In this episode of The Sales Readiness Podcast, Ray Makela, Managing Director of Talent Development at SBI, is joined again by Annie Stefano to dive deeper into the implementation of customer success training. Building off their first conversation, this discussion centered on how Customer Success (CS) teams can evolve from reactive account managers to a more proactive, strategic role.
The Mindset Shift from Buyer to Customer
Annie emphasized that many organizations underestimate the shift that happens after a buyer becomes a customer. While the sales team celebrates a closed deal, the customer is just beginning their journey. According to Annie, this transition often lacks clarity. Many teams struggle to define what the client success team should own.
She pointed out that one of the biggest barriers is the absence of a well mapped customer lifecycle. Without a clear path from onboarding to renewal and expansion, CS teams operate in reactive mode by responding to issues as they arise. Designing a journey with intent ensures CS teams can be measured by retention and their ability to expand relationships that drive outcomes.
Skill Gaps that Derail Execution
While CS has grown in scope, Annie highlighted that many of its practitioners haven’t had access to the training they need to succeed in these evolving roles. Foundational skills gaps like time management, proactive planning, and running efficient meetings still persist.
Ray and Annie explored how these seemingly basic skills are actually critical to enabling CS teams to deliver value. Time management, for example, helps teams balance urgent client issues with proactive initiatives like executive business reviews. These skills are critical business capabilities that require customized training and enablement.
The Sales-to-CS Handoff
Too often, the Sales to CS handoff is delivered through a templated email or data dump, undermining the CS team to show up as a strategic partner.
Instead, Annie advocated for an intentional kickoff meeting between the sales reps and CS manager. This time allows for alignment to avoid redundant questions, deliver a personalized experience to the customer, and establish credibility. It also reinforces the message to the customer that sales and CS are a unified team here to drive outcomes.
The Role of The CS Manager
Much like in sales training, Ray emphasized the importance of engaging frontline managers, noting that having managers participate in training creates a stronger culture of learning and accountability.
Annie shared how when managers show up alongside their teams, they have deeper visibility into their teams’ strengths and opportunities. CS leaders and managers also play a critical role in modeling curiosity and vulnerability in learning environments.
What's Next for CS?
Annie shared three trends shaping the future of Customer Success:
- Strategic Thinking: CS teams need to move beyond templates and surface level engagements. They must become strategic advisors that tailor the journey based on the client’s needs.
- Enablement with AI: Using tools like AI and CRM automation can eliminate repetitive tasks and free up CS teams to focus on high-value opportunities.
- Revenue Accountability: An increasing number of CS teams are being asked to own and drive revenue. This evolution reinforces CS’s role as a core part of the go-to-market engine.
Listen to the episode, Embedding Customer Success into GTM: Were Strategy Meets Execution.
