Michael Maday

Senior Director, Customer Success, Gainsight

Content

Who do you align yourself with to gain momentum in the leadership organization?

Michael Maday

Gainsight Senior Director, Customer Success • February 15

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 escal......Read More

1402 Views

What are the best habits to do when working with C-Suite?

Michael Maday

Gainsight Senior Director, Customer Success • February 16

Always try teaching them someone that they don't already know about the business, product, or customers. Keep your communications tight, both verbal and written! Never let them walk into a risky/negative situation unprepared Remember that they are people too! Establish yourself as a ......Read More

1059 Views

How do we work with our Exec team to help narrow down what we focus on?

Michael Maday

Gainsight Senior Director, Customer Success • February 15

To understand what initiatives are critical to focus on within your business, you need to take a data-driven approach. A quick strategy would be to understand the financial changes within your customer base (add-on dollars, churn dollars) and then review the activities that occurred with these cu......Read More

915 Views

How do you ensure alignment when you have two senior executive stakeholders who disagree with each other on the proposed strategy and you are stuck in the middle?

Michael Maday

Gainsight Senior Director, Customer Success • February 15

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 ......Read More

899 Views

What are some ways that junior and newer customer success managers can get greater exposure to the C-Suite?

Michael Maday

Gainsight Senior Director, Customer Success • February 15

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 conversatio......Read More

890 Views

How do you influence the C-Suite to get more resources?

Michael Maday

Gainsight Senior Director, Customer Success • February 16

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 positi......Read More

801 Views

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

Michael Maday

Gainsight Senior Director, Customer Success • April 10

When interviewing new Customer Success Managers, I prioritize strong communication skills and professionalism as fundamental requirements for the role. Additionally, I seek evidence of their proven track record in essential role-related skills. I also inquire about instances where they've demonst......Read More

404 Views

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

Michael Maday

Gainsight Senior Director, Customer Success • April 10

Understanding and quantifying the value customers receive is paramount for a new CSM function. Once identified, it facilitates the construction of a CS framework to expedite time to value recognition and provide tangible proof to the customer. Growth of this value becomes the cornerstone for alig......Read More

387 Views

What are the key processes you'd set up when expanding the customer success team from 1 to multiple people?

Michael Maday

Gainsight Senior Director, Customer Success • April 10

Key initiatives for a nascent Customer Success team to establish include: 1. Implementation of a robust Health Score framework capable of forecasting both risks and opportunities for growth. 2. Implementation of a streamlined risk identification process enabling Customer Success Managers to pro......Read More

377 Views

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

Michael Maday

Gainsight Senior Director, Customer Success • April 10

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 de......Read More