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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 30, 20255 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 26, 20252 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 3, 202512 min read


Transforming ideas into actions: Leveraging the SOON funnel
This is an excerpt from The Strategic Customer Success Manager by Chad Horenfeldt Up to this point, we’ve concentrated on the foundational elements of strategic conversations, which centered on the OARS framework . But what do you do when you want to spur your clients to take action? For example, how do you convince your clients to start adopting certain products or features? How can you persuade your customers to commit to a product upgrade? I always struggled in this area
Chad Horenfeldt
Dec 22, 20257 min read


Thirty things I hope my kids remember when they leave home
"Imagine it’s the final night your son or daughter is living in your house." What advice would you give them? This is an exercise in the book "Day One Leadership" by Drew Dudley - Day One Leadership . It's called "Edge of the bed advice" as you need to picture yourself at the edge of your child's bed on the final night that they are in your house. What is the best life advice that you would provide them? What are the insights that have contributed to your happiness? This
Chad Horenfeldt
Dec 20, 20254 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 16, 20252 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 8, 20253 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 3, 20253 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 26, 20253 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 26, 20253 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 25, 20253 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 20, 20252 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 7, 20254 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 4, 20255 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 1, 202511 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 29, 20256 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 29, 20252 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 1, 202539 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 1, 20257 min read
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