108 episodes

The Unchurned podcast brings you the stories that will help you forge incredible customer relationships, prevent churn, & build institutional knowledge. The CS & BS series is a part of the Unchurned podcast wherein, with each episode, our hosts - Kristi Faltorusso, Jon Johnson, Josh Schachter, and special guests uncover the secrets of top leaders and innovators of companies so that you can advance your career and the performance of your customer success team.

Unchurned, and the CS&BS series, are presented by UpdateAI - https://update.ai/

Unchurned - The No. 1 podcast for Customer Success Josh Schachter - UpdateAI

    • Entrepreneurship

The Unchurned podcast brings you the stories that will help you forge incredible customer relationships, prevent churn, & build institutional knowledge. The CS & BS series is a part of the Unchurned podcast wherein, with each episode, our hosts - Kristi Faltorusso, Jon Johnson, Josh Schachter, and special guests uncover the secrets of top leaders and innovators of companies so that you can advance your career and the performance of your customer success team.

Unchurned, and the CS&BS series, are presented by UpdateAI - https://update.ai/

    Can Revenue-Driven Practices Lead to Customer-Centric Growth? Ft. Aaron Thompson (SuccessHACKER)

    Can Revenue-Driven Practices Lead to Customer-Centric Growth? Ft. Aaron Thompson (SuccessHACKER)

    #updateai #customersuccess #saas #business



    Customer success roles fall short of true value creation.

    The industry has inadvertently boxed itself into creating safe, activity-based roles rather than ones driven by tangible outcomes and accountability.

    It's time to rethink and reinvent the essence of customer success.



    Aaron Thompson, CRO, SuccessHACKER, joins our hosts, Josh Schachter, Kristi Faltorusso & Jon Johnson to discuss the need for a crucial shift in the customer success model from being a cost center to a revenue driver. Aaron brings a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective, discussing the impact of tracking post-sale activities, aligning team incentives, and the challenges of transitioning from a "sales-led" to a "revenue-led" organization and the essential role of renewals, expansions, and customer retention in driving revenue growth.



    Timestamps

    0:00 - Preview, BS & Intro

    6:12 - Revenue Acquisition Cost

    14:39 - Tracking & calculating costs

    18:00 - Revenue is cheap to lose, expensive to maintain

    26:55 - Focus on being revenue-led

    30:04 - Rewiring to become customer-centric

    35:50 - The starting point to being customer-centric as an individual contributor

    43:05 - CSMs need to have a revenue-focused mindset

    ___________________________

    👉 Follow the podcast

    Youtube: https://youtu.be/JprAz-o-dWk

    Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3dfWXmD

    Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl



    👉 Connect with the guest

    Aaron Thompson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/athomps/



    👉 Connect with hosts

    Jon Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamjohnson/

    Kristi Faltorusso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/

    Josh Schachter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/





    👉 Sign up for ⁠UpdateAI⁠ - the only Zoom virtual assistant for customer-facing teams.

    👉 Be the first to know when a new episode of Unchurned is dropped. Sign up for our newsletter at ⁠https://blog.update.ai/⁠

    👉 Get the advice and insights you need to thrive in Customer Success. ⁠Subscribe to the CS Insider Newsletter



    ________________

    Keywords:

    Customer success, Revenue-led growth, Success criteria, Renewals, Customer retention, Revenue growth, customer centricity, Revenue acquisition cost, Cross-sell, Upsell, Customer-centric approaches, Recurring revenue approaches, Customer success managers, Revenue-based accountability, Customer-driven revenue, Predictable renewals, Additional revenue opportunities, Success planning, Onboarding process, Client success tools, Business growth strategy, Customer expectations



    ______________________

    Unchurned is presented by UpdateAI



    About UpdateAI

    At UpdateAI our mission is to empower CS teams to build great customer relationships. We work with early & growth-stage B2B SaaS companies to help them scale CS outcomes. Everything we do is devoted to removing the overwhelm of back-to-back customer meetings so that CSMs can focus on the bigger picture: building relationships.

    • 50 min
    Can AI Insights Transform Tech Touch Customer Success? ft. Sam Loveland (Salesloft)

    Can AI Insights Transform Tech Touch Customer Success? ft. Sam Loveland (Salesloft)

    #updateai #customersuccess #saas #business





    Sam Loveland, Chief Customer Officer at SalesLoft, joins Jon Johnson, User Testing and Michael Forney, VP of CS at Responsive to delve into the intersection of AI and customer success. From leveraging generative AI to the challenges of managing multiple AI tools, the conversation unravels key insights and practical strategies for achieving customer success metrics.





    Timestamp

    0:00 - Preview & Intro

    7:50 - Human touch in the AI world

    13:10 - Using AI for CS insights

    22:30 - Challenges for integrating tools & systems

    25:53 - How does leadership evaluate CSMs

    29:47 - Automating customer onboarding

    33:40 - Enhancing productivity & generating value using AI

    39:44 - Closing



    ___________________________

    👉 Follow the podcast

    Youtube: ⁠https://youtu.be/JprAz-o-dWk⁠

    Apple Podcast: ⁠https://apple.co/3dfWXmD⁠

    Spotify: ⁠https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl⁠





    👉 Connect with the guest

    Michael Forney: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-forney/

    Sam Loveland: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-loveland-b19775/





    👉 Connect with hosts

    Jon Johnson: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamjohnson/⁠

    Kristi Faltorusso: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/⁠

    Josh Schachter: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/⁠





    👉 Sign up for ⁠UpdateAI⁠ - the only Zoom virtual assistant for customer-facing teams.

    👉 Be the first to know when a new episode of Unchurned is dropped. Sign up for our newsletter at ⁠⁠https://blog.update.ai/⁠⁠



    ______________________

    Unchurned is presented by UpdateAI



    About UpdateAI

    At UpdateAI our mission is to empower CS teams to build great customer relationships. We work with early & growth-stage B2B SaaS companies to help them scale CS outcomes. Everything we do is devoted to removing the overwhelm of back-to-back customer meetings so that CSMs can focus on the bigger picture: building relationships.

    • 47 min
    Bosses Don’t Understand the Role of CSMs Ft. Alok Shukla (FunnelStory)

    Bosses Don’t Understand the Role of CSMs Ft. Alok Shukla (FunnelStory)

    #updateai #customersuccess #saas #business



    Alok Sharma, CEO of Funnel Story AI, joins Josh Schachter, Founder & CEO of UpdateAI, and Jon Johnson, Principal CSM of UserTesting, to discuss the strategic role of CSMs in using technology to drive business outcomes. With a blend of humor, insightful discussions, and practical takeaways, Alok shares his insights on the shortcomings of traditional customer success platforms, the generational shift in technology adoption, and the evolving role of customer success teams in leveraging data insights for strategic decision-making.



    Timestamps:

    0:00 - Preview

    1:56 - BS & Intros

    7:20 - Overlap of Cybersecurity & CS

    11:54 - 80% of AI is Getting Data in the Right Format

    18:52 - Business Intelligence for CS Teams

    20:30 - Do CSMs Need a Data Mindset?

    22:45 - Pendo Isn't Designed for CSMs

    26:40 - Importance of Understanding Personas

    28:40 - Good Food. Good Business. Good Life.

    34:34 - Do Traditional CS Platforms Solve Real Problems?

    46:46 - Closing



    ___________________________

    👉 Follow the podcast

    Youtube: https://youtu.be/JprAz-o-dWk

    Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3dfWXmD

    Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl



    👉 Connect with the guest

    Alok Shukla: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshukla/



    👉 Connect with hosts

    Jon Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamjohnson/

    Kristi Faltorusso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/

    Josh Schachter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/



    👉 Sign up for ⁠UpdateAI⁠ - the only Zoom virtual assistant for customer-facing teams.

    👉 Be the first to know when a new episode of Unchurned is dropped. Sign up for our newsletter at ⁠https://blog.update.ai/⁠



    ________________

    Keywords:

    How to keep your customers happy , customer success manager, customer support, customer success management, Customer Success Manager role, Pendo, FunnelStory, Data mindset, Customer success platforms, Alok Sharma, customer progression, technology adoption, cybersecurity, big data analysis, human interactions, behavioral insights, business intelligence, data mindset, customer relationships, in-person meetings, post-COVID era

    ______________________

    Unchurned is presented by UpdateAI



    About UpdateAI

    At UpdateAI our mission is to empower CS teams to build great customer relationships. We work with early & growth-stage B2B SaaS companies to help them scale CS outcomes. Everything we do is devoted to removing the overwhelm of back-to-back customer meetings so that CSMs can focus on the bigger picture: building relationships.

    • 47 min
    Using Data-Driven Content to Serve Customers ft. Nikola Mijic (Founder, Matik)

    Using Data-Driven Content to Serve Customers ft. Nikola Mijic (Founder, Matik)

    In this unchurned conversation, Nikola Mijic, the Founder of Matik joins Josh Schachter. Both of them dive into how Nikola got into the world of CS, and his experience working at LinkedIn and also discuss:



    0:00 - Meet Nick & how health scores help predict customer churn risk

    7:00 - Working at LinkedIn inspired Nick's startup journey

    13:03 - Nick's experience as an immigrant

    17:45 - The role of core values in guiding operations and solving conflicts

    23:10 - Finding early customers who understand the startup mentality

    26:00 - Using data-driven content can enable scaling



    #updateai #customersuccess #saas #business





    👉 Follow the podcast

    Youtube: ⁠https://youtu.be/JprAz-o-dWk⁠

    Apple Podcast: ⁠https://apple.co/3dfWXmD⁠

    Spotify: ⁠https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl⁠





    👉 Connect with the guest

    Nikola Mijic: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikola-mijic-9012201b/





    👉 Connect with hosts

    Jon Johnson: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamjohnson/⁠

    Kristi Faltorusso: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/⁠

    Josh Schachter: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/⁠



    👉 Sign up for ⁠UpdateAI⁠ - the only Zoom virtual assistant for customer-facing teams.

    👉 Be the first to know when a new episode of Unchurned is dropped. Sign up for our newsletter at ⁠https://blog.update.ai/⁠

    👉 Get the advice and insights you need to thrive in Customer Success. ⁠Subscribe to the CS Insider Newsletter



    ______________________

    Unchurned is presented by UpdateAI



    About UpdateAI

    At UpdateAI our mission is to empower CS teams to build great customer relationships. We work with early & growth-stage B2B SaaS companies to help them scale CS outcomes. Everything we do is devoted to removing the overwhelm of back-to-back customer meetings so that CSMs can focus on the bigger picture: building relationships.

    • 29 min
    CS Meetups, Post-sales Success and Future of Work Ft. John Gleeson (Success Venture Partners)

    CS Meetups, Post-sales Success and Future of Work Ft. John Gleeson (Success Venture Partners)

    #updateai #customersuccess #saas #business



    John Gleeson, the founder of Success Venture Partners joins Josh Schachter, founder of UpdateAI to share his startup investment thesis, the need to deeply understand customers and the potential for software to enter underserved spaces. The conversation also delves into the future of technology, job prospects, and the excitement around AI advancements.



    Timestamps

    0:00 - Preview, Intros & Leading an Ice Hockey team

    9:15 - Playing with the winning team

    15:02 - Creating a venture firm for post-logo entrepreneur support

    20:10 - Investment thesis

    24:44 - Investing in Loamy

    30:25 - CS Meetup

    35:20 - The future of work with AI



    ______________

    👉 Follow the podcast

    Youtube: https://youtu.be/JprAz-o-dWk

    Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3dfWXmD

    Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl



    👉 Connect with the guest

    John Gleeson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johngleeson10/



    👉 Connect with hosts

    Jon Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamjohnson/

    Kristi Faltorusso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/

    Josh Schachter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/




    👉 Sign up for ⁠UpdateAI⁠ - the only Zoom virtual assistant for customer-facing teams.
    👉 Be the first to know when a new episode of Unchurned is dropped. Sign up for our newsletter at ⁠https://blog.update.ai/⁠
    👉 Get the advice and insights you need to thrive in Customer Success. ⁠Subscribe to the CS Insider Newsletter




    ______________________




    Unchurned is presented by UpdateAI





    About UpdateAI
    At UpdateAI our mission is to empower CS teams to build great customer relationships. We work with early & growth-stage B2B SaaS companies to help them scale CS outcomes. Everything we do is devoted to removing the overwhelm of back-to-back customer meetings so that CSMs can focus on the bigger picture: building relationships.

    • 47 min
    How to Gain Control of Your Customers and Win Trust ft. Damien Howley

    How to Gain Control of Your Customers and Win Trust ft. Damien Howley

    Josh Schachter sits down with Damien Howley, author of "Control Your Customer: A Guidebook for Customer Success Managers". Damien explains the concept of "controlling your customer", the STO framework for segmenting customer contacts, the importance of celebrating every win, and the value of quantifying the customer's gain from a product.




    Timestamps




    0:00 - Preview & Intros

    4:00 - Control Your Customer

    5:50 - Interpreting customer experience

    8:17 - STO framework

    11:30 - Segmenting customer accounts and tracking engagements

    15:40 - Customer happiness is over-rated?

    18:40 - Celebrating every customer win as a CSM



    Damien has spent the last 20 years building, selling, and implementing SaaS. Since the inception of CS, he has worked to develop and refine best practices for revenue-focused customer success teams, helping hundreds of CSMs master their trade. He has served as a leader and advisor in Customer Success.





    "The richest relationships I've ever formed with customers have come on the heels of exceptional value delivery." — Damien Howley





    ___________________________


    👉 Connect with the guest


    Damien Howley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damienh/






    👉 Follow the podcast


    Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/H6mnKkpU2lI?feature=shared⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    Apple Podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://apple.co/3dfWXmD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://spoti.fi/3KD3Ehl⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠






    Thank you for tuning into the Unchurned podcast! If you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe to the show and leave us an awesome rating & review.




    👉 Connect with hosts


    Jon Johnson: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamjohnson/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    Kristi Faltorusso: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    Josh Schachter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠






    👉 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for ⁠UpdateA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠I⁠ - the only Zoom virtual assistant for customer-facing teams.


    👉 Be the first to know when a new episode of Unchurned is dropped. Sign up for our newsletter at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://blog.update.ai/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    👉 Get the advice and insights you need to thrive in Customer Success. ⁠Subscribe to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CS Insider Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠







    👉 Check out the most loved episodes


    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Who Wins the Tug-of-War, Team Customer Success or Team Sales? ft. Hamish Stephenson ( Selr.io)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠How to Keep Customers from Churning When Renewal Budgets Are Tight ft. Gillian Heltai, CCO (Lattice)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CS [Un]churned: Do We Really Need QBRs With Every Customer?⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Transitioning Into a Customer Success Role: The Before and After ft. Julie Raeder (CSM, Dooly)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠



    👉 Past guests on The Unchurned Podcast include ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nick Mehta (GainSight)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mike Molinet (Branch)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Edward Chiu (Catalyst)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Kristi Faltorusso (Client Success)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and customer success leaders and CCOs from top companies like 

    • 23 min

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