Summary

In this episode of the It All Depends podcast, host Prash speaks with Sam Kraus, a Customer Success Manager at Quantiv. They discuss the intricacies of customer success management, including the responsibilities of a CSM, the importance of prioritization, essential skills like diplomacy, and strategies for handling difficult conversations. Sam shares insights on daily habits, effective note-taking, and the significance of collaboration with account executives. The conversation also touches on learning from failures and the importance of formalizing processes within customer success teams.

Takeaways

• Customer success is about understanding client needs.


• Prioritization is key to effective customer management.


• Diplomacy helps in delivering bad news to clients.


• Transparency builds trust during difficult conversations.


• Daily routines can vary greatly for CSMs.


• Data-driven decisions enhance customer success efforts.


• Formalizing processes improves collaboration between teams.


• Learning from failures is crucial for growth.


• Collaboration with sales is essential for client success.


• Engaging with the customer is vital for understanding their goals.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

01:12 About Quantiv and the OKR methodology

04:24 Collaboration with Account Executives

05:19 Number of customers and onboarding

07:44 Prioritization and the 80/20 rule

09:11 Diplomacy as a skill in customer success

11:20 Skills for success as a CSM

13:50 Approaching difficult conversations

15:48 Daily habits and calendar management

21:45 Working with Account Executives

30:15 Learning from failures

33:40 Recommendation for next guest

35:37 Closing remarks

35:37 Podcast Video Intro YT.mp4