What if you could predict retention from a customer’s first three logins? That’s exactly what TrendMiner discovered – and it changed the way they drive adoption.

In this episode, Courtney chats with Jef Vanlaer, CS Ops Manager at TrendMiner, about how simplifying onboarding and focusing on early value can dramatically shift engagement.

Jef shares how they cut an onboarding flow from 16 steps to 7 (and boosted completion from 10% to 50%), how they spot adoption risks before they snowball, and why timing matters more than tactics when it comes to in-app messages.

You’ll walk away with real practices for improving first value, tightening your adoption signals, and connecting product usage to real business outcomes.

Key takeaways:

• Early engagement is one of the strongest predictors of retention.
• First value sets the tone for the entire relationship.
• Shorter onboarding = better onboarding. Simplicity always wins.
• The “three logins” rule is real: small behaviors create big signals.
• Spotting adoption risks early helps you avoid much bigger issues later.
• In-app messages only work when they show up at the right moment.
• Friendly gamification works… but keep it professional.
• Time saved = real business value, and customers need to see that.
• Automation helps you scale, but humans still close the value gap.
• When in doubt, streamline the process. Complexity kills adoption.

Resources:

• Connect with Courtney on LinkedIn
• Connect with Jef on LinkedIn
• Workbook: Re-Architecting Digital Experience Teams – Future-Proof Skills, Structure & Strategy
• Learn more about Digital Customer Success Solutions
• Learn more about Gainsight PX