9 Phrases Top CSMs Never Use At Work
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Today at a glance:
9 Phrases Top CSMs Never Use At Work
Customer Success AI Hub
CS Café Interview
1. That’s not my job
This is what someone with a fixed mindset would say.
Doing the least effort will not get you anywhere.
The task to complete might be out of your scope but you can always consider the opportunity for yourself to be part of the solution.
Saying it’s not your job without any consideration sends your colleagues a negative signal telling them you are not a team player.
You might not be able to help directly but connect people with the right resource as you can.
This is why a great CSM has a growth mindset and always says:
“I see opportunities everywhere!”
To expand on this topic, you should read Mindset, by Carol Dweck
2. I can’t do it
There are situations where this is true.
But instead of cutting off the discussion which might come as being rude, you could simply say “I can’t do this, but here’s how I can help”
And this is a completely game-changing approach.
It sounds much more positive and enthusiastic, showing your willingness to help even though you’d be limited in your own abilities.
It’s often easier to stay in your comfort zone and not to push yourself to deliver more.
This is why great CSMs always go the extra mile rather than sitting back and waiting for things to happen.
3. I wanted to do so, but …
Guess what? It’s now too late. It happened already.
In life as at work, you can’t control things that happen to you. But you can always control how you react to a given situation.
So rather than finding excuses, you should acknowledge the situation and suggest plans to move forward.
Remember: winners always have a plan, and losers always have an excuse!
4. We’ve always done it this way
This is one of the most dangerous phrases you could ever make.
It’s against all human creativity, innovation, improvement, and most importantly, your own growth!
You must therefore question the status quo at all times and always be on the move.
Einstein once said: “life is like riding a bike. You must move to keep balance.”
So keep moving on! Onwards and upwards!
5. I’ll try
This one is tricky and usually brings mixed feelings.
It’s like saying you didn’t want to do it but accepted it anyway because you just couldn’t say “No”.
But getting stuck right in the middle of a choice is not what you want.
Instead, stop wasting everyone’s time.
Just do it, or simply don’t!
6. It’s not fair
Sure. But that’s how things often are in life.
Now you’re a professional and this kind of judgment should be left far behind.
If you have something to say, ask for a meeting to review it.
And as Jim Rohn once said: if you are not happy with where you are, change it. You are not a tree! (Listen to his epic personal development talk here)
So stop complaining.
And start taking action instead!
7. This might sound like a stupid idea, but…
Your results are in direct proportion to your efforts and attitude.
Finding excuses for not doing the things you believe in often shows a lack of self-confidence.
So stop apologizing for your thoughts or ideas.
Say what you have to say and speak up.
You’ll see most people will appreciate you taking the initiative and saying the things they wanted to bring in themselves.
8. I told you
There is no need for you to rewrite history. The event already occurred and belongs to the past.
Rather than imagining things you could have said, ensure you make it a great learning experience so you can do better in the future.
Besides, it doesn’t add any single value to the conversation.
If something went wrong, you’d better give constructive feedback to help your peers succeed in the next iteration.
So praise people for their actions while suggesting new and more effective ways to complete a given task as needed.
9. I’m busy right now
But guess what? everyone is.
And you don’t need to sound defensive but rather provide quick feedback as to when you’d be available.
Then, all you have to do is to get back to people as you suggested.
In the end, it’s all about adopting a growth mindset that will set you apart for success personally, in your Customer Success career, and beyond!
Well, that’s it.
These are the 9 things you should remove from your vocabulary to become a top-performing CSM:
That’s not my job
I can’t do it
I wanted to do so, but …
We’ve always done it this way
I’ll try
It’s not fair
This might sound like a stupid idea, but…
I told you
I’m busy right now
Agree? what else would you add?
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The CS Café Interview
I recently had the privilege to discuss with Tasneem Nomanbhai, Strategic Customer Success Manager at Samsara.
Today, I'm excited to share insights from our conversation, highlighting her background, accomplishments, and the exciting projects she is working on.
So let’s go!
1. Could you please provide a brief introduction about yourself, including your background and where you are currently based?
I’m based out of San Francisco. I grew up in Chicago where I obtained my Bachelor of Science in Advertising from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and my Master of Science in Communication from Northwestern University.
2. What initially attracted you to the field of customer success, and how did you find your way into this role?
I started out in Sales and transitioned into an Account Management role because I really enjoyed managing the customer relationship. When I moved to Silicon Valley, I was surrounded by tech and SaaS, which I gravitated towards. From there, I was introduced to the world of Customer Success Management.
3. Could you walk us through your career path leading up to your current role in customer success?
After a few years in the workforce, I decided to move to San Francisco for better career opportunities. Once I relocated to SF, I pursued different roles at startups that served a wide range of industries and markets. Initially, I started out in Sales at Adtech before moving into an Account Management role, which I really enjoyed.
Over the past 5 years, I landed at a SaaS startup serving SMBs where I started as an Implementation Manager, transitioned into the CSM role, and quickly worked my way up to lead the team. Last year, I switched to my current role as a Strategic CSM at a public company where I once again had a chance to work directly with clients and make a difference in their operations with our software.
4. As a Customer Success pro, what are some of the biggest challenges you have faced in your career, and what lessons have you learned from overcoming them?
I found that switching roles in different stages of my career was much harder than I expected and I had to work really hard at showcasing my transferable skills so I would not get typecast into a certain position or industry. I would take on more responsibilities or projects in my current role that challenged me so I could grow and learn. Eventually, this move helped me to build my resume and show my diverse skill set.
Earlier in my career, I didn’t strategically set goals or give much thought to where I wanted to be in 2 to 5 years. I feel that this is a vital question because that level of focus would have set me on a path to accomplish more, a lot faster in my career.
Lastly, the biggest lesson I learned over the course of the last few years was to believe in myself. I became confident in my abilities, which I was able to project in my professional career. This sense of self-confidence helped me with upward mobility, promotions, and landing better career opportunities.
5. What were some of the key factors or experiences that motivated you to bring industry insights from thought leaders to the customer success community through your blog?
Earlier this year, many people were affected by the mass layoffs, which swept across the tech industry, upending the livelihoods of many workers. As a show of support, I shared a message to my LinkedIn community offering help to those affected through introductions, referrals, or resume help. I had a lot of people reach out who I didn’t know that were interested in understanding my role as a Customer Success Manager and learning how to break into the industry. I decided to start the blog to help individuals who needed some guidance. At the same time, I realize that I don’t know everything there is to know about this industry and field. I thought that crowdsourcing ideas from industry experts would be a great way to use my platform to serve the needs of my readers.
6. Can you share some insights into the specific goals and objectives you have set for your blog? How do you hope to make a difference in the lives of your readers?
One of my objectives is to share my experience but acknowledge that I am not an expert. I want to lean into the community of people who work and practice in this field every day to share their learnings in this relatively new field.
As I was searching for content to learn more about the Customer Success Manager position, I realized that the material I was reading was sponsored or produced by companies who were selling a tool or service in the Customer Success space. I wanted to set out to create a resource for CSMs by CSMs.
Lastly, there are very few thought leaders or influencers who are sharing their learnings in this niche space. I want to set out to create a large interconnected community for all of us to share our contributions so we can learn from each other.
7. What inspired you to start your blog, "CSM All-Star," and focus on helping job seekers transition into the Customer Success Manager role and assisting CSMs in enhancing their skillset?
When I shared my LinkedIn message offering my help to the LI Community, the majority of requests were from individuals who were looking to transition into a CSM role. The Customer Success Manager is a fairly new, niche role that is specific to SaaS so it makes sense that there are more people looking to transition into this role than there are existing CSMs. This inspired me to focus on developing content geared towards this niche space because there was a need in the market.
8. Could you discuss any significant challenges or roadblocks you encountered while establishing your blog, and how did you overcome them?
With the blog, I had an idea that I wanted to pursue and I just went with it. I think it’s very common to overthink everything, but I like to let things develop organically. Some of the areas that I find challenging since starting the blog are time management and attracting a wider audience. I have to devote time after work hours to network, develop content and continue to educate myself. It’s a balancing act, but it feels rewarding because I get a chance to not only impact others but help them reach their aspirations.
In your opinion, what are the most important qualities a person should possess to thrive in the role of a Customer Success Manager?
Passionate about helping others, making a difference for the client and for the mission of the company
Curious about the industry, their clients, and developing new skills
Focused on curating an unforgettable experience for the customer
A high sense of emotional intelligence to empathize with the clients’ pain points and deliver on their expectations.
9. How do you envision the field of customer success evolving in the upcoming years, and what steps are you taking through your blog to prepare professionals for these changes?
I think preparing for industry trends is huge. The development of AI-assisted technology is changing the landscape for all jobs. I recently wrote a blog article that talks about how to incorporate AI into a CSM’s day-to-day. Additionally, I think efficiently scaling the CS organization by creating more automation, integrations, and specialized roles within the CSM space will become more commonplace.
I hope to share more insights from leaders and experts on how to adapt to changes in our industry so we can be better prepared.
10. Currently, what is the top challenge you are facing in your own career or in managing your blog, and how are you working towards overcoming it?
Right now, it’s learning about what my readers’ challenges are. I want to curate content that’s meaningful and helpful to my audience so I am always looking for feedback, comments, and ways to connect.
Second, in order to bring industry insights, I have to connect with peers and thought leaders, which I don’t think I’ve done a good job of until recently. I use LinkedIn to collaborate, but I also plan on attending CS networking events and groups to forge stronger peer-to-peer relationships.
11. If there was one aspect of your work that you would love to eliminate or stop doing, what would it be, and why?
While I enjoy the challenge that comes with resolving a customer’s pain point, going through an escalation takes a toll and time away from other customers. In an ideal world, all of my clients would be happy 100% of the time ;)
12. What aspect of customer success or your blog are you most passionate about, and why does it resonate with you personally?
I really enjoy meeting new people and making genuine connections. I feel that everyone has so much knowledge and wisdom to impart and I want to use my blog as a medium to share those takeaways.
13. What made you decide to join my newsletter and then upgrade to a paid membership?
I upgraded to paid to access your exclusive content as I appreciate the diversity of thought.
Because of your background, location, and contributions to the field, I’m excited to learn from you.
I find your content very valuable and I’m hoping to use that to inform my readers and share emerging trends in the space.
14. Looking ahead, where do you see yourself in a year, 5, or 10 years in terms of your career and the impact of your blog?
This is a great question that’s making me think way into the future. I feel that my current role as a Strategic CSM and past roles have allowed me to share my firsthand experience in this field. I want to continue to develop and upskill myself in my current role so I can share insights on my blog.
I hope that 5 - 10 years from now, I have grown the blog tenfold with more readership, a global audience with whom I can shape the CSM role through cross-collaboration across geographies. The goal is to have my blog pop up in Google search as a top resource when you search for ‘Customer Success Manager.’
I also envision creating more material and content such as Webinars with guest speakers, ebooks, a community forum, and membership experience to mentor and guide a wider audience, supporting the reader along their CSM journey and beyond.
15. From both a professional and personal perspective, what are your top three priorities at the moment, and how do you plan to address them?
Building out my blog and expanding its reach to create a strong CSM community. I plan to achieve this by networking virtually or attending events to cross-collaborate with industry peers.
Upskilling and educating myself about trends in the space to incorporate that into my job as a Strategic CSM and also share this knowledge with my readers. I’ve signed up for a variety of resources such as blogs, newsletters, and CS membership communities.
Leading a well-balanced life and making time for self-care. It’s very easy to get caught up in our work, but our work shouldn’t define us. I achieve this by making self-care a part of my daily routine such as going for walks around the lake by my house, hiking with friends, or making trips to see friends and family across the States.
16. Finally, what's the best way to contact you?
Please be sure to connect with me on LinkedIn and leave a note so I get to know more about you. Visit www.csmallstar.com for more.
You can also email me at tasneem@csmallstar.com
Looking forward to expanding my network!
Well, thank you, Tasneem for such a great interview!
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