Source
Before we begin on sharing resources on this customer success portal, here is a brief background I would like you to read. This will set the right context for you.
If you are a budding Customer Success Manager in a SaaS organization then we understand your challenges. The most common one is that you are left on your own to grow. Because Customer Success is a relatively new field and the ones who can guide you are also new to this.
Every organization, communities and experts are posting tonnes of material online on Customer Success. Most of them are repetitive while many others are the products of their own learnings. So, instead of being lost in the myriad of resources online, I suggest you bookmark this blog which would continue to help you in the long run.
Our thoughts behind creating an ultimate customer success portal is that based on our research on this field, we filtered the best resources to use them to upgrade the knowledge of our internal teams at SmartKarrot. We are constantly in touch with our global CS community and are always on the lookout for anything new that sprouts up through which we can learn. So we thought if we have such a useful resource already in place then why not share it with a wider audience. So, here they are.
In this blog post, we are going to share with you the following resources on CS:
- Blogs
- Newsletters
- Podcasts
- Books
- Courses and Certifications
Let’s start with the first option.
Blogs
By Lincoln Murphy
This is one of the most followed blogs on Customer Success. It is headed by Lincoln Murphy who is a well known figure in the CS space. He is a leading CS consultant, keynote speaker and an author. Follow him to enhance your knowledge especially on Customer Success, Customer Experience and Customer-centric business.
By Kristen Hayer
Although this blog covers all aspects of customer success, it is mainly focused on churn reduction, revenue expansion and improving customer satisfaction.
By Todd Eby
This blog is mainly focused on career building tips along with latest CS insights from the industry.
By Kia Puhm
This is another blog which is good for gaining industry insights and staying updated with the latest news and trends.
By Jason Whitehead
This blog will help you learn how to design the high-impact customer success programs and teams. It will also help you figure out how to quickly renew and expand your customer’s accounts.
Newsletters
By Diana De Jesus
Keep The Customer is a repository of resources for Customer Success Professionals. Subscribe to this newsletter to learn about retention/expansion/renewals, metrics and more from the top voices in the industry.
By Customer Thermometer
Every month, they scour the world – much like Indiana Jones – for the gems of the customer service world. Expect this newsletter in the 3rd week of every month.
by Rick Adams
Practical CSM is a monthly newsletter which provides an ongoing measurement to how one is doing at every step of the Customer Success journey.
by Curtis Bigham
The ONLY newsletter geared exclusively for the CCO, but would add value for most in this space. Learn the best practices & critical strategies to drive solid business results.
by Chad Horenfeldt
The newsletter ‘Enlightened Customers’ helps Customer Success teams and leaders, especially those looking for assistance with Customer Success strategies, or if they require Customer Success coaching.
If you are looking for more newsletter then check out this link.
Podcasts
Podcasts are one of the best ways to listen to the experiences of CS experts. Hence, here are the few that tops our list on this customer success portal.
by Andrew Michael
Andrew was tired of hearing stories about some magical silver bullet that solved churn for company X. So, he launched Churn.fm which is a podcast for the subscription economy pros to learn how the world’s fastest-growing companies are tackling churn and using retention to fuel their growth.
by Aly Mahan
Churn it up! is a podcast that provides tips and tricks from the best in customer success. It’s perfect for anyone working on the frontlines of customer success and for account managers in any SaaS organization. As their slogan goes — this is all CS, no BS!
by Adam Joseph
Customer Success Conversations are a series of podcasts hosted by the founder of CustomerSuccessManager.com, Adam Joseph. On each podcast he is joined by Customer Success executives from all levels who discuss trends that will shape Customer Success in the future.
by Jeanne Bliss
Jeanne Bliss runs the one Customer Experience Podcast You Can’t Afford To Miss! “Real world, straight talk, and realistic ideas from Customer Experience Leaders around the world.”
by Jason Whitehead & Jason Noble
The “Jasons Take On” webinar and podcast series offers fast-paced, insightful, and unplugged conversations with two leading “Jasons” in customer success. Each month they explore a new topic of interest in Customer Success.
If you are looking for more podcasts then check out this link.
Books
These books are one of the most famous books written on this topic. Hence, including them on our ultimate customer success portal is worthwhile.
#1 Hypergrowth
By David Cancel
This is a short read but it’s jam-packed with strategies and frameworks to help companies achieve hyper-growth through customer success. The overarching theme in this book is that a focus on current customers is necessary to drive success.
#2 The Trusted Advisor
by David H. Maister, Charles H. Green, and Robert M. Galford
This customer success book details five steps to build a trust-based relationship. It is especially useful for customer success managers who act as a part of their customers’ team, looking to build and maintain trust.
#3 Chief Customer Officer 2.0: How to Build Your Customer-Driven Growth Engine
by Jeanne Bliss
This is a must-read for folks in customer success, and truly any person in a business that deals with customers. Jeanne Bliss incorporates executive stories and personal narratives to remind us of just how important our customers are through this customer success book!
#4 The Effortless Experience: Conquering the New Battleground for Customer Loyalty
by Matthew Dixon, Nick Toman, Rick DeLis
This customer success book explains that loyalty is driven by how well a company delivers on its basic promises and solves day-to-day problems, not on how spectacular its service experience might be. Most customers don’t want to be “wowed”; they want an effortless experience.
#5 Subscribed: Why the Subscription Model Will Be Your Company’s Future
by Tien Tzuo, Gabe Weisert
As CEO of the world’s largest subscription management platform, Tien Tzuo has helped hundreds of companies transition from relying on individual sales to building customer-centric, recurring-revenue businesses. If there’s one customer success book that will have you feeling empowered, it’s this one!
If you want to know more books to read on this topic then check out this link.
Courses and Certifications
This is a professional certification for those who have a high level of knowledge and expertise in the customer experience domain and are seeking an industry-wide recognition for the same.
This provides certification on customer success management. It is certified by the world’s leading Continuing Professional Development accreditor.
This is a course offered by Udemy on the foundation of becoming a great CSM. It has a series of 28 lectures that you can go through at your own pace once you enrolled for this course.
The CSM boot camp is a program offered by CSM Practice. They give customized training to your organization’s CS executives. It is an accelerator course for your role as an executive CS.
As much as their blog is famous, their customer success leadership programs are recognized too in the CS global space.
Rohan has over 11 years of experience in client services, marketing and hospitality field. Previously, he was head of digital marketing for a hi-tech mobile application. Rohan is driven by new challenges and the possibility of making an impact on individuals and businesses.
Published June 10, 2020, Updated March 01, 2023
