Moriel Behar

Spekit 🐙, the leading AI-powered enablement platform, is boosting sales efficiency and improving conversion rates with ZoomInfo. 🤝 ZoomInfo's comprehensive platform — from ZoomInfo Copilot to Chorus — allowed Spekit to streamline account scoring and prioritization and infuse the voice of the customer into training and product development. The result? More effective reps who are maximizing impact. Learn from CEO Melanie Fellay 🐙 and RevOps Manager Ben Perceval about how Spekit is using ZoomInfo to drive success: bit.ly/4dgASyf #ZoomInfoCopilot

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What's a fair salary for a CSM? Last week Noah Little blew the CS corner of the internet with a hot take that CSMs should be paid like sales reps. Needless to say, when it comes to money, the more the merrier. 🤑 But should CSMs and Sales Reps be paid in the same "structure"? Probably not... Different roles and different tasks, therefore different comp structures. So instead of comparing ourselves to sales, we need to be able to: 1- compare ourselves to the rest of the industry 2- align the comp of the CSM to the revenue it generates That's how we fight for more of the pie. The issue is that if you are in Europe, it's really hard to get good salary data to even start this process. That's why I partnered with some of the top CS brands in Europe to collate a survey that helps us understand our local salary landscape. The report will help: - Leaders design fair and equitable compensation packages - CS Professionals benchmark their offers and salaries Link to answer the survey is in the comments section! #csm #customersuccess #salary #compensation #growthmindset

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Last month, my CSM client (almost) got job scammed on LinkedIn -3 rounds of interviews -Negotiated her salary -Felt so excited But something was off. They wanted her passport. What employer asks for a passport? The scammers screwed up, thankfully. This is why I tell people to be cautious Use a job board that is vetted with verified roles and companies and updated often. That’s why I created the No BS CSM Job Boards: -Updated Daily -Can search by company -Jobs are directly from company pages -USA, Canada, and UK -Remote, Hybrid, and In-person roles. It costs less than A Big Mac Meal (and it won’t kill you) Get it here: https://lnkd.in/dUYXuMYG

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Behind every successful AE is a strong SDR. I hear crazy stories of AE and SDR's not getting along and blaming each other for mistakes. But i think the biggest thing i lack of communication. Not being clear on expectations from both of us. One my rule of thumbs, is an EOW recap meeting (usually less then 25 min) Why? I want to make sure were all on the same page. -Understanding what we both accomplished -Areas for improvement -Tips/Tricks -Coffee conversation to see how we both are doing. By having these simple conversations its allows you even build a strong relationship with your SDR or AE. Remember... Y'all are on the same team here 🏆

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CSM Lesson No. 315: Your Customer Will Betray You Warning: juicy, spicy Friday post loading...hope you like pickled mango 🔥 Setting expectations...and re-setting expectations is super important in CS, especially when you consider that a lot of people (customers) still don't know what we do! That isn't always due to ignorance either, as the function can look different depending on its maturity and a host of other factors (like segmentation, product complexity, etc.). We're not setting expectations in a 'not my job' capacity, more of a 'here is how you will *continue to* be successful using us'. Like pouring cereal before milk, or resisting the urge to microwave a turkey. We need to be engaging but we can't MAKE them listen to us. Never assume that setting expectations once is enough. Internal dysfunction elicits people's character. If there is a lack of accountability or worse, a culture of lack of accountability, guess who's fault it is? YOURS. You could've done everything right as a CSM and somehow the customer blames you for their issues. That is beyond your control. We can do what is in our control and that's where we have an opportunity to create value in our organization. Some best practices include: 1) Document everything! Not necessarily to tell your customer 'I told you so' but to prove (internally) you did everything possible to prevent an escalation/churn. This could lead to better processes overall and dispel any suspicions that you're the one not taking accountability. 2) Do your research. Make sure you're talking to the right people. Understand how critical your product is to their company function and how much revenue it potentially generates. Get an idea of what kind of expectations have been set so far, especially from Sales. 3) Make sure you're aligned internally. The reality is, some customers are allowed to break the rules. Could be a $ thing. Could be a relationship-above-your-pay-grade thing. Could also just be that there is in fact a bit of wiggle room in general to make concessions/exceptions. You could also have some internal dysfunction 👀 #CustomerSuccess #onboarding

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Everyone thinks it's easy to become a CSM Here’s your reality check: It’s not Despite what the “Top 100 CSM influencers” tell you. I never knew what a CSM was until 2019. And I think most of you never knew about it either. There is a lot of buzz around this role. Too many #LinkedIn influencers (who aren’t even CSM’s) tell you: -Send proactive DM’s and LinkedIn messages to companies   -All you need to do is network to become a CSM -Make sure to put numbers on your resume -“All teachers can become a CSM” (not knocking teachers, my wife is one) There is a lack of understanding of what the role is: 1. You are the one who will get a call at midnight on a Tuesday 2. You are the one who has to deal with an angry client 4. You are responsible for massive company revenue. 5. You are relied upon 7 days a week. 6. You are on call if needed. 7. You are not 9-5, ever. This is not a rainbows and butterflies role. This is hard, demanding, emotionally draining WORK. Are there amazing benefits? Yes. -Work remotely -6 figure salary -Great benefits But it comes at a cost. -I’ve seen people take months off of this role to rest -I’ve seen countless peers burnout only to change careers -I’ve seen tech companies lay off their entire CSM department -I’ve seen under-performers fired who have families to support All that is to say. If this is something you want. As in you will be truly, unstoppable. Ask yourself: What is your “WHY”? What is going to motivate you throughout the: -Ghosting -99% Rejection -The 5 interview rounds -A QBR you spent hours on -An offer that gets taken away There is so much “you got this” on LinkedIn Not enough authenticity. If I made you angry this morning. Good. At least I told you the truth.

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How to prioritize activities as a CSM.   Use this simple approach to get your best work done.   If you’re like me, I sometimes fail to regularly fit in my proactive activities. I know if I don’t make time, my bottomless inbox won’t make it for me.    ➡ Dump all your tasks into 1 of the 4 quadrants ➡ Decide generally how much time to spend in proactive versus reactive activities ➡ Then be honest about what are priorities and what are not priorities Every CSM’s book of business is different, so you’ll need to tailor your approach and time allocation to your book and your industry. With a little trial and error, you can turn one long list of To Do’s into an intentional CS strategy, helping you keep the priorities, a priority. Hope this helps someone. If nothing else, it’s a good reminder for myself. 😄   ASK: Would love to hear how YOU prioritize your workload. 

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How John overcame the insanely competitive CSM job market (and got a remote role) John was an experienced CSM from Miami, handled a huge portfolio of clients, and loved customers. BUT He was laid off in July 2023 (like countless others) -Struggling to get any interviews himself -Sick of networking not working -Seeing his savings running low -Tired of manually applying He reached out in December 2023. So we got a sky full of lighters and began the FIRE framework 🔥 We: 1. Had a recruiter of 9+ years write a resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn optimization (no ChatGPT, no Upwork, no “career coaches”) 2. Collaborated on final interviews (Uber, AirbnB, Salesforce) 3. Fixed his talk tracks and revenue focused stories 4. Ensured his mindset was back in a good state 5. Used my job boards (updated every 6 hours) 6. Checked in weekly on slack 7. Stopped networking 8. Applied in volume He made it to the final rounds, which is awesome. But we were getting beat every time. This is the brutality of job hunting. But he kept at it (most people give up but not John) 7 months of effort. That’s thousands of hours into: -Applications -Rejections -QBR slides -Company research But he got it. -A CSM job -Fully remote to let him travel again -Peace of mind to be back in the work-force I asked him “what kept you going" and "what was your why" He said 2 things “Talking to you and understanding that it’s a numbers game” “Applying like my life depended on it” This grind for John is done now. But it's very real. And anyone who’s job hunting knows it sucks (I’ve done it twice). So: If you are a CSM who wants help getting through your job hunt and you: Need to land interviews Willing to be coached by others Want to get your confidence back Unable to get that final offer in hand Open to investing in yourself to achieve your goals Think that networking is a waste of time and had 0 results Then DM me the word “goals” and I'll send you the details. I’ll personally work with you 1:1 to get you that CSM job you need Only working with 5 people in June (No networkers allowed)

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100,000s of layoffs happened in 2024 (more are coming) People are worried, fearful, anxious; daily. I’m hearing their thoughts left, right and centre. So I took it to the drawing board. I asked 64 recruiters 10 questions about the CSM job market in 2024. Because I’m cautious these questions can make or break the deal when it comes to hiring. The best part about their answers is that its all current, up to date, and CSM focused; to my knowledge; the first of any data collected from these tech recruiters. Its not enough to “have a hunch about the market” these people KNOW what’s happening. So I asked them: - What type of experience or skill does a CSM need in 2024? - What is the biggest mistake candidates make? - What is the best advice to get a job in 2024? - How should you transition into a CSM job? The best part is that I’ve aggregated all their answers in one place. So you don’t have to search the internet for answers. Wanna know what they said? Check it out in the link below 👇 https://lnkd.in/drGAsjxq

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The average SDR is making $85,000 The average SMB AE is making $130,000 a year. The average MM AE is making $165,000 a year. If you crush it as an SDR, are at a company that actually promotes top talent, and continue to perform as an AE you can literally double your income in just a few years. How cool is that? I teamed up with RepVue and put together a few resources with some more details on salaries based on roles... check it out. SDR salaries & a list of high paying SDR Roles: https://lnkd.in/gqfUbnqR SMB AE salaries & a list of high paying SMB Roles: https://lnkd.in/gcpnQ_Xt Mid-Market AE salaries & a list of high paying MM Roles: https://lnkd.in/gPd-RHCb Ent AE salaries & a list of high paying Ent Roles: https://lnkd.in/gibqD9Gv

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CSMs need to stop blaming everyone else for their struggles. Yes, your ➡️ product is not the best in the world ➡️ customer portfolio features bad and mediocre fits ➡️ leadership does not get the potential of CSM But that does not mean you are doing everything right. If you are still following the old playbook that has failed to deliver value accurately and repeatedly that's on you. Highly successful CSMs who get the recognition and compensation they deserve do not ⛔️ skip customer discovery ⛔️ use one-size-fits-all-eat-or-die CS plans ⛔️ provide low-quality copy & paste education and training ⛔️ check in with customers once in a while ⛔️ waste their customers' time with irrelevant interactions ⛔️ rely on metrics that are easy to measure ⛔️ avoid commercial responsibility They ✅ discover customer needs ✅ build CS plans dedicated to those needs ✅ provide outcome-focused education and training ✅ follow up to ensure steady progress ✅ deliver value with (almost) every interaction ✅ measure customer success accurately ✅ embrace commercial responsibility If you want change you need to start with yourself. This is the way. PS: Here are 56 resources to build new habits and better processes https://lnkd.in/eHeA2GkR

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Sharing how I’m successful using ClientSuccess as a CSM at ClientSuccess is one of THE best parts of my job! Having a platform to do this at scale with our CSM Masterclass Series has been amazing and I’m loving engaging with our customers in this way. As many of our businesses are looking at more ways to scale processes, how are you adapting to this and what are you doing as a CS team to communicate at scale with your customers? #masterclass #csm #clientsuccess #saas

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CSMs: Want to go remote? Size of the company might matter! Talentway studied every public CSM job posting in Q1 2024. Here are the patterns we found across company sizes: - Mid-sized companies lean more towards remote-only setups (flexibility & talent access) - Smaller & larger companies favor in-office or hybrid arrangements (collaboration & culture) What's your company's approach to hiring CSMs? Share your insights!

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If I woke up this morning and decided to move back into a customer facing CSM role, here are the 5 things I do to master the role: 1) Spend day 1 on building my reports. You will never get this day back, and building out reports while also working on your customer issues or running your outreach is a challenge. And I’m not talking about the reports your enablement teams have built, I mean creating the reports that you want and need. Even if it’s an excel sheet, having these ready to go will make you much more efficient at your job and be a better resource for your customers. I would at least ensure I had the following: - Report on all my renewals, showcasing renewal dates, customer sentiment and upcoming contract changes. - A lead scoring dashboard so that I can quickly identify which of my customers I need to be proactive with - A state of the customer dashboard that shows my average MRR, the LTV of my book, NPS data, open support tickets and how I’m performing against my targets - A clean forecast that shows outgoings and incomings for the next 12 months 2) Set up a regular meeting cadence with my top 20% customers. And I don’t just mean by MRR, I’d also look at the importance of their logo to our business in terms of brand value and industry influence. 3) Take control of my calendar from day 1. If you don’t control your time, others will do it for you and you won’t like the results. I would ensure my day has 3 hours set aside for customer calls, 1 hour for my reporting, 1 hour for dedicated admin time (Slack, internal emails etc) and 1 hour for outreach. The rest of my day I will leave for internal meetings etc, and of course make adjustments as needed for kick offs or mandatory meetings, but this is the structure I will establish right from the start. 4) Don’t sell a single thing for the first month and don’t talk about myself - take the month to listen to my customers and start documenting everything I hear. What are the common paint points for my customers and how do I get this to our product team? What makes my happy customers so satisfied and how do I pass this onto my sales team? What features are missing in my market and how do my customers solve for those gaps today? How do my customers find answers to their problems? Then take this information and build out the 3 personas that live in my book. 5) Call shadow, and not just with my team. Call shadow sales, call shadow implementation, call shadow renewals, call shadow the research calls UX run. The more I see of the entire picture that my customers go through the clearer my role becomes and were I can drive the most value. Curious though, if you are a CS people lesder, what lessons would you bring with you if you decided to become a customer facing rep again?

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CS thought for today: if you are uncomfortable with conflict, you shouldn't be involved in Customer Success. Harsh? Maybe. But if the thought of getting on a call with an angry customer makes you break out in a nervous sweat, this field will not only be emotionally taxing for you, but your customers and your business will also suffer. This isn't a new thought, I realize. There are probably a dozen blogs written about this. But here's what I've noticed in my 10 years in the CS space both as an individual contributor and leader of a CS team. The most successful CSMs I've worked with will always run toward a problem, not away from it. To these CSMs, an upset customer is an opportunity. Elite CSMs know that deep and lasting relationships are built from conflict, and so they jump on the chance to navigate their customers through challenging times. They have higher customer satisfaction ratings, and higher renewal and upsell metrics. Not only that but they are beloved internally because they take charge of challenging situations, relieving pressure on other team members involved in solving the issues at hand. They are promoted faster, earn more, and exhibit a higher level of satisfaction at work. Based on all these observations, my advice is this -- if you want to be a great CSM, you must get comfortable with conflict. See your upset customers as the opportunity they are! If you get in the trenches with them and help to resolve their issue with compassion and professionalism, you will strengthen your partnerships with customers, boost your internal relationships, and perform better toward your goals.

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Engaging the right buyers at the right time is critical to sales success. ZoomInfo Copilot's Target Account Digests alert you when your most promising suspects are showing the right buying signals. 🔔 Get personalized daily digests — delivered via Slack or email — with AI-powered recommendations for next steps. Never miss a sales opportunity with ZoomInfo Copilot: bit.ly/3yxBNes #ZoomInfoCopilot

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