Customer Success Coaching for Renewals

My biggest priority at Junction is improving renewal conversations. Not by adding more touchpoints. By making every interaction count. Here are three tactics that actually moved retention: Tactic One: Segment Your Book Most CSMs treat all customers the same. Same cadence. Same agenda. Same deck. That's the fastest way to become background noise. Instead, segment your book by outcome they're driving: → Revenue growth customers → Cost savings customers → Efficiency/workflow customers When you group similar outcomes, you stop context switching between completely different value stories. You get in flow with relevant case studies, metrics that matter, and strategic conversations they actually care about. Tactic Two: Mine for Intelligence Not every customer call needs to drive immediate action. Sometimes you're gathering intelligence for the renewal conversation 90 days out. When you hear "gold nuggets" like: → Upcoming board priorities → Budget reallocation plans → New executive KPIs → Competitive pressure points You capture them. Then you use those insights to frame your value story around what their CFO actually cares about. Tactic Three: Outcomes, Not Features Your customer messages used to sound like this: "Checking in on adoption metrics and wanted to schedule our quarterly review..." Now they sound like this: "I noticed your team is focused on reducing time-to-market by 30% this quarter. Most ops leaders we work with are facing the same tension: pressure to move faster while maintaining quality and compliance." What's more likely: Your customer is thinking about the business outcome you impact? Or your customer is thinking about your product features? Message accordingly, and engagement increases. --- The shift isn't more customer touches. It's more intelligent customer touches. Stop optimizing for activity volume. Start optimizing for strategic relevance. How are you teaching your CS team to segment, mine intelligence, and lead with outcomes?

We sabotaged Customer Success by treating it like a support hotline—then acted surprised when ARR bled dry (2022-2024). The truth? CS is a revenue engine, just like sales. It deserves better. Fortunately, leaders like Harriet Shakked🎗 get it. Here are 7 ways she’s building Aligned’s CS like a top-class sales org: 1. Training Is About Value Extraction, NOT How To’s Similar to a great sales demo, you MUST focus on value, not features. You can’t expect people to care about How X works, before getting Why use X. We’ve just wrapped up a big update to our Aligned Onboarding Room and training. Instead of “click here”, it’s “Here’s how you access more stakeholders and save deals”. 2. GAP Selling Discovery (Yes, in CS) We’re training CSMs on GAP Selling. Harriet’s team runs discovery calls for every new customer. They question our sales team’s assumptions, confirm the ‘why’ behind the purchase, and go deeper so they can craft success plans that align with the business priorities and be true partners. 3. Keep a Real Forecast Pipeline Never assume a renewal. Harriet’s team tracks renewals and expansions like a sales pipeline. They use actual data (usage, milestones, multithreading levels, ROI) to forecast outcomes. No guesswork. No ‘set and forget’. They have a timeline, clear gates, and next moves—just like top AEs. 4. “Health” = Trackable Outcomes, Not Product Usage Your buyer's CFO doesn't care how many times someone logged in; they care about results. Harriet killed the weighted product ‘health score’ that nobody trusted. Her team measures actual business outcomes: deals accelerated, time saved. Show the CFO that metric. The renewal practically closes itself. 5. Commercial Skills > 'Happiness Management' Renewals are commercial events, not a ‘likability contest’. Harriet invests in sales training so her CSMs can handle pricing objections, negotiate renewals, and recognize red flags early. If you’re just making customers ‘happy’, you’re ignoring the real question: “Did we help them grow revenue?”. 6. Access to Power, Multithreading, and Exec Sponsorship One champion isn’t enough. The CFO or CEO can veto your renewal in a heartbeat. Harriet’s team builds multi-level relationships to ensure there’s exec buy-in. They target operational authorities, economic buyers, and build end-user champions. Value must be visible across the ENTIRE org. 7. Project-Manage Onboarding Like an Enterprise Deal Why would you wing onboarding if you’d never wing a 6-fig POC? Harriet’s team runs onboarding inside Aligned's Client Portal—1 shared URL with all resources, files, success plans, and more. Both sides track value, and no one's left out of the loop. The outcome? Less churn and expansions feel like a natural next step. —— If you want to stop the ARR bleed in 2025: Stop treating CS like a support hotline. Train them like a top-tier sales team. Watch churn turn into expansions. P.S. Aligned's Client Portal is free: https://lnkd.in/dwX_Zizk

MBA schools get one thing right. Frameworks. Consultants swear by them. And here's what most CSMs miss: Your job? It's consulting in disguise. Every customer meeting. Every QBR. Every escalation. You're solving problems. But where do you start? That's where frameworks come in. Your secret weapon. Your north star. Your problem-solving toolkit. Let me break down the top 10 that'll transform your CS game in 2025: 1. MECE Not just for consultants anymore. Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive. Perfect for segmenting your customers. Enterprise vs. Mid-market vs. SMB. No customer falls through the cracks. Every account has a home. 2. SWOT Your QBR's best friend. Analyze each account's: Strengths (feature adoption) Weaknesses (unused modules) Opportunities (upsell potential) Threats (competitor presence) Make every review strategic. 3. PESTLE Because your enterprise customers are complex. Political (stakeholder mapping) Economic (budget cycles) Social (team dynamics) Technical (integration needs) Legal (compliance requirements) Environmental (remote work impact) Miss one? Risk renewal. 4. 5 Whys Low product adoption? Ask why. Poor engagement? Ask why. High churn risk? Keep asking why. Root cause analysis saves accounts. 5. BCG Matrix Your portfolio management tool: Stars: Growth accounts Cash Cows: Stable enterprises Question Marks: New logos Dogs: Churn risks Prioritize your time accordingly. 6. Porter's Five Forces Not just for market analysis. Use it for customer health: User adoption strength Executive buy-in Alternative solutions Integration stickiness Budget competition The complete health score. 7. OKR Because "increase retention" isn't enough. Objective: 95% renewal rate Key Results: - 100% QBR completion - 90% feature adoption - 48hr response time 8. RACI Map your customer's journey: Who's Responsible for success? Who's Accountable for renewal? Who needs to be Consulted? Who stays Informed? Clear ownership = Clear success 9. SMART Goals Make every success plan count: Specific feature adoption targets Measurable usage metrics Achievable timelines Relevant to business goals Time-bound implementation 10. 3Cs Customer (their needs) Company (your solution) Competition (their alternatives) The triangle of customer retention. Here's what most CSMs miss: Frameworks aren't rigid rules. They're power tools. For discovering value. For driving adoption. For ensuring renewal. Master these. Apply them to your accounts. Watch your renewal rates soar. Because great CSMs? They're framework ninjas. ------------------ ▶️ Want to see more content like this and also connect with other CS & SaaS enthusiasts? You should join Tidbits. We do short round-ups a few times a week to help you learn what it takes to be a top-notch customer success professional. Join 1999+ community members! 💥 [link in the comments section]

I've had a few epiphanies in my first year as CRO of 6sense. One big one? There’s a #1, totally clear signal that a customer is planning to renew with you. They TELL you. I came to this shockingly simple realization after spending hours analyzing data science models, digging into all the signals, and trying to predict renewal likelihood. I read a report that said the No. 1 predicter of a renewal is customers tell you. My MIND was BLOWN, and Project “Just Ask” was born. Here’s what it looks like: Part 1. Salespeople are trained to draw out objections, but CSMs not so much. We started by enabling our CS team to explicitly ask customers about their renewal plans. They may not always hear what they want to hear, but knowing is key to a great path forward. We trained our CSMs "Sandler style” — we’ll take a yes, we’ll take a no, but not we will stop at, “I’ll think it over.” We really wanted them to get to the bottom of the situation. Part 2. At the advice of Insight Partners, we kicked off Project “Just Ask” with a bang — or, more accurately, a blitz. In one week, our CSMs called 90% of our customers to ask about their intentions, and we came away with a lot of yes’es whoop whoop and for the no/ maybe’s - all good we now had a plan to get to yes. Part 3. Based on what we learned, we designed mutual success plans with each of those customers using Gainsight. Part 4. Project “Just Ask” is now an ongoing part of our workflow — it's the first step in our 6-step renewal process. After this a-ha moment, things got SO MUCH simpler. We have achieved: ➡ Clarity in forecasting ➡ Direction for the team on starting renewal conversations early and often ➡ MOST importantly, alignment with customers on success. Do we still use data and signals to predict renewals? Of course. But this one proactive, simple, step is a super-powerful and effective tool to add to the toolbox. Would love to hear any and all customer success plays that have worked — please share your best tips/approaches in the comments!

Something remarkable happened when we started bringing Customer Success leaders into our sales conversations. The traditional sales process transformed into a strategic partnership discussion that benefited everyone involved. After implementing this approach across hundreds of deals, we discovered benefits that went far beyond our initial expectations. Sales teams gained a deeper understanding of post-implementation challenges, which helped them qualify opportunities more effectively. Instead of focusing solely on closing deals, they began asking questions about operational readiness, internal champions, and resource allocation. Prospects received authentic insights into what successful implementation truly requires. Our CS leaders shared real examples of customers who thrived and openly discussed common obstacles they might face. This transparency built trust and helped prospects make informed decisions. Better aligned customer expectations from day one. When CS leaders joined these conversations, they highlighted potential roadblocks and success metrics based on similar customer profiles. This practical guidance helped prospects understand the work required to achieve their desired outcomes. This early involvement proved invaluable for our CS team. They gained visibility into the customer's vision before contracts were signed, allowing them to proactively plan resources and create tailored onboarding strategies. A surprising result was the reduction in "rescue" situations during implementation. We eliminated many issues that typically surfaced months into the relationship by addressing potential challenges during sales discussions. The data supported our approach. Deals that included CS leaders showed 40% higher implementation success rates and 25% faster time-to-value. More importantly, these customers renewed at significantly higher rates. For those considering this approach, start small. Choose strategic opportunities where CS insights could substantially impact the prospect's decision-making process. Document the outcomes and refine your strategy based on that feedback. Great customer relationships begin with the very first conversation.

The worst move when a customer says they want to cancel? Jumping straight to a discount. 🤦🏻♀️ If they’re not seeing results, no amount of price reduction will fix that. Sure, if you're a skilled negotiator... a discount might save this renewal. But it's not going to save the next one. Because discounts don’t drive retention. Outcomes do. Not long ago, my team worked with a customer who’d been trying to get off the ground for 2 years. They were technically set up, but the product wasn’t delivering. Their team quietly started relying on spreadsheets and manual processes to plug the gaps. When renewal time came around, they told us flat out: We’re not renewing. The CSM offered a generous discount. The customer didn’t hesitate: No. They had already decided to move on. That’s when I stepped in to support the CSM, and followed a simple 3-step approach that changed everything: 🔍 Step 1: Reopen the conversation I asked: Is the original goal still relevant? They said: More than ever. Their business had grown and so had the problem. They were already evaluating new tools. 🗺️ Step 2: Propose a plan I offered to come back with a "path to green" plan, no commitment, no strings. Just: Let us show what we can do. They agreed. We came back with a clear roadmap to success, examples of similar customers, and even offered to connect them directly. Their response? Frustration that this level of partnership hadn’t happened earlier. But hope, because after talking to a customer in their industry, they believed the plan could work if we could execute. 🤝 Step 3: Secure commitment I asked: Do you have the resources to execute this plan? They didn’t. So we offered dedicated resources, free for 6 months, to support the rollout. They were thrilled. I closed with: If we deliver this plan and hit these goals, will next year’s renewal be a no-brainer? Their answer: Yes. One week later, the deal was signed. We added resources, but not a single dollar of discount. And a year later? - They achieved their goals - They became a promoter - They renewed with an expansion Huge win! So when a customer signals churn, don’t panic. Don’t lead with price. Instead: 🔍 Have a discovery conversation 🗺️ Propose a success plan 🤝 Secure a commitment tied to outcomes Only then talk commercials. Because the real win isn’t a discounted renewal. It’s a customer who sees value and wants to stay long term. 📩 Want to master the fundamentals that will 10x your CS success? Join 17k+ CS pros already subscribed to Unconventional Growth — [link in comments]. #CustomerSuccess #CX #CustomerExperience #CSM #RevOps

A lot of Client Success problems come down to one thing: Your team has calls… but not conversations that move the relationship forward. After almost a decade in Client Success, I’ve learned that great CSMs don’t need 20 scripts. They only need to master five conversations - and everything else becomes easier. Here they are: 1. The Onboarding Alignment Call Set expectations. Define success. Remove assumptions. If this conversation is weak, every future call becomes reactive. 2. The Early-Stage Momentum Call Clients don’t churn because they’re unhappy - they churn because they don’t see progress. This call builds early confidence and prevents silent drop-off. 3. The Value Check-In Not “How’s everything going?” But: “Here’s where you started. Here’s what improved. Here’s what happens next.” This is the difference between being liked and being kept. 4. The Risk Identification Call Most teams avoid these. Great teams initiate them. If something feels off-usage, sentiment, communication-your job is to surface it early, not hope it disappears. 5. The Renewal & Future Planning Call Start 90 days early. Show proof of value. Paint the vision for the next 12 months. Renewals should feel like the natural continuation of a good partnership, not a negotiation. If a CSM can master these five conversations, they can drive retention, revenue, and trust at a level most teams never reach.

Folks, words really matter. Every time you say "your contract is expiring," you're inviting your customer to reevaluate you. There's language account teams use in renewal conversations that subconsciously frames the renewal as a reset. A decision point. An off-ramp. And buyers respond accordingly. They get cautious, loop in procurement, and start asking about alternatives they weren't even considering 5 mins ago. The worst part is you're doing it to yourself. You wanna know what it sounds like and what to say instead? Well, fortunately Pamela Marsh broke all this down during a session she led for SA last week on Renewal Strategy & Risk Mitigation: No bueno: "Your contract is up in January." Bueno: "As you're building next year's capability roadmap, let's align on what we've delivered so far and how we evolve the program together." No bueno: "Let's review your adoption ahead of renewal." Bueno: "Where have you seen the most impact so far, and where else in the organization should we be expanding this?" No bueno: "Are you planning to renew?" Bueno: "As you evaluate your vendor landscape for next year, where does this initiative sit in terms of strategic priority?" No bueno: "We should discuss pricing." Bueno: "Let's align on the strategic outcomes you want funded for next year, then we'll structure the investment so it's easy for your team to request budget internally." Feel the difference? You betcha. The first set treats the renewal as something that might end. The second set assumes momentum and asks how to build on it. And that last swap is the gangster one. "We should discuss pricing" feels routine. But what the customer hears is "we're about to ask for more money." That verbal judo move Pam lays out turns you from a vendor requesting budget into a partner helping them secure internal resources.   Same exact conversation. Completely different power dynamic. This matters because renewal decisions get made in ROOMS YOU'RE NOT IN. Your champion has to defend your budget line against 6 other priorities. If the language you've been using all quarter frames you as a contract up for review, that's the narrative they carry into that room. A line item to evaluate. But if every conversation has been about evolution and strategic alignment, that's what they say when someone asks "do we still need this?" They don't say "their contract is up for renewal." They say "this is core to the roadmap we're building." The words you choose shape how your champion sells for you when you're not there.

Have you ever had a customer tell you they’re going to cancel…   …so you pull reports that show real ROI, only to still lose them? At the surface, that play should work. They didn’t realize how much value they were getting. You showed them. Problem solved, right? But in practice, it almost always fails. Here’s why: By the time you’re trying to convince a customer not to churn, you’ve already lost the narrative. If you aren’t defining what success is, baselining where they started, and showing progress toward a target…  …then whatever value you throw in front of them at the end won’t matter. The key is simple: 𝗢𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴.  • 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 their performance as early as possible  • Set a clear 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁 together  • 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 against that target, every step of the way That way, even if there are bumps, product issues, or delays, you can frame it in context:  “𝘠𝘦𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘨 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘵.” The opposite? Waiting until renewal to try to “convince” them that they’re wrong. That’s a losing battle every time. Your job isn’t just to deliver value. Your job is to make sure the customer sees and believes the value, from day one. How are you making sure you own the success narrative with your customers? #customersuccess

Most people think top reps need less coaching. In enterprise sales, the opposite is true. Phil Jackson didn’t teach Michael Jordan how to dribble. He helped him anticipate what he couldn’t see coming and adjust mid-play. I recently coached a rep on a $2.3M renewal that looked like a layup - until a new VP entered late, friendly with a competitor and pushed to delay. We reframed the conversation: showed the higher cost and risk of replacement, and armed our champion with a one-pager that put the VP on the hook to explain any future security failures to the board. Our deal closed on time. That’s strategic deal coaching. Not motivation. Not cadence. It’s surfacing hidden risks, equipping champions and converting pipeline into revenue when it’s needed most. … …