What are some of the most common red flags you've come across either on a candidate's resume or initial interview that you'd advise future customer success managers to avoid?

Show that you're a team player! It's a huge red flag when a candidate demonstrates a lack of willingness to work as a team. The ability to work cross-functionally to drive customer results is critical. If a candidate conveys the message "that's not my job," they aren't a good fit for our team. Not understanding support vs success. There are a lot of definitions of Customer Success, but I need CSMs who work proactively to drive results. Using "support" and "success" interchangeably in a resume or ...Read More

This doesn't apply to an initial interview, but in processes with a presentation component, a candidate who comes back with round after round of questions is usually a red flag. Managing through ambiguity matters in any role. The ability to make decisions with the information you have, guided by a clear sense of what a good outcome looks like, is what counts. A good assignment intentionally leaves room for interpretation, creativity, and judgment. One too many questions is a good tell on how som ...Read More

I smile when I hear this question — not because it isn’t important, but because, over the years, I’ve truly seen it all. Some red flags may seem obvious. Yet you would be surprised how frequently they appear. And in Customer Success — a profession built on trust, credibility, and first impressions — the smallest missteps can carry disproportionate weight. First impressions are not superficial. They are predictive. If you want to succeed in Customer Success, approach every interview the way you w ...Read More

That's a great question! Interviewing is always a daunting experience, and you always want to make sure you put your best foot forward, while remaining genuine. Listing responsibilities instead of outcomesIf your resume says “Managed 50 accounts” or “Led QBRs,” I still don’t know if you were effective. No metrics anywhereIf you don’t quantify your work, it’s hard to understand your scale or complexity. Over-indexing on “relationship-building”Relationships matter, but they’re not the entire story ...Read More

A red flag that worries me is a lack of detail and variety in the stories about your work. If you are a great candidate, you will have detailed stories that show collaboration and have a beginning, middle and end... and more than one story! It doesn't mean that you have to have direct experience with relationship management but any experience you have should showcase the key traits necessary to be a great CSM: collaboration with various colleagues focus on understanding the challenge and how to ...Read More

Unlocking Success: Key Traits for a Stellar CSM! Proactiveness: Anticipate needs and take initiative. Adaptability: Navigate changes seamlessly in a dynamic landscape. Zeal to Learn: Stay ahead with continuous learning. Empathy: Understand and address customer pain points. Stability: Showcase a consistent, reliable, professional journey. Collaboration: Work seamlessly across functions for holistic success. Client-focused: Prioritize customer needs for lasting satisfaction. These essentials ensur ...Read More