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Listen "Spooky insights: What we learned from surveying CSMs"
Episode Synopsis
Happy Halloween week!
Todd Kirk and Casey Trujillo discuss spooky insights from a live survey conducted at the ZERO-IN 2024 conference, focusing on the evolving role of Customer Success Managers (CSMs). Learn how CSMs define their roles, the challenges they face in managing multiple accounts, and the effectiveness of training methods.
It's clear from the survey results that there's a disconnect between CSMs' perceptions of their roles and the actual needs for driving customer renewals, emphasizing the importance of better customer education and data-driven approaches.
Takeaways
Customer success is a growing field with evolving roles.
Many CSMs see themselves primarily as relationship managers.
Over 50% of CSMs manage 50 or more accounts, complicating relationship building.
Training time is often prioritized over relationship management.
There is a significant gap in measuring the effectiveness of training.
63% of CSMs struggle to find time to complete their tasks.
Aligning customer needs with company goals is a major challenge.
Providing better customer education is seen as crucial for renewals.
The majority of CSMs rely heavily on instructor-led training.
A digital experience is preferred for customer education.
Contents
00:00 Introduction to Customer Success Insights
02:13 Survey Results: Defining Customer Success Roles
05:37 Managing Customer Accounts: The Relationship Dilemma
09:37 Training Time vs. Relationship Building
11:20 Effectiveness of Training Methods
15:43 Challenges in Customer Success Management
18:53 Focusing on Key Aspects for Renewals
26:19 The Need for Better Customer Education
Resources
Connect with Casey
Connect with Todd
Visit the show page
Get to know BrainStorm
Credits
Show direction: Debra Wilson
Show design: Kensie Smith
Show manager: Angela Allred
Todd Kirk and Casey Trujillo discuss spooky insights from a live survey conducted at the ZERO-IN 2024 conference, focusing on the evolving role of Customer Success Managers (CSMs). Learn how CSMs define their roles, the challenges they face in managing multiple accounts, and the effectiveness of training methods.
It's clear from the survey results that there's a disconnect between CSMs' perceptions of their roles and the actual needs for driving customer renewals, emphasizing the importance of better customer education and data-driven approaches.
Takeaways
Customer success is a growing field with evolving roles.
Many CSMs see themselves primarily as relationship managers.
Over 50% of CSMs manage 50 or more accounts, complicating relationship building.
Training time is often prioritized over relationship management.
There is a significant gap in measuring the effectiveness of training.
63% of CSMs struggle to find time to complete their tasks.
Aligning customer needs with company goals is a major challenge.
Providing better customer education is seen as crucial for renewals.
The majority of CSMs rely heavily on instructor-led training.
A digital experience is preferred for customer education.
Contents
00:00 Introduction to Customer Success Insights
02:13 Survey Results: Defining Customer Success Roles
05:37 Managing Customer Accounts: The Relationship Dilemma
09:37 Training Time vs. Relationship Building
11:20 Effectiveness of Training Methods
15:43 Challenges in Customer Success Management
18:53 Focusing on Key Aspects for Renewals
26:19 The Need for Better Customer Education
Resources
Connect with Casey
Connect with Todd
Visit the show page
Get to know BrainStorm
Credits
Show direction: Debra Wilson
Show design: Kensie Smith
Show manager: Angela Allred
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The Quality of Your Questions: CS Secrets from the Trenches with Todd Kirk and Casey Trujillo
18/11/2025
Establishing New Success Metrics for Customer Education with Todd Kirk and Casey Trujillo
04/11/2025
The Evolution of Customer Success Strategies with Dan Steinman, Director @ Colson Fellows
28/10/2025
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