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

Marie Lunney, seasoned digital CS leader and founder of DCS Connect Slack community, discusses digital CS before it was called DCS, cross-coordination with other departments, employee satisfaction, data hygiene, digital business reviews, hiring for Digital CS, and the branding implications of a good digital CS program.

Jon Johnson, CS leader, musician, and writer, shares insights on the interplay between human & digital aspects of customer success, the loss of humanity in digital, workplace trauma & mental health, building real relationships in business, and the importance of personalization in digital customer success.

Jeff Kushmerek of Infinite Renewals has to be one of the most dynamic and fun people in our amazing CS community. His contributions are immense via his generosity, amazing content and overall attitude towards CS. You might also see him as one of the most musically active members of the community.While we do start with a fun 'this or that' activity on albums, in this fun convo, we delve into all sorts of great topics related to digital CS including:Jeff's general approach to consultingWhen his clients are NOT ready for a digital programHuman & Digital motions working together instead of replacing each otherHow hiring junior CSMs for digital isn't necessarily the right staffing fitDigital signals beyond basic login metricsSales to CS handoffOperational rigor to make digital motions workCS & Product interactionThis was a fun one which made me smile listening back to it during the edit.Enjoy! I know I sure did...Jeff's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffkushmerek/Infinite Renewals: https://www.infiniterenewals.comResources Mentioned in this Episode:Gain Grow Retain Podcast: https://podcast.gaingrowretain.com/Unchurned Podcast: https://blog.update.ai/blog/category/unchurned-podcast/SaaStr Podcast: https://www.saastr.com/podcasts/The Team House Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-team-house/id1492797340Zero Blog Thirty Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/zero-blog-thirty/id1151856991Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend Podcast: https://teamcoco.com/podcasts/conan-obrien-needs-a-friendShoutouts:Colleen Stein @ Churn ZeroDan Ennis @ Monday.comDavid Epperly @ Blackpoint CyberKara Smith @ Searchspring 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 absolutely love interviewing guests who are deeply embedded and leading CS teams for companies that primarily serve the Customer Success community. That is why this week's chat with Chris Dishman of Totango was such a joy!It goes without saying that not only does Chris' team run a stellar customer success program, but they also advise clients on best practices and have a birds eye view into how many of their customers are approaching CS.In our chat, we talk a bit about Chris' background and how he went from being a Totango customer to employee/leader. After that, we get deep into topics like:The current and future states of health scoringBest practices when building out your own scoringThe right (and wrong) time to implement a CSPCS Operations Human and digital motions working together.Working cross-functionally to drive customer outcomesDigital/Video Business ReviewsMy favorite quote from the episode: "Scaled CS isn't all-or-nothing - you can have variations and flavors of human and machine working together."For those in the US - Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you get to spend some good family time this week.Chris' LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherdishman/Totango: https://www.totango.com/Resources:McKinzey & Company Articles: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insightsThe Effortless Experience: Conquering the New Battleground for Customer Loyalty: https://amzn.to/49qpNJBDecoder Podcast: https://www.theverge.com/decoder-podcast-with-nilay-patelShoutout:Allie Irvin @ Extreme Networks: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allie-irvin/ 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

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.app 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

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/DuolingoHubspot 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

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/46PxNCm 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 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/3QhKRKN 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