Journey to Leadership: From Individual Contributor to Team Leader with Sumitra Narayanan

Unlock the secrets to transforming customer education into a powerhouse for customer success. Join us as we learn from Casey Trujillo and Todd Kirk of Brainstorm, who bring a wealth of experience in professional services, SaaS product development, and customer success strategies. Discover how Brainstorm helps organizations implement consistent training practices, using change management principles to drive software adoption and organizational change. Find out how this approach prevents customers from improvising their educational processes, which can negatively impact their success.How can digital education revolutionize your customer success strategy? We explore this question by comparing it to Tesla’s innovative user experiences, emphasizing that customers crave ownership of their success without constant intervention from customer success managers. Our conversation sheds light on the importance of data-driven, engaging digital education experiences, especially for early-stage companies transitioning from personal interactions to scalable digital solutions. We dissect the balance between emotion and data in creating effective educational content and how organizations can harness this to enhance customer relationships.Data isn't just a metric—it's a tool for driving business results. We discuss how tracking user behavior can boost customer retention and software renewal, introducing the concept of "brilliant basics" for long-term engagement. Discover how to optimize persona training strategies to meet diverse user needs, from daily administrators to high-level decision-makers. Learn how microlearning and short-form content can transform digital education, making it adaptable, effective, and engaging. As B2B customers increasingly demand consumer-like experiences, explore how companies can rethink their training strategies to create impactful content that resonates with modern users.

Unlock the secrets of how AI can revolutionize the customer success space with insights from Pallavi Gadepalli, the dynamic founder and CEO of Stealth AI Startup. Pallavi's fascinating journey from developer to product manager and ultimately to customer success sets the stage for her unique perspective on integrating AI into high and mid-touch customer success roles. Her company's AI assistant, inspired by Jarvis from Ironman, promises to automate repetitive tasks and enhance in-call experiences, making customer success managers not only more efficient but also more effective in their roles.Prepare to reimagine how your organization handles customer interactions with Pallavi's vision of a unified customer experience. By harmonizing high-touch customer success management with low-touch digital strategies, Pallavi demonstrates how feedback from high-value customers can create a centralized, comprehensive knowledge base. This approach ensures that sales, support, and service teams all work from the same playbook, leading to more cohesive and effective customer journeys. Discover how AI can assist CSMs in preparing for customer interactions by organizing key stages such as kickoff, onboarding, and renewal, making every step of the customer experience more streamlined and impactful.Tune in for actionable insights from industry leaders and practical strategies for leveraging AI to transform your customer success efforts.

Discover the future of Customer Success with Julie Fox, Global Director of Customer Success at Cin7, as she shares her journey into her transformative new role. Julie is driving her team towards a proactive, predictive model while also enhancing upsell and cross-sell strategies. Learn how Julie is navigating the dynamic environment of Cin7, an inventory management solution, and addressing the unique challenges and rewards of her role. Julie highlights the significance of community networking, and how leveraging personal and professional connections can provide substantial support during a job search. Engaging in thorough research and actively participating in dialogues are key strategies she emphasizes for meaningful, two-sided engagement in job searches, especially for leadership roles.Listen as host Kristen Hayer discusses with Julie transitioning from an individual contributor to a senior leader, the importance of mentorship and feedback, and the transformative journey towards confident, strategic leadership. 

Have you grappled with the complexities of customer success programs, especially in a year fraught with industry shifts and layoffs? Join our host Kristen Hayer and our esteemed guest, Parul Bhandari, founder of South Asian Success, as we tackle the evolution of Customer Success and the imperative of retention focus in today's businesses. They discuss  the controversial role of CS teams in managing renewals, drawing on our own initial stumbles to highlight the essential preparation and skill-building necessary for triumph in this domain.Parul and Kristen don't shy away from the contentious debate on revenue stewardship after the first sale, pondering the reconfiguration of compensation structures and how it can challenge CSMs to promote customer value and revenue growth simultaneously. Plus, we dissect the strategic placement of Customer Success within organizational hierarchies and how it reflects on their pivotal role in maintaining revenue streams.They also share personal accounts of how machine learning and generative AI are revolutionizing the way we analyze data, communicate with customers, and streamline strategic planning. Tune in and arm yourself with the insights to propel your customer success initiatives into the future.

Ever wondered what's in a job title? Jeff Heckler, a seasoned Customer Success guru, joins the podcast to unravel the significance of titles in the CS world and how they impact both personal and organizational dynamics. As we traverse Jeff's journey from business intelligence to leading the charge in customer engagement, you'll learn how titles such as "Head of Customer Success" can translate into real-world challenges and triumphs. Navigating the corporate ladder isn't simply about climbing; it's about mastering the rungs you step on. This episode will illuminate the often overlooked emotional labyrinth that accompanies promotions and leadership roles. For those feeling out of step with traditional career paths, our discussion on entrepreneurial leadership may just spark the inspiration needed to carve out your own success story in the world of Customer Success.Join us for a candid conversation that promises to leave you with a fresh perspective on your role in Customer Success and how to leverage your position for maximum impact.

Unlock the secrets to revolutionizing your Customer Success journey with Ryan Ballein, a trailblazer in the CS arena. You'll hear invaluable insights from Ryan's transition from sales to leadership and his expert strategies for building a robust CS function from the ground up. Kristen and Ryan's conversation focuses on implementing digital-first customer engagement, emphasizing automation's role in freeing up CS managers for more meaningful work, thus amplifying customer satisfaction and employee fulfillment.

Unlock the secrets of customer value with Lakshmi Neelakantan from SAP, as we delve into the world of Platform as a Service (PaaS). Lakshmi has an extensive background in computer science and offers valuable insights, from leveraging the SAP Business Technology Platform to accelerating the journey of value realization for customers. Listen as we discuss fostering customer relationships that make renewals second nature. With Lakshmi's expertise, this episode is a journey into the heart of Customer Success in the ever-evolving platform ecosystem.

Ever wondered what it takes to leap from being an individual contributor to a leader? Jump in as we pique your curiosity and unravel this mystery with Sumitra Narayanan, a seasoned professional at Braze who leads a CS scale team. Sumitra generously shares her experiences, discussing her path from a humble contributor to becoming a key leader in her field. Her tale is laced with lessons, insights, and a wealth of knowledge that will prove invaluable to those looking to chart a similar course in their careers.The conversation progresses to explore the art of decision-making as a leader, and how to maintain harmony between employee happiness and business needs. We also cast a spotlight on the emerging leadership trends in customer success, emphasizing the importance of balancing empathy for people with the drive for results. Join us on this revealing journey into the heart of leadership in customer success!

Ready to revolutionize your customer success strategies? Join me, Kristen Hayer, founder and CEO of The Success League, as we decode how to achieve this by harnessing the power of Total Search. Buckle up for an engaging discussion with Prasanna Dhungel, co-founder and managing partner of GrowByData. We’re breaking down how marketing tools like Total Search can drive efficiencies in customer success programs. Together, we'll navigate through the importance of understanding what your customers are searching for on Google, and how these insights can help you stay ahead of market trends and threats.We'll also share some insights on how to use Google as a resource to understand platform evolution, and assess your brand's online presence. Get ready to explore the need for customer success leaders to be proactive and adaptable in the fast-paced digital world.Listen in as we analyze the changing landscape of customer success and the day-to-day tasks of being a frontline employee. Don't forget to subscribe for more insights into the world of customer success!

Join us as we sit down with Duta Sadeep, a veteran in the world of customer success, as he unveils hidden facets of this critical aspect of an organization. Duta shares how he stepped into this influential role and paints a vivid picture of why the true significance of customer success often gets overlooked. He also introduces us to the broader metrics of value - customer lifetime value, CSAT, and NPS, taking us beyond the standard measures. In the latter part of our chat, Duta stresses on the untapped potential of the paid packages, and how it can strike an ideal balance between customer expectations and vendor offerings. He gives us an insider's perspective on how to supercharge a customer success program based on his own experiences. Duta helps us understand why we need to take into account the opportunity cost of reactive customer work, how to choose the right service model, and ways to quantify the intangible benefits of a customer success program. He wraps up with a profound discussion on expansion, upselling, and cross-selling within the realm of customer success, and the paramount role of referenceability in customer-led growth. This is one episode you'll want to play on repeat for all its enlightening insights.