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Do you generally recommend that candidates go 'above and beyond' in preparing for interviews?

In which situations do you recommend this approach or not?

Christine Knific

mParticle by Rokt Senior Director, Customer Success - North America • 3y

It's really important to be prepared for any interview you take the time to do, both out of respect for the hiring manager's time and your own. That said, I view an inter...

1,145 Views

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?

Gary Johnson

Enable Customer Success Director • 4mo

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 ...

1,006 Views

How can I improve my interviewing skills for a customer success role?

Wynne Brown

Medius Enterprise Customer Sales • 3y

The best way to improve your interviewing skills is good old-fashioned practice. And it is key to practice with another human so you can get feedback on how you are telli...

1,974 Views

What are the most common mistakes you see candidates make during an interview for a customer success position?

Farhad Bharucha

Truveris AVP, Customer Success + Customer Operations | Formerly Zendesk, Khoros, SS&C Advent • 7mo

There’s no one-size-fits-all in Customer Success, but there are consistent mistakes I see candidates make when interviewing for my team. Here are the big ones:Talking sol...

653 Views

As a hiring manager, what do the best customer success have in common?

Brett Milstein

Wyllo Sr. Director, Customer Success | Formerly Former: Narvar • 3y

In my experience there are a few characteristics/skillsets that the best CSMs I have hired all have in common: 1. Organizational skills - This is #1#1 for me. I have nev...

4,503 Views

What are the key questions you like to ask and why?

How would the proper answers to your questions look like?

Jeff Cann

VP of Customer Success • 1mo

Q: What does your first 90 days look like> Demonstrates strategic thinking, awareness of renewals, risk, unique circumstances, what data sources they can leverage, how...

382 Views

If you're new to customer success, what's a good way to think about, contextualize, and approach a 30/60/90 plan if you've never done one before?

Also, are there any templates/resources you'd recommend as a jumping-off point?

John Brunkard

Salamander Advisory Customer Success Advisor | Formerly Adobe, Sitecore, Red Hat, Symantec, Blue Coat, Intel, Dell, Dialogic • 1mo

Assumption I’d make in answering this:You’re moving from a non‑CSM role into your first CSM role (either internally or at a new company), and you’ve never formally writte...

322 Views

What do you think about your first 30/60/90 day goals when coming in as the Head of Customer Success in a startup that didn't have customer success managers before?

Meenal Shukla

Zoom Head of Scaled Customer Success, Onboarding, Learning and Adoption • 3y

As the Head of Customer Success in a startup that did not have Customer Success Managers before, your primary objective would be to establish a successful customer succes...

1,585 Views

How do you set about learning the products at your new company, and how deeply do you aim to understand them?

John Brunkard

Salamander Advisory Customer Success Advisor | Formerly Adobe, Sitecore, Red Hat, Symantec, Blue Coat, Intel, Dell, Dialogic • 1mo

I’d answer this in two parts: how I learn and how deep I go (for me and for CSMs).---1. How I set about learning the productI don’t start with the feature list; I start w...

324 Views

What's the most effective way to scale a customer success team beyond the first customer success manager?

John Brunkard

Salamander Advisory Customer Success Advisor | Formerly Adobe, Sitecore, Red Hat, Symantec, Blue Coat, Intel, Dell, Dialogic • 1mo

The biggest mistake after hiring the first CSM is to just ‘hire more of the same.’ However in reality, the most effective way to scale beyond the first CSM is: prove the ...

356 Views

What's your framework to prioritizing needs/deliverables when you're the first customer success manager at a company establishing the function?

Conor Holmes

Confluent Senior Director of CS & Account Management • 3y

Having been the first EMEA customer success hire at a couple of high-growth companies, I recommend several steps to tackle the priorities ahead;Ask why the company requir...

1,369 Views

How do you report progress to executives at each milestone and adjust the plan based on results?

John Brunkard

Salamander Advisory Customer Success Advisor | Formerly Adobe, Sitecore, Red Hat, Symantec, Blue Coat, Intel, Dell, Dialogic • 1mo

I treat the 30‑60‑90 as a “mini transformation program” with clear outcomes, owners, and updates. The key is to make exec updates simple, evidence‑based, and tied to busi...

341 Views

What's your best customer success 30-60-90 day plan to make a big impact at a new company?

Steph Gerpe

LinkedIn Head of North America Customer Success, LinkedIn Talent Solutions • 1y

A successful first 90 days breaks down to focus across three key areas: (1) Deep learning and curiosity around the product and the experience of the customer within that ...

2,518 Views

What questions should you ask during your one-on-ones with your cross-functional teams during your first month at the company?

Conor Holmes

Confluent Senior Director of CS & Account Management • 4mo

Here's what I would ask: What are your top three priorities this quarter, and where do you see our team potentially helping or hindering those goals? Is there a specific...

448 Views

How do we identify challenges or opportunities that customers may not even be aware of? One of the biggest challenges with mature accounts is that customers often feel they’ve already realized the full value of the platform. However, there is usually untapped potential. How do we influence customers to uncover and explore those additional opportunities?

Jeff Cann

VP of Customer Success • 1mo

Discovery, discovery, discovery. The more you can learn about their business, why they use the product the way they do, what's important to them or their boss right now,...

367 Views

When hiring- what do you look for in a candidate- that will influence your opinion on future performance most?

Are you looking at skillset? The manner in which they display their thought process? Previous experience? We can all acknowledge all the above is important which is most influential?

Gary Johnson

Enable Customer Success Director • 4mo

When hiring, what most influences my confidence in a candidate’s future performance?Is it skillset? Prior experience? The way they articulate their thought process?All of...

1,463 Views

What is your favorite customer success interview question and the best answer you've heard?

Caoimhe Carlos

Udemy Vice President Global Customer Success • 2y

One of my favourite CS interview questions is some variation of "Can you share a time when you received constructive feedback from a peer, manager, or cross-functional pa...

1,911 Views

How does one gauge autonomy in a customer success interview?

Jeff Cann

VP of Customer Success • 1mo

If the question is from the perspective of the interviewer, I like to see a candidates thinking around their first 90 days.

163 Views

What are the most important skills (both tactical and intangible) that are must-have for customer success managers?

Meenal Shukla

Zoom Head of Scaled Customer Success, Onboarding, Learning and Adoption • 3y

Operational Rigor: ‘The buck stops with me' Understand, follow and contribute to processes Deliver on metrics Ownership of customer situations Problem-solving ability: ...

1,080 Views

Are technical skills necessary to be an effective CSM?

Conor Holmes

Confluent Senior Director of CS & Account Management • 2y

This depends on the type of product your company sells. However, I would say it's essential that CSMs deeply understand the product and its benefits. I would ensure I kno...

698 Views

What is your least favourite thing about being a CSM

Nina Wilkinson

ScaleUp CS Partner | Formerly Apollo, Lob, Canary Technologies • 2mo

Honestly, this hits harder for me as a CS leader than as a CSM.The thing that drains me most is constant change at the exec level. When leadership turns over every quarte...

362 Views

What type of skill sets and experiences do I need to build in order to strengthen my career and move from being a Sr. customer success manager to Director level and above?

Meenal Shukla

Zoom Head of Scaled Customer Success, Onboarding, Learning and Adoption • 3y

Here are some core skills: - Being an established expert in your field or are you making an attempt to get there with certifications, answering questions in your communit...

1,885 Views

What's a typical career path for a customer success manager?

Ed Sowden

Splunk EMEA Director of Customer Success • 8mo

There is no typical career path for a CSM. Some people may want to go into management and some may want to become a senior or strategic CSM. I've seem many CSM's grow the...

996 Views

What hard skills are must haves to be a customer success leader? What are nice to haves?

Natasha Evans

Hook VP Customer Growth • 2y

The main hard skill that stands out to me for a Customer Success Leader is change management. Because really this hits in 2 different ways in a Customer Success team: Yo...

1,904 Views

What's the best way to break into the tech industry as a customer success manager?

Meenal Shukla

Zoom Head of Scaled Customer Success, Onboarding, Learning and Adoption • 3y

There are several ways to break into the tech industry as a customer success manager: Look for growth opportunities in your existing organization: Even if you start in a...

1,683 Views

If someone is looking to begin their career as a CSM what are some must have online resources that you would recommend? thanks.

Jessica Haas

Appcues Chief of Staff & VP of CX • 3y

You're going to want a well-rounded set of knowledge and tools to set you up for success in Success. These include the practice of Customer Success, business metrics, co...

4,183 Views

I just got put on a PIP. What do I actually do?

Nina Wilkinson

ScaleUp CS Partner | Formerly Apollo, Lob, Canary Technologies • 2mo

Most PIPs are not recoverable. I know that’s hard to hear. The data inside companies is usually that 70-80% of PIPs end in exit. In 15+ years in leadership roles, I've do...

394 Views

What’s the right next move: CSM, AM, RevOps, Solutions, or out of post sales entirely?

Nina Wilkinson

ScaleUp CS Partner | Formerly Apollo, Lob, Canary Technologies • 2mo

Depends on what you actually like doing. Here’s how I think about it:AM (account management): Right move if you love commercial conversations and relationship work but wa...

378 Views

Should CSMs own the number, and how do I get comfortable with revenue ownership?

Nina Wilkinson

ScaleUp CS Partner | Formerly Apollo, Lob, Canary Technologies • 2mo

If your team isn’t there yet, it will be. The era of “CS is a cost center, sales owns the revenue” is mostly over at strong companies. The teams I’m building today own re...

336 Views

Should I stay IC or move into management, and is there actually a senior IC track?

Nina Wilkinson

ScaleUp CS Partner | Formerly Apollo, Lob, Canary Technologies • 2mo

Both paths are valid. They are not the same job, and a lot of people pick management because it sounds like the next step, then hate it. Don’t do that. Management isn't a...

367 Views

How do I break into CS (or back into CS) in this market?

Nina Wilkinson

ScaleUp CS Partner | Formerly Apollo, Lob, Canary Technologies • 2mo

This market is brutal and I don’t want to sugarcoat it. I’ve reviewed reqs with 600+ applicants for a single CSM seat. You have to be deliberate.What is actually working ...

365 Views

Will AI replace CSMs, and how do I stay employable?

Nina Wilkinson

ScaleUp CS Partner | Formerly Apollo, Lob, Canary Technologies • 2mo

Short answer: AI is replacing parts of the job. It is not replacing the job. The CSMs who get cut in 2026 are the ones whose work product looked like AI output already: c...

500 Views

What KPIs are most relevant to track and recommended tools to easily maintain them as a CSM leader?

Nina Wilkinson

ScaleUp CS Partner | Formerly Apollo, Lob, Canary Technologies • 2mo

It depends on stage. The KPIs change as the team matures.Early stage teams (under ~$10M ARR): anchor on GRR and LRR. You’re proving the product is sticky and that custome...

588 Views

For customer success interviews, what are helpful resources you'd recommend and types of questions to prepare for from both hiring managers and cross-functional partners?

Brett Milstein

Wyllo Sr. Director, Customer Success | Formerly Former: Narvar • 3y

Rather than just asking a candidate about their background, I prefer to ask about real situational questions. Here are a few of my favorites: Tell me about a time you h...

6,122 Views

What are some examples of "quick wins" you should aim for in the first 90 days?

Rebecca Warren

Eightfold Director, Customer Success • 3y

These might be more generic than what you are looking for, but in your first 3 months, there is so much to learn, and every organization is different. Some of the best ad...

5,411 Views

How do you structure a Voice of Customer program and ensure closed-loop feedback with Product and customers?

Rox Fitzmaurice

Jellyfish Director of Customer Success • 5mo

First, determine what your signals are going to be. The most obvious choice would be direct customer feedback—specifically, customer verbatim from CSM calls. Feedback cou...

434 Views

How do you handle difficult conversations with an executive sponsor when adoption is below target and renewal is at risk?

Rox Fitzmaurice

Jellyfish Director of Customer Success • 5mo

My "Hot Take" - If adoption is low, your sponsor may not be doing their job (well)!Strong sponsors have the opportunity, authority, and ability to activate users. Usually...

417 Views

How can someone from a different field transition to customer success?

Nathan Walker

Vertalo Head of Customer Success • 3y

Jumping into tech from another industry is super common and some of my most talented CSMs had zero customer success experience before being hired. The perspective and ski...

1 Views

Which data skills (e.g., SQL, Excel modeling, BI dashboards) are most valuable day to day, and how do you upskill your team in them?

Rox Fitzmaurice

Jellyfish Director of Customer Success • 5mo

I’ll start by saying two things:The tools themselves aren't the "secret sauce." It’s not just about being a "math person." CSMs need to be "problem solvers" who happen to...

540 Views

What are the most important customer success skills or perspectives that others inside an organization could benefit from that would improve their day to day work?

Natasha Evans

Hook VP Customer Growth • 2y

There's only one that springs to mind and it's "Put the customer at the centre of everything you do".If every department thinks customer first, then the whole company win...

1,126 Views

What should a CSM focus on in regards to leveling up in their career?

Entry level CSMs

Jessica Haas

Appcues Chief of Staff & VP of CX • 3y

The two areas I would recommend are 1) Sharpening your Sales skills and 2) Adopting some Product Manager mindsets. When working with customers and the further upmarket ...

4,706 Views

Where do you see the future of customer success heading?

What skills will a future customer success manager need that he/she doesn't have today?

Caoimhe Carlos

Udemy Vice President Global Customer Success • 2y

The future for customer success is incredibly bright! The role of CS is becoming increasingly important both for organisations and for customers. Customer retention and ...

1,899 Views

What framework do you use when assessing a new opportunity at a different company?

Rox Fitzmaurice

Jellyfish Director of Customer Success • 8mo

I don’t have a go-to framework for assessing a new opportunity but it is VERY important to get clear on what you value as a person and an employee when assessing a new co...

450 Views

What are the biggest frustrations you have as a customer success manager?

Caoimhe Carlos

Udemy Vice President Global Customer Success • 2y

The biggest frustration for me as a customer success manager was the lack of a shared success plan with my customer. My objective was always to make the customer as succe...

1,557 Views

What metrics do you use to justify a pay raise?

Rox Fitzmaurice

Jellyfish Director of Customer Success • 8mo

I have to say that there is a big caveat here - you MUST be clear on your company’s strategy around rewarding talent. I’ve seen many differences in how companies approach...

809 Views

What are your strategies for identifying risk early in an account? How do you think about measuring customer health?

Rox Fitzmaurice

Jellyfish Director of Customer Success • 8mo

I think about risk in a couple different categories. If we're talking about the beginning of the journey, I tend to lean more on monitoring stakeholder behavior for signs...

1,640 Views

How do you retain good customer success talent?

Conor Holmes

Confluent Senior Director of CS & Account Management • 3y

Every company is on some form of journey. Whether you are at an early-stage start-up or have been around for decades, your team needs to understand how what they do daily...

1,472 Views

What is your 30-60-90 day plan when you go into an org with the intention of setting up a customer success function for the first time?

Kiran Panigrahi

Salesforce Director - Customer Success | Formerly HSBC, DELL, DELOITTE, AGILECRM, GAINSIGHT • 1y

When setting up Customer Success from scratch or the base, the focus is on foundations, processes, team culture, and hiring the right people, all while staying agile and ...

1,036 Views

What are the most important soft and hard skills customer success managers can build to become successful in their field going forward?

Manil Vasantha

Leader, Customer Service • 3y

Communication and mental fortitude are essential soft skills, and Product and Industry knowledge are essential hard skills one must have as a core strength. Customer Succ...

4,037 Views

What advice do you have for recent graduates that want to go straight into customer success?

Oliver Nono

Zendesk Global Head of Customer Success Specialists • 1y

Breaking into the Customer Success straight from college is possible but there are things that you should focus on if you would like to go this route. My advice is to foc...

1,322 Views

Customer Success Career Path