The CSM Churn Rescue Playbook That Saves $2.3M+
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The difference between a $90k CSM and a $200k CSM? They see churn coming before anyone else does, and they act fast.
Every CSM has faced it.
The dreaded “We’re cancelling” email that comes out of nowhere.
The reality is that it’s almost never out of the blue. The signs were there, you just didn’t catch them soon enough.
If you want to protect revenue and your credibility, you need a churn early warning system that goes beyond surface-level metrics.
Here’s how to build one that works.
1. Track the Right Metrics — and Look for Trends
Point-in-time data is misleading.
A week of low logins could just mean a holiday break.
Instead, look for consecutive weeks of decline across key metrics:
Daily active seats vs. paid seats – shrinking usage is an early red flag
Feature breadth – % of users engaging with 3+ core flows weekly
Time-to-first-value – new users taking longer to get value are future churn risks
Export/download activity – a spike in data exports can mean they’re prepping to leave
The goal isn’t to react to one bad week but to catch momentum loss before it becomes irreversible. For a deeper dive into baseline setting, see my How to Build a Customer Health Score in HubSpot.
2. Separate “Champion” and “Buyer” Engagement
A happy champion does NOT mean a happy buyer, and vice versa.
Track engagement by role:
Champion disengagement often signals product frustration
Buyer disengagement often signals budget or strategy changes
These timelines are different, so your outreach strategy should be too.
3. Multi-Thread Your Relationships
If your only contact leaves, you’re done.
From day one:
Build relationships with 2–3 stakeholders minimum
Include executive sponsors and operational users
Map stakeholders in your CRM and keep it updated
💡 Bonus: Related Resources
For further reading on these tactics:
How to spot risk before obvious signals appear.
Champion Loss Recovery Framework
Step-by-step process for rebuilding momentum when your primary advocate leaves.
Enterprise Customer Success Management Guide
Advanced strategies for managing multi-stakeholder, high-value accounts without burning out.
Here’s what separates $200k+ CSMs from the rest:
They don’t just spot churn risk. They turn it into boardroom wins.
The next section shows you exactly how, with my step-by-step rescue framework, the same system that helped my clients save an average of $2.3M in at-risk revenue last quarter.
Premium members get access to:
The churn rescue checklist I use with high-stakes accounts
How to set MRR thresholds for “combat mode”
Scaled vs. high-touch save sequences that protect your time
Role-based outreach scripts that rebuild trust fast
If you can spot churn early and act fast, you’re not just saving accounts. You’re building the kind of track record executives promote.
🔐Step-by-Step Churn Rescue Playbook
(Premium Content Below)