
Paris 2024H2 Recap
Paris wasn’t built in a day, nor is a successful customer relationship. Like navigating Parisian arrondissements, Customer Success requires understanding every customer’s unique paths and preferences. Welcoming millions of tourists each year offers valuable lessons for Customer Success teams in Paris, to scale and meet the growing customer demands. By blending personalization with scalable systems, companies can ensure every client feels like they’re experiencing the exclusivity of Paris, no matter how crowded the metaphorical streets are.
During our CS Snack Event in Paris, we explored innovative strategies at the crossroads of technology, customer experience, and global collaboration, all framed through the actionable Start-Stop-Continue approach.
We had the pleasure of hosting an exceptional group of Customer Success professionals from various industries, each bringing unique insights into scaling success in international markets.
Our panelists, including esteemed leaders like Alexia Narlian, Sally Hamdan, Elena Wachsmuth Ponce, Thibault Hottelart, Marcus Foley, and Valentin Lejot. shared their expertise on enhancing customer journeys, leveraging automation, and fostering meaningful engagement in today’s dynamic environment.
The City of Light provided the perfect backdrop for thought-provoking discussions on shaping the future of Customer Success on a global scale.
- 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
Efficiency & Prompt Engineering (AI)
Efficiency isn’t about working harder—it’s about working smarter. Prompt engineering combines strategic thinking with AI capabilities to optimize processes and outputs. It’s the missing link between raw AI potential and real-world application, enabling businesses to achieve goals faster and more effectively.
During the session spearheaded by Alexia Narlian, we streamlined the discussion which provided a concise yet impactful framework for addressing key strategies. By focusing on what actions to initiate, discontinue, and sustain, the model allowed us to distill complex insights into actionable takeaways. This structured approach not only clarified priorities but also fostered more targeted and effective decision-making.
🟢 START
Clean and accurate data is the backbone of efficient AI systems, ensuring meaningful and reliable outputs. To build a strong foundation, assign clear ownership for data management, implement automated cleaning tools, and establish regular update schedules. Consistency and structure are essential for AI success.
Utilizing AI-generated templates and recommendations for routine tasks like client outreach and reporting can reduce cognitive load while maintaining quality. Task-tracking tools are vital for identifying inefficiencies—monitoring time spent on repetitive activities can reveal opportunities for AI to step in and save time. Integrating databases through APIs enables seamless real-time data exchange, enhancing predictive analytics and driving smarter decisions. Additionally, AI’s ability to identify trends and anomalies provides valuable low-level insights, helping refine strategies with precision.
Effective team training is another cornerstone of successful AI integration. Engaging methods like gamified learning and interactive sessions can boost confidence and competence in using AI tools. Personalization is key—AI-driven tools can optimize client outreach by analyzing behavior patterns, improving engagement, and fostering stronger relationships.
🔴 STOP
Avoid relying on outdated tools like spreadsheets for managing data. While familiar, spreadsheets are prone to errors, difficult to scale, and inefficient for modern workflows. Manual entry and formula mistakes can lead to costly errors, while limited integration capabilities hinder collaboration. Transition to advanced AI-powered platforms and cloud-based solutions that offer real-time collaboration, automation, and actionable insights. Moving beyond spreadsheets is a critical step toward adopting future-ready workflows.
🟠 CONTINUE
Build on strategies that are already delivering results. Prioritize AI-powered employee assistants that provide quick access to internal knowledge, saving time and enhancing decision-making. Maintain and refine customer experience tools like chatbots and recommendation engines, which improve satisfaction and reduce response times. Regular updates, informed by data and feedback, will ensure these tools remain effective.
Sustain communication tools offering real-time alerts, email summaries, and actionable coaching snippets, as they streamline workflows and reduce information overload. Keep training AI systems with diverse datasets and real-world scenarios to ensure adaptability and relevance.
Additionally, continue optimizing AI integrations for collaboration platforms like Notion and Slack to enhance team productivity. Refine tools like health scores for predicting customer churn, enabling proactive retention strategies. By focusing on these proven methods, businesses can sustain and amplify efficiency gains while staying ahead of the curve.
By seamlessly integrating these strategies into your workflow, the focus naturally shifts toward Customer Success Enablement, where empowering teams with the right tools and insights becomes the cornerstone of delivering exceptional customer experiences and driving long-term growth.
Customer Success Enablement
To drive meaningful improvements in Customer Success Enablement, businesses need a clear strategy.
During the session spearheaded by Sally Handman, we discussed a structured approach that ensures Customer Success Managers (CSMs) are equipped with the tools, training, and focus necessary to enhance client outcomes while aligning with organizational goals.
🟢 START: Begin by implementing dedicated Customer Success (CS) enablement tracks, as the unique skills and product expertise required for CS go beyond what general sales training can address. Tailored programs that focus on skill-building, client engagement, and in-depth product knowledge can effectively bridge this gap. To support this, invest in developing comprehensive CS enablement resources, such as micro-learning modules, interactive guides, and real-time learning tools. These resources will help CSMs stay aligned with evolving product features and the ever-changing needs of customers.
Furthermore, leverage advanced tools to track customer adoption metrics, providing actionable insights that enable proactive support and strategy development. To prepare CSMs for the future, emphasize emerging skills like data analysis, strategic planning, and AI prompt engineering. By equipping them with these capabilities, CSMs can automate repetitive tasks and align more effectively with client objectives, ensuring both efficiency and satisfaction.
🔴 STOP: To ensure a focused and effective approach, avoid relying on sales-centric training for CSMs. This approach often overlooks the nuanced responsibilities of post-sale engagement and value realization. Instead, create distinct training paths tailored to the unique demands of Customer Success. Additionally, stop delaying enablement on new features. When training is postponed, it undermines CSMs’ ability to drive timely adoption, reducing their effectiveness.
Proactive training must be prioritized to ensure CSMs are fully prepared before feature launches, enabling them to guide customers confidently. Lastly, stop relying solely on internal client metrics to measure success. While these metrics provide useful insights, they can misalign priorities and overlook customer-centric goals. Shift the focus to metrics that align directly with customer objectives, ensuring every initiative delivers tangible value and strengthens customer relationships.
🟠 CONTINUE: Building on existing strengths, continue maintaining certification programs for product proficiency. These certifications deepen CSM expertise, empowering them to provide better support for complex tools and features. Moreover, sustain a strong focus on high-tier client support by offering personalized resources and high-touch engagement. This approach fosters loyalty and strengthens relationships with top-tier accounts, which are crucial for long-term success.
Lastly, preserve the clear distinction between Customer Success Manager (CSM) and Account Manager (AM) roles. Allowing CSMs to concentrate on adoption and value delivery while AMs handle renewals and growth ensures that both roles remain optimized. This balance not only enhances efficiency but also promotes a more effective approach to Customer Success.
To achieve better outcomes and align efforts with evolving customer needs, organizations must also focus on Value-Based Communication and Stakeholder Management. These strategies go hand in hand with a structured and cohesive framework for Customer Success, ensuring that every interaction with clients emphasizes tangible value and fosters trust across all levels of the relationship.
Value-Based Communication & Stakeholder Management
Effective stakeholder management is crucial to the long-term success of any business. In the world of customer success (CS), value-based communication is the foundation of building strong relationships, demonstrating ROI, and fostering collaboration.



🟢 START: New Strategies to Embrace for Improved Value Communication
To improve value communication, organizations should focus on enhancing direct contact with stakeholders, even when partners are involved, to ensure clear and timely messaging. During onboarding, clarify expectations by asking, “Who are we onboarding? What do they expect, and what do we want to achieve together?” Additionally, utilizing automated tools such as webinars, step-by-step guides, and interactive tutorials can streamline the process while maintaining a personal touch. Moreover, aiming for an 80/20 balance between automated and human-led onboarding ensures efficiency without sacrificing connection.
In line with these efforts, involve Customer Success Managers (CSMs) early in the onboarding phase to align on goals and establish a trusted relationship. Furthermore, encourage clients to validate performance metrics with their internal data for credibility, and use frameworks like the Success Chain to map client activities to value metrics. For smaller clients, providing regular benchmark data tailored to their industry ensures relevance, while emphasizing satisfaction and impact by including measures like feedback and success stories in value discussions reinforces your commitment to their success.
🟠 STOP: Practices That May Hinder Value Communication
Avoid relying on engagement strategies that are hard to execute, as they can hinder effective value communication. Instead, focus on clear, targeted approaches that address stakeholders’ specific needs. Moreover, refrain from offering free re-onboarding during the run phase, as it can be resource-intensive without delivering significant value; instead, prioritize building robust self-service resources.
Additionally, shift responsibility from sales to CSMs post-signature to ensure seamless transitions and foster long-term relationship building. Moving beyond solely tracking traditional KPIs by incorporating client-specific metrics that align with their goals is essential. Finally, avoid delaying the tracking of new client goals until business reviews—start from day one to identify and address misalignments promptly, ensuring a proactive approach to value realization.
🔴 CONTINUE: Practices That Deliver Strong Value Communication
Continue offering onboarding kits that clearly outline key features, best practices, and focused guidance to set clients up for success. Additionally, maintaining the involvement of professional services for clients with specialized needs ensures they maximize the value derived from your solution. Moreover, leveraging tools to track onboarding progress helps ensure no critical steps are missed.
Keep emphasizing strong project kickoffs to align stakeholders and clarify objectives. Regularly gauge client satisfaction using Net Promoter Score (NPS) and, furthermore, leverage data visualization to illustrate how product adoption drives success metrics. Finally, reinforce the practice of joint OKR setting to align your solution with client goals and demonstrate clear ROI. By continuing these practices, organizations can solidify their value communication and strengthen client relationships.
Client Change Management & Tooling
Onboarding isn’t just a process—it’s your chance to make a lasting first impression. It’s where trust is built, value is proven, and excitement turns into action. Done right, onboarding sets the stage for long-term success. By embracing smart tools and proactive change management, you can turn this critical moment into a competitive edge, leaving clients feeling confident, engaged, and ready to thrive.
🟢 Start: Building a Robust Onboarding Foundation
To create a strong onboarding foundation, focus on direct contact with clients. Direct communication ensures clarity, personalized touchpoints, and alignment with client needs, avoiding challenges that arise when relying solely on partner intermediaries. Proactively identify key stakeholders and establish direct communication channels.
Clearly define onboarding goals by understanding who you’re onboarding, their expectations, and how to align those with your objectives. A checklist for goals, expectations, and success metrics can set a clear roadmap. Leverage automated tools like webinars, step-by-step guides, and interactive modules to simplify the process and cater to varied learning preferences.
Blending human and AI approaches can enhance efficiency without losing the personal touch—an 80/20 model where AI handles repetitive tasks while human interaction focuses on complex issues is ideal. Additionally, involve Customer Success Managers (CSMs) as proactive participants to ensure smoother transitions and personalized support.
🔴 Stop: Eliminating Ineffective Practices
Certain practices should be eliminated to improve onboarding effectiveness. Over-reliance on partners can dilute engagement and complicate communication. Shifting focus to direct client interactions ensures consistent messaging and accountability.
Avoid offering free re-onboarding during the run phase, as it strains resources and undermines the value of the initial onboarding effort. Setting clear boundaries and expectations during onboarding minimizes the need for repeated interventions.
Lastly, depending on sales teams post-signature is ineffective since they excel at closing deals but often lack the expertise for technical implementation. Transition responsibilities to onboarding teams immediately after contract signing to ensure a smoother process.
🟠 Continue: Refining Proven Strategies
Continue refining strategies that have proven successful. Onboarding kits are an effective tool for providing clear, digestible information, empowering clients to understand the product or service. Focus on creating kits that highlight main features, dos and don’ts, and key functionalities, ensuring they are accessible and actionable.
For specialized or technical needs, engaging professional services builds client confidence by delivering expert solutions. Clearly define when and how these services are integrated to address complex requirements. Tracking onboarding metrics is another essential practice; monitoring progress through tools ensures transparency and accountability. Invest in tools to measure milestones and touchpoints and review data regularly to optimize strategies. Kickoff meetings should remain a cornerstone of onboarding, as they set the tone for the project and align expectations.
Establish these sessions as mandatory, ensuring all stakeholders agree on goals, timelines, and deliverables. Finally, incorporate NPS (Net Promoter Score) surveys at key stages to gauge client satisfaction and adapt the process as necessary.
Customer Marketing (Cases/Multi-Threading)
In a competitive business landscape, customer marketing has evolved from a supplementary activity to a strategic pillar for growth. By focusing on existing clients, businesses can create loyalty, foster advocacy, and unlock opportunities for expansion.
🟢 START
Foster customer relationships by having dedicated customer marketing teams focus on current clients, ensuring satisfaction, identifying upselling opportunities, and cultivating brand advocates. Equip teams with the tools and training to align their efforts with retention and expansion goals. Introduce self-service strategies for enterprise clients, such as automated onboarding and tailored educational content, to streamline processes while adding value.
Localize marketing materials to resonate with diverse client bases by translating content and consulting cultural experts. Build client communities through forums, live events, and moderators to encourage collaboration and peer learning. Partner with clients to capture use cases, creating detailed case studies and sharing success stories through videos, webinars, and campaigns, incentivizing participation with exclusive benefits.
🔴 STOP
Eliminate inefficiencies like overloading clients with excessive communication, which can reduce engagement. Avoid operating in silos by fostering collaboration and shared learning among clients. Expand outreach beyond a single champion within client organizations to build stronger, multi-stakeholder relationships.
🟠 CONTINUE
Leverage proven practices such as video testimonials and webinars featuring client use cases to build trust and inspire interest in additional features. Share detailed use cases to demonstrate success and encourage product expansion. Organize client events to highlight your company’s impact and facilitate networking opportunities. Use incentives like discounts to encourage participation in creating use cases.
Resources for Success: Adopt the Triple Fit Strategy to align retention, expansion, and advocacy. Leverage AI to match client objectives with product capabilities for more precise and effective strategies.



Team Structure & Compensation
Paris thrives on its interconnected avenues and the precision of its design—a lesson in seamless collaboration that translates perfectly into the alignment between sales and customer success teams.
Such an approach not only drives growth but also ensures client satisfaction and fosters long-term success. Crafting the right team structure and compensation plans is as vital as ensuring every boulevard leads to the heart of the city.
🟢 START: Building a Foundation for Alignment
Align sales and customer success by implementing lead scoring based on Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) criteria, reducing churn and ensuring sustainable growth. Incentivize account executives (AEs) on renewals to prioritize long-term customer success, and transition to billing-based commissions to foster accountability. Tie compensation to metrics like Net Revenue Retention (NRR), Gross Revenue Retention (GRR), and upsells/cross-sells, reflecting overall business health. Incorporate milestone-based rewards to encourage focus on customer progress and adoption. Include advocacy-linked objectives, such as reference calls and reviews, to strengthen relationships and attract new clients.
🔴 STOP: Eliminating Misaligned Practices
Avoid incentivizing solely on churn reduction, as not all churn is controllable. Shift focus to broader metrics like NRR and GRR. Stop frequent changes to objectives, which disrupt focus, and set annual goals with quarterly reviews. Reframe customer success (CS) as a revenue-driving department by highlighting its impact on renewals and upsells in financial reports.
🟠 CONTINUE: Refining Proven Strategies
Maintain quarterly bonuses aligned with long-term objectives and keep AEs focused on new business while CSMs handle growth and retention. Incentivize CSMs for upsell contributions with tiered commissions. If CSMs aren’t managing commercial aspects, introduce dedicated roles like relationship or renewal managers to ensure smooth transitions and role clarity.
📌 Resources to Drive Alignment
Use platforms like Qobra to track compensation plans transparently and integrate AI tools to align client objectives with team efforts.
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