One of the most common questions I hear from people exploring Customer Success careers is:
“What’s the difference between a Customer Success Manager and a Partner Success Manager?”
It’s a fair question. The titles sound similar, but the audiences, priorities, and daily work can be very different.
Here’s a clear breakdown so you can see which path might be the best fit.
1. Who They Serve
CSM – Works directly with the end customer using the product or service. Their job is to make sure the customer gets value, renews, and ideally expands their use. For a deeper look at the role and growth paths, see my Ultimate Guide to Customer Success Managers and the full Customer Success Career Guide.
PSM – Works with business partners or channel partners who resell, implement, or integrate your product. Their job is to enable those partners to succeed with their own customers.
2. Primary Goals
CSM – Focus on adoption, usage, satisfaction, and renewals for direct accounts.
PSM – Focus on partner enablement, co-selling opportunities, and ensuring the partner’s customers also get value (through the partner).
3. Day-to-Day Work
Customer Success Manager
Running onboarding calls for new accounts — my Customer Onboarding Checklist Guide can help you set this up.
Analyzing product usage to spot risk or upsell opportunities
Meeting with customer stakeholders to review progress and plan next steps
Partner Success Manager
Training partner sales and implementation teams
Creating joint go-to-market plans
Coordinating partner feedback to improve programs
4. Key Skills
While both roles require relationship-building, communication, and product knowledge, their emphasis differs:
CSM
Customer advocacy — representing the customer’s needs to internal teams
Adoption coaching — guiding customers through feature use cases that directly tie to their business goals
Problem-solving under pressure — handling escalations in a way that turns potential churn into renewed trust (Master Escalations in Customer Success covers proven frameworks)
PSM
Business development — identifying new revenue opportunities with partners
Partner enablement — designing training, toolkits, and playbooks to help partners sell and deliver effectively
Ecosystem thinking — understanding how your product fits into a partner’s broader portfolio and aligning your success strategy accordingly (Top Performing CSM Traits & Frameworks can help build these capabilities).
5. Which Role Fits You?
If you enjoy working directly with end users and being hands-on in solving their problems → CSM might be the better fit.
If you like building B2B relationships and enabling others to deliver success at scale → PSM could be a great match.
Pro Tip:
Skills from teaching, training, or facilitation can be valuable in both roles. If you’re transitioning careers, highlight how you’ve:
Simplified complex topics for different audiences
Designed structured learning experiences that keep people engaged
Monitored progress and adapted your approach based on real-time feedback
If you’re moving from education or another field, my From Teacher to Customer Success Guide breaks down exactly how to position your experience for these roles. You can also explore the Best Certifications for Customer Success Managers to strengthen your resume.
✅ Whether you choose a CSM or PSM path, the core principle is the same: help others succeed, and your company will succeed with them.
💌 Want more actionable Customer Success guides, frameworks, and career strategies?
Related Resources
Customer Success to Consulting Career Transition Guide – How to leverage CS skills for higher-paying consulting opportunities.
Sales to CS Handoff: 6-Question Framework – Improve collaboration between sales and success teams for smoother onboarding.
CSM to Product Manager Career Transition Guide – Moving from customer-facing to product-focused roles.