
Evolving Forces Driving the CSM Landscape: Learnings from the CS Snack Breakfast Event in Zurich
Customer Success (CS) isn’t just about post-sales support. It’s a strategic function that permeates every level of a business. In fact, it’s a huge impact driving inevitable changes in the CSM Landscape.
With the customer success landscape undergoing a rapid transformation, driven by a confluence of technological advancements, shifting market dynamics, and evolving customer expectations, how effective is it in terms of positive effects? As businesses strive to deliver exceptional customer experiences, customer success management (CSM) has emerged as a critical function.
During our recent CS Snack breakfast event in Zurich, over 30 Customer Success (CS) executives gathered to discuss insights on Customer Success, specifically on how different factors impact the CSM landscape in general.
We learned from different CS Professionals working at SAP, Skribble, and Taskbase. Our great moderators, Sally Stoewe, Vanessa Baglivo, Julian Lindhorst, Matthias Mahlitz, and Mick Weijers contributed enormously to this article.
The morning event offered a diverse range of learning experiences for our attendees. We had various topics for different CS roles, ensuring the sessions could be tailored accordingly.
Here are the topics we covered:
- Efficiency & Prompt Engineering (AI)
- Customer Success Enablement
- GTM Alignment with Sales & Marketing
- Value-Based Communication & Stakeholder Management
- Client Change Management & Tooling
- Communities, Playbooks, & Automation
- Customer Marketing (Cases/Multi-Threading)
- Team Structure & Compensation
Below, we will share our learnings from the above topics:
Efficiency & Prompt Engineering (AI): “Unlocking AI’s Potential in Customer Success Management”
AI has become a game-changer in automating tasks, and its impact on Customer Success Management (CSM) is hard to overlook. We’ve been diving deep into how AI is reshaping the CSM landscape and helping businesses drive revenue growth. In the recent discussion on the topic “Efficiency & Prompt Engineering (AI)”, moderated by Sally Stoewe, we’ve explored how AI-driven tools streamline repetitive tasks and improve customer interactions.
Some of the popular AI tools we’ve explored include ChatGPT, Gemini, Gong, and Airtable, and the ways they can be used are pretty diverse—from brainstorming and generating content to summarizing tasks and even creating legal documents. But the real magic happens when these tools are integrated into the systems we already use to manage customer success workflows.
Let’s say a SaaS company has a growing customer base, and the Customer Success team is facing the challenge of staying on top of customer communications, usage data, and identifying potential churn risks. To streamline their workflows, they integrate an AI-powered tool like Gong with their CRM system.
Using AI-suggested data, the CSM team can address the customer’s concerns, offer tailored solutions, and prevent churn. This is just one example of how AI is building up to its potential.
But of course, with these advancements come challenges. The rise of AI in CSM often sparks debates around balancing automation with the strategic and technical work we do. AI is fantastic for efficiency, but it can’t replace the empathy and human connection that are so critical in CSM.
One thing we always keep in mind is the ethical use of AI. The principle of Immediate Verifiable Outcomes (IVO) ensures that AI-generated results can be quickly validated by a human, helping to maintain trust and transparency.
At the end of the day, while AI is a powerful tool for streamlining tasks, it can’t replace the human compassion that’s so important in building relationships with customers. The key is to strike the right balance—leveraging AI where it makes sense while still keeping that personal touch where it really matters.
GTM Alignment with Sales & Marketing: “Align Teams From Acquisition to Retention”
A Go-to-Market (GTM) alignment between Sales and Marketing is crucial from acquisition to retention. Aligning sales, marketing, product, and customer success teams ensures a smooth entry into the market. In addition, having consistent messaging is helpful in GTM alignment. It can be pivotal in aiding CSM teams to deliver tailored and impactful experiences, which are crucial for long-term growth.
For example, if Marketing creates messaging aimed at attracting enterprise clients but Sales is focused on mid-market customers, you’ll see gaps in communication and customer experience. Consistent messaging ensures that Marketing sets the right expectations that Sales can meet. This alignment also helps Sales teams approach leads with tailored outreach, reflecting the needs and pain points already highlighted by Marketing campaigns.
During the discussion, it was also mentioned that it is Post-Sales responsibility to label project plans with their names for quality assurance. Close collaboration with relevant teams is also among the CSM’s responsibilities for Customer Advocacy. Meanwhile, in Account Planning, CSMs are expected to take full ownership.
This means they must not only ensure the customer’s immediate needs are met but also think strategically about the customer’s long-term goals. For instance, if a customer begins with a basic subscription but later expresses interest in advanced features, the CSM should develop a plan to guide them toward upgrading.
This insightful discussion was moderated by Vanessa Baglivo, who highlighted the importance of cross-functional collaboration in driving successful go-to-market strategies.
Value-Based Communication & Stakeholder Management: “Aim for Long Term Success”
Another round of discussion was facilitated by Sally Stoewe, during which we gathered key takeaways on the topic of value-based communication and stakeholder management.
Often, in the business setting, it is those values that get overlooked, especially in conversations. But what’s apparent is that even with numerous innovations, technology shifts, and automation, it can’t be denied how value-based communication aids in engaging your customers about your product. This strategy then makes your value appear tangible. In the CSM landscape, value-based communication is essential both in decision-making and in establishing customer engagement.
Another topic in this subset is Stakeholder Management. Our first goal was to determine who the stakeholders were. With numerous insights, we concluded that stakeholders should be those involved who are affected by the consequences. Also in stakeholder management, there were various factors for consideration, such as their influence, expectations, and their roles in ensuring success. Incorporating comprehensive risk management into stakeholder strategies allows CSM teams to identify both apparent and hidden risks that could impact customer relationships.
By incorporating value-based communication and a structured approach to stakeholder management, companies can build stronger relationships, make more informed decisions, and drive meaningful engagement with their customers and partners.
Client Change Management & Tooling: “Automate during Onboarding”
Effective client onboarding is crucial for long-term success, and companies across Europe are increasingly investing in strategic onboarding to boost customer satisfaction and retention. A key to this process is Client Change Management—tailoring the onboarding journey to meet customer needs while ensuring they achieve their business goals.
So, how are teams in Europe successfully implementing these strategies? During our recent event, which was moderated by Vanessa Baglivo, we identified several effective onboarding practices that businesses can adopt:
- Have strategic calls with customer to identify their pain points.
- Involve CSMs only at the end of onboarding, but ensure that it only starts when the customer is done with the requirements.
- Ask customer to name stakeholders for escalation paths and project management.
- Define onboarding and adoption goals together with customer based on business case from sales phase.
Automation during onboarding, which can be a result from the current tools are huge factors that can improve the process for clients as well. After the initial Go-Live plan, workshops and additional training on top of onboarding are also recommended.
Communities, Playbooks, & Automation: “Blurry ownership is a no-no”
With the rapid advancements in digital customer success, questions around its relevance and effectiveness often arise. In this roundtable topic moderated by Julian Lindhort, there were a lot of discussions. One area that’s gained attention is online communities—widely regarded as valuable for growing businesses and fostering connections. However, many communities fall into inactivity or become irrelevant due to shifting market dynamics.
Instead of relying solely on online communities, success plans that incorporate these groups have proven to be more effective. A good example is Frontify, which automated its customer engagement process by sharing questionnaires that included guides and plans. This approach minimized the company’s direct involvement while maintaining a strong connection with the community. It’s a clever way to enhance a company’s playbook, particularly when traditional methods feel ineffective from both the CSM and customer perspective.
Another key point raised was the importance of clarifying ownership to avoid creating friction between teams. When ownership is clear, it prevents confusion and ensures a smooth experience for customers. For instance, customer success (CS) teams should be responsible for defining and delivering the messaging across departments, rather than allowing marketing to become the general voice. When marketing dominates the conversation, it risks diluting the value of the product, making it less impactful for the customer.
This ties into the broader agreement that emails are becoming one of the least effective platforms for crafting meaningful digital experiences. To truly connect with customers, companies need to explore more engaging and dynamic channels that resonate better with today’s digital-first approach.
By refining ownership, leveraging automated success plans, and shifting away from ineffective communication channels, companies can enhance the customer experience and drive long-term success.
Customer Marketing (Cases/Multi-Threading): “Keep processes simple and easy to implement”
In a fruitful exchange over the roundtable we’ve had, led by Mick Weijers, and with specialised CSM heads, we’ve gone over important key discussion points and initiatives. Going back with our topic blueprint, we’ve digested insights on this question – What strategies have you found most effective for developing case studies and engaging multiple stakeholders, and are they truly contributing to your success?
One clear takeaway was the impact of customer advocacy as a powerful driver of both customer engagement and business growth. To fully leverage customer advocacy, several initiatives can be implemented. For example, encouraging customers to share their success stories within their own organizations and offering small celebratory gestures, like appreciation gifts or recognition, can deepen their loyalty and enthusiasm.
On the topic of customer engagement and internal promotion, we discussed simple yet impactful activities, such as organizing coffee trucks or team lunches. These informal events can foster a sense of community and are effective in spreading internal success stories, further amplifying customer advocacy.
Additionally, CSMs can play a significant role by coaching and supporting customers in building internal relationships within their organizations. This not only strengthens customer engagement but also fosters long-term partnerships by positioning the CSM as a trusted advisor.
Lastly, we emphasized the importance of KPIs. KPIs are the foundation for aligning strategies across departments, acting as a data-driven backbone for decision-making. By carefully monitoring these metrics, companies can showcase effectiveness, measure results, and refine their approach to customer success. KPIs provide valuable insights that help teams stay aligned and ensure that strategies are contributing to long-term growth and customer satisfaction.
Team Structure & Compensation: “Enable teams with the necessary skills and resources”
Leading this insightful discussion was Mick Weijers, and during the session we addressed multiple shifts that have been apparent in the business landscape. In today’s customer-centric world, companies are focusing on aligning short-term goals with long-term customer success. Leaders, such as those at AWS, are incentivized based on customer consumption rather than Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR), ensuring a sustained focus on customer outcomes. Shifting compensation models to balance both lagging indicators like ARR and churn, alongside leading indicators such as customer adoption and proactive risk management, is becoming crucial.
In the context of Customer Success Management (CSM), this shift is especially relevant. By incentivizing leaders and teams to focus on customer adoption and risk mitigation, companies can drive greater engagement and retention, ensuring that customers see continuous value in their products and services. This focus on customer outcomes rather than just revenue builds stronger, longer-term relationships with clients, which is key to sustainable business growth.
Engaging more with Leadership teams align the vision of customer success with overall company growth. It’s also important to center the team’s focus on long-term value to ensure sustainable growth amongst the business itself. Focusing on the most impactful activities, and experimenting with the team structure allows you with more knowledge on finding the right balance.
In CSM, the relevance of this shift cannot be overstated. As companies move from reactive to proactive customer management, focusing on value delivery, risk prevention, and customer adoption becomes the core of CSM strategies. This ensures not only customer satisfaction but also retention, loyalty, and opportunities for growth through upselling and advocacy. By adopting these strategies, companies can foster lasting relationships that drive mutual success for both the business and its customers.
If you enjoyed what we’ve written here, then it’s a must to join our Community and be updated on the latest trends in the Customer Success industry. Learn from over 450 Professionals all over Europe.
Find your hyper-local community
Find your local community in Dublin, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Malmo, Copenhagen, Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Ghent, Paris, Madrid, Zurich, Bucharest and more.