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Your 90-day strategic CSM transformation plan
Whether you’re a CSM looking to level up your own skills or a CS leader wanting to transform your entire team, this 90-day plan breaks down exactly how to implement strategic customer success—week by week, with specific actions, exercises, and measurable outcomes.
Chad Horenfeldt
Oct 305 min read


Why did I write The Strategic Customer Success Manager?
Why Chad Horenfeldt wrote The Strategic Customer Success Manager: It's his way of sharing some of his life lessons with others, aiming to elevate the customer success industry.
Chad Horenfeldt
Jul 262 min read


What exactly is a strategic customer success manager?
I’ve shared an excerpt from my book, The Strategic Customer Success Manager , and provided a few additional resources. The book has been extremely well received and I’ve included an early review below from Michael J. Boyd at the end. 👉 Buy the book! Listen to an overview of the book on the The Daily Standup Podcast I f you’ve ever been a customer success manager, you remember when you lost your first significant customer. You felt horrible. My first major client loss is etch
Chad Horenfeldt
Jul 312 min read


The secret to strategic CS leadership? Over-communicate everything
Communicate, communicate, communicate, communicate… and then communicate again. Did I make my point? If there’s one thing that has stuck...
Chad Horenfeldt
Aug 162 min read


The people who shape us in customer success: Lessons from my dad
Here are some lessons I learned from my dad in customer success
Chad Horenfeldt
Aug 83 min read


Driving customer change with motivational interviewing
At some point, every Customer Success professional has probably wanted to say something like this to a client: “It’s your fault you...
Chad Horenfeldt
Aug 33 min read


“I Want Your Job”: Why CS Leadership Isn’t What You Think—and What It Takes to Get There
Let’s be honest—if you’ve ever led a customer success team, you’ve probably heard this one before: “I want your job.” I’ve heard it from...
Chad Horenfeldt
Jul 263 min read


The Cycle of Customer Success: A Blueprint Grounded in Reality
I don’t love frameworks. In fact, I’ve spent most of my career quietly resisting them. I studied history, not management theory. I trust...
Chad Horenfeldt
Jul 263 min read


What productivity hack strategic CSMs always use to win the week before it starts
Sundays are a strange blend of relaxation and anxiety. You might love the downtime—but that creeping feeling of the week ahead? It’s...
Chad Horenfeldt
Jul 253 min read


How One Practice Changed the Way I Communicate and Lead
This week was filled with many emotions. As I started my day, I did what I've been doing for many years now - a moment of reflection. A...
Chad Horenfeldt
Jul 202 min read


Choose your strategy wisely
As I review all the book content that ended up on the cutting room floor, there is one story I wanted to share. It's a lesson that I...
Chad Horenfeldt
Jul 74 min read


Three simple words to follow as a customer success leader during a crisis
March 11, 2020, was a warm and sunny day with a beautiful blue sky. I had just enjoyed a relaxed lunch at a sushi restaurant just north...
Chad Horenfeldt
Jul 45 min read


The Strategic Customer Success Manager Book Club Discussion Questions
Welcome Book Clubs! This guide is designed to help customer success teams, leaders, and individuals explore the core ideas in The...
Chad Horenfeldt
Jul 111 min read


How to Land a Role in Customer Success
“How do I get into customer success?”. This is a question I hear frequently. It’s not surprising, given that the profession of customer...
Chad Horenfeldt
Jun 296 min read


The Foundation of Customer Success
After helping to create a number of high-performing customer success organizations, I've narrowed down the success of these teams and...
Chad Horenfeldt
Jun 292 min read


Video: You're Not Strategic - And That's Why You're Stuck
Learn about the real reasons why many CSMs struggle to gain executive visibility, influence account strategy, and drive meaningful impact.
Chad Horenfeldt
Jun 139 min read


3 Ways to Build a Storytelling Culture in Customer Success
Creating a culture of storytelling within your customer success organization helps share your wins as well as areas to improve.
Chad Horenfeldt
Jun 17 min read
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