AMA: Adobe Head of Customer Success (Asia), John Brunkard on Influencing the C-Suite

To gain momentum with company leadership, Customer Success (CS) should align with key functions to amplify its impact. Sales (Top Priority): Partner with Sales leaders (e.g., CRO) to drive renewals and upsells (e.g., “CS boosted upsell revenue by 15%”). Share customer insights to refine sales strategies, co-presenting revenue impact to the C-Suite. Product Management: Collaborate with Product leaders (e.g., CPO) to share customer feedback for roadmap improvements (e.g., “CS data prioritized Feat ...Read More

Here’s a concise approach: Clarify Strategic Goals: Meet with execs to confirm top company/customer objectives (e.g., 5% churn reduction, 10% upsell growth). Map CSM tasks to these goals (e.g., prioritize key account check-ins for retention). Use data to justify focus (e.g., “Monthly reviews cut churn by 15%”). Prioritize with a Framework: Agree on a scoring model (e.g., impact vs. effort) to rank tasks (e.g., renewals > ad-hoc requests). Set 2-3 focus areas (e.g., renewals, expansion, health ...Read More

To align two disagreeing senior executives (internal or customer C-Suite) on a proposed strategy while staying neutral as a Customer Success Leader, focus on shared objectives and diplomacy. Here’s a concise approach: Anchor to Shared Goals: Highlight the company’s or customer’s strategic objectives (e.g., “Both strategies support our goal of 10% LTV growth”). Use data to show impact (e.g., “Reducing churn saves $300K; upsell adds $400K”). Propose a solution blending both views (e.g., “Pilot one ...Read More

As a Customer Success Manager (CSM), delivering value to C-Suite executives—whether internal leaders or customer executives—requires aligning with their strategic priorities and demonstrating tangible impact. Based on the context of influencing the C-Suite and your focus on customer success as a driver of business outcomes, here are the top three things that provide value to C-Suite executives: Drive Measurable Business Outcomes: C-Suite leaders prioritize results that impact their bottom line o ...Read More

When working with the C-Suite, whether at your own company or with a customer, adopting the right habits can significantly enhance your ability to influence and build trust. Here are some of the best habits to cultivate, tailored to the context of engaging with C-level executives: Understand Their Priorities and KPIs: Research the executive’s role, their function (e.g., CEO, CFO, CTO), and the specific metrics they care about. For example, a CFO might prioritize cost efficiency and ROI, while a ...Read More

To influence the C-Suite to allocate resources for more Customer Success Managers (CSMs) in a zero-based budget, focus on a compelling, data-driven case aligned with their priorities. Here’s a concise approach: Present a Clear Business Case: Show Impact of Understaffing: Highlight how current CSM capacity hurts metrics like churn (e.g., “5% churn increase costs $500K annually”) or limits upsell (e.g., “Missed $200K in expansion revenue”). Quantify ROI: Estimate new CSMs’ impact (e.g., “Two CSMs ...Read More

Showcase ROI with Metrics: Demonstrate CS’s impact on revenue retention and growth (e.g., “CS cut churn by 5%, saving $500K” or “Upsells added $300K”). Focus on high-value accounts (e.g., “95% renewal rate for top 20% of clients”). Position CS as a Revenue Protector: Emphasize retention over acquisition (e.g., “CS reduced at-risk accounts by 10%”). Compare CS costs to churn losses (e.g., “$200K in CS prevents $1M revenue loss”). For customers, show how CS maximizes their ROI to secure renewals. ...Read More

Signals You’ve Earned an Executive’s Trust They Seek Your Input: They actively ask for your advice or perspective on strategic decisions, e.g., a CEO requesting your take on a new market opportunity or a customer’s CFO consulting you on budget allocation. They Share Candid Insights: They open up about sensitive challenges or goals, like an internal leader discussing budget constraints or a customer executive sharing competitive pressures. They Act on Your Recommendations: Your suggestions are im ...Read More