This show runs exclusively on caffeine - and lots of it. If you like what we're, consider supporting our habit by buying us a cup of coffee: https://bmc.link/dcspThank you for all of your support!The Digital Customer Success Podcast is hosted by Alex Turkovic🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com

Wow - what a fun one we have for you today. Kristi Faltorusso certainly needs no introduction. Aside from her resume being a mile long, she currently leads customer teams at Client Success AND runs her own consultancy. But what I like most about Kristi is her massive contributions to the CS community and the fact that she's not shy about sharing her opinion on things.It's always fun speaking with Kristi and while we did talk about some great CS related topics, we also talked about other stuff - which I mostly left in...cause hey...why not!?A few topics discussed today are:How Kristi is currently re-tooling the team structure and mission at ClientSuccess with a focus on three key areas: Onboarding, Technical Resources & Customer EducationThe importance of talking with customers about your re-designs so that you're not doing it in a vaccuum.Why digital motions tend to fail: additive vs. subtractive buildingUnique take on finding existing SaaS tools within your organizationData management & cleanlinessEnjoy! I know I sure did...Register for Alex & Kristi's ClientSuccess Webinar on the Symbiosis between Human and Machine here: https://www.clientsuccess.com/resources/clientsuccess-webinar-series-featuring-alex-turkovic-director-adoption-programs-at-snow-software-and-host-of-the-digital-customer-success-podcastKristi's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/Kristi's Website: https://www.kristifaltorusso.com/ClientSuccess: https://www.clientsuccess.com/Resources:The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Ben Horiwitz - https://amzn.to/3QhKRKNSupport the show+++++++++++++++++Like/Subscribe/Review:If you are getting value from the show, please follow/subscribe so that you don't miss an episode and consider leaving us a review. Website:For more information about the show or to get in touch, visit DigitalCustomerSuccess.com. Buy Alex a Cup of Coffee:This show runs exclusively on caffeine - and lots of it. If you like what we're, consider supporting our habit by buying us a cup of coffee: https://bmc.link/dcspThank you for all of your support!The Digital Customer Success Podcast is hosted by Alex Turkovic🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com

Ever wondered how the happiness of your employees could directly impact the success of your customers? Join us as we sit down with Alyssa Nolte of LIFT, a leading provider in the Customer Success (CS) community, to explore this fascinating interplay. Together, we journey through CS fundamentals in the digital realm, investigating key elements like the customer life cycle, personalizing digital content, and transforming customer success teams from cost centers into profit centers. We place a spotlight on the customer life cycle and the importance of investing in customer relationships from start to finish. Alyssa helps us unpack key CS concepts, demonstrating how prioritization and personalization can drive genuine customer outreach and impactful interactions. We also dive into the world of churn prediction, brand recognition, and nurturing a holistic rapport with your customers.There is a lot of great actionable insight to unpack in this episode so enjoy! I know I sure did...Alyssa's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssanolte/Resources Mentioned in this Episode:Blinkist: https://www.blinkist.com/Digital CS Shoutouts:Tiffani Bova: https://www.tiffanibova.com/Support the show+++++++++++++++++Like/Subscribe/Review:If you are getting value from the show, please follow/subscribe so that you don't miss an episode and consider leaving us a review. Website:For more information about the show or to get in touch, visit DigitalCustomerSuccess.com. Buy Alex a Cup of Coffee:This show runs exclusively on caffeine - and lots of it. If you like what we're, consider supporting our habit by buying us a cup of coffee: https://bmc.link/dcspThank you for all of your support!The Digital Customer Success Podcast is hosted by Alex Turkovic🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com

A lot of us would like to be a 'fly on the wall' as someone tackles installing a new function into an existing org. In this episode, Kailey Killoran of Loopio will give us just that: a glimpse into her journey of building Loopio's scaled customer success program.This episode is jam packed as we get into all sorts of topics including:Kailey's love of learning and how her poli-sci degrees (yes, plural!) have influenced her professionallyThe importance of internal enablement when launching these programsCoordinating with other functions when launchingIntegrating yourself into other orgs’ strategiesThe importance of celebrating wins!How to prioritize data cleanliness to make sure it doesn’t bog you downBuilding sales’ confidence in the digital experienceHow customers benefit from consistency working with a scaled team over a 1:1 CSMEvolving the tech stackThis episode is packed with valuable insights and practical tips that will elevate your understanding of digital customer success to the next level.Kailey's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kailey-killoran-4a89b987/Resources In This Episode:DCS Connect Slack Community: https://airtable.com/appLGhZyujOoYp8BQ/shr4ixoZmB8hBoLbMGainsight Resources: https://www.gainsight.com/resource-library/Catalyst Resources: https://catalyst.io/resourcesSuccessHACKER Certifications: https://successcoaching.co/Dee Kapila's Session at Pulse: https://pulselibrary.gainsight.com/video/product-vs-sales-led-growth-embrace-both-with-scaled-cxDigital CS Shoutouts:Dee Kapila, Global Head of CS at Miro: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deekapila/Support the show+++++++++++++++++Like/Subscribe/Review:If you are getting value from the show, please follow/subscribe so that you don't miss an episode and consider leaving us a review. Website:For more information about the show or to get in touch, visit DigitalCustomerSuccess.com. Buy Alex a Cup of Coffee:This show runs exclusively on caffeine - and lots of it. If you like what we're, consider supporting our habit by buying us a cup of coffee: https://bmc.link/dcspThank you for all of your support!The Digital Customer Success Podcast is hosted by Alex Turkovic🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com

Get ready for an enlightening conversation as we sit down to converse with Aaron Hatton, Digital Customer Success Program Manager at Gainsight. With his vast experience and technical background, Aaron unpacks the intricacies of data, user self-identification, the growth mindset, and much more, giving you invaluable insights into Gainsight's own digital customer success strategies.In this episode, Aaron recounts how his technical & support background has formed into a career in Digital CS. He offers valuable strategies on tailoring the customer journey and capitalizing on data.This very tactical episode promises to deliver a wealth of information for anyone interested in the realm of digital customer success.Enjoy...I know I sure did!Aaron's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronhatton/ Resources mentioned in this episode:The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact by Chip Health & Dan Heath: https://amzn.to/3PXu0wOProduct-Led Onboarding: How to Turn New Users Into Lifelong Customers by Ramli John: https://amzn.to/46cL5ZiThe Product-Led Podcast: https://productled.com/podcastGainsight Community: https://community.gainsight.com/Gainsight Pulse Library: Recorded Pulse Sessions: https://pulselibrary.gainsight.com/Digital Customer Success Kudos:Alteryx: https://www.alteryx.com/Okta: https://www.okta.com/GitLab - Customer Health Scoring Documentation: https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/customer-success/customer-health-scoring/Support the show+++++++++++++++++Like/Subscribe/Review:If you are getting value from the show, please follow/subscribe so that you don't miss an episode and consider leaving us a review. Website:For more information about the show or to get in touch, visit DigitalCustomerSuccess.com. Buy Alex a Cup of Coffee:This show runs exclusively on caffeine - and lots of it. If you like what we're, consider supporting our habit by buying us a cup of coffee: https://bmc.link/dcspThank you for all of your support!The Digital Customer Success Podcast is hosted by Alex Turkovic🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com

I'm thrilled to bring you a vibrant conversation with Alex Farmer, the founder of the Customer Success Excellence Awards and Chief Customer Officer at Nezasa. He brings a wealth of knowledge from the frontlines of various customer-facing role experience, particularly in the startup realm. Through our rich discussion, we explore how to personalize your customer success processes, streamline tech stack elements into a unified, customer-centric overlay, and much more.Join us as we take a deep dive into the art of enhancing customer experience and accessibility. With Alex's expertise, we unpack strategies to establish a single access point across multiple systems for your customers. We also shed light on empathizing with customers to better grasp their needs and confusion. We also explore the Customer Success Excellence Awards program founded by Alex, with a mission to honor those in the industry that are putting in the hard work to make customers successful.Enjoy! I know I sure did...Alex's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderfarmer/Customer Success Excellence Awards: http://customersuccessexcellence.com/Resources Mentioned In This Episode:Blogs:SaaStr Blog: https://www.saastr.com/blog/Kellblog: https://kellblog.com/Lenny Rachitsky: https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/Shoutouts:Angelika Marek @ Bazaarvoice: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelika-m/Dickey Singh @ Cast.app: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dickey/Annie Dean @ Recast Success: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anniedean/Marcus Innocenti @ Zoom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/minnocenti/Jeff Beaumont @ GitLab (featured in previous episode): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffbeaumont/Dan Ennis @ Monday.com (featured in previous episode): https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-ennis-cs/Chad Horenfeldt (featured in previous episode): https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadhorenfeldt/Support the show+++++++++++++++++Like/Subscribe/Review:If you are getting value from the show, please follow/subscribe so that you don't miss an episode and consider leaving us a review. Website:For more information about the show or to get in touch, visit DigitalCustomerSuccess.com. Buy Alex a Cup of Coffee:This show runs exclusively on caffeine - and lots of it. If you like what we're, consider supporting our habit by buying us a cup of coffee: https://bmc.link/dcspThank you for all of your support!The Digital Customer Success Podcast is hosted by Alex Turkovic🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com