Michael Maday

As a Customer Success leader, there are a handful of alignments that I have prioritized. Sales - Aligning CS & Sales is the most important thing an organization can do and if you be the tie that binds these groups, it will pay significant dividends.  Support - Bugs happen, tickets and escalations are part of our day-to-day but if you do not have a strong relationship with Support you will not have a lifeline when you need something prioritized, or eyes on an issue impacting your customer.  S ...Read More

This is a tough one! In this situation, I would do my best to flex my diplomatic skills. Draft up communication that includes both Execs  (with some other relevant stakeholders if possible) and do your best to lay out the pros and cons of both options, doing your best to appear as neutral as possible and then push these execs to make a decision one way or the other. If you feel very strongly that one option is the correct one, and you have facts to back this up, do not walk away from an opportun ...Read More

Senior Executives love to learn things that they do not already know about the company, your product, or your industry. When an opportunity arises for you to interact with them, give them an opportunity to learn from you! Additionally, these leaders despise walking into a difficult conversation unprepared and it is your role as the CSM to make sure this NEVER happens within your book of business. When you have an Executive joining your meeting, over-index on the prep you put together for them. R ...Read More

In this current economic landscape, the only teams that are going to be allocated resources are the ones that are able to show and substantial return on investment (ROI) to the organization. For example, Customer Success teams must be able to project how adding resources or technology will positively impact Retention Rates, Drives Expansion, or Reduces churn. Additionally, these requests must be as data-driven as possible and not hypothetical scenarios. Be critical in your assessment and if your ...Read More

To scale a Customer Success function effectively, it's crucial to demonstrate its financial impact and how additional headcount can amplify this effect. A simple method is to analyze renewal and expansion rates for accounts managed by Customer Success. By applying this financial model, you can determine the potential growth and retention value that an additional CSM could bring when engaging with currently uncovered accounts. This approach provides a clear rationale for expanding the team while ...Read More