Sakinna Gairey, CCMP

People that care about UX and productivity for sales people: SDR Managers (god bless you wonderful folks). I do find that most direct managers in Sales aren't polling their employees--especially AE's to find out what's not working, what they are putting up with and not complaining about. There are tons of tools that sales folks are buying on their own dime like Scratchpad, Superhuman, etc. We all care about "giving developers the right tools to stay in flow".. but your revenue team? Sure, leaders need our forecasting tools and enablement systems (maybe)--but ask your team "what sucks about this CRM layout, how does thing work on your mobile device, what things are getting in your way, how much time do you spend clicking around poorly designed tooling interfaces---and what would move the needle for you". As an AE-centric leader, i'm working to put things in place that sure--make folks more productive--but that they don't hate using. What say you? whats sucks in your world? what tools do you buy on your own to deal with your day? or even how should the world work for a day-to-day SDR/AE/Account Manager, etc

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What the heck does being "a strategic CSM" mean? Let's decode it together. 🧐 Vague job descriptions and generic training often leave us with buzzwords like "strategic advisor." But without practical steps, this advice is unhelpful. Let’s break "strategic" down into 7 actionable components: 1. Understand Your Customer’s Goals. Know why they bought your product and how it benefits their business. 2. Connect Goals to Your Solution Guide them on using your product to achieve their objectives. 3. Drive Adoption and Change New systems require new habits. Help your customers adapt smoothly. 4. Communicate Persuasively Influence action by speaking in a way that resonates with your customers. 5. Create Win-Win Scenarios Balance your company's needs with those of the customer. 6. Prioritise Effectively Invest your time where it yields the best returns. 7. Multi-threading Establish connections with multiple contacts at different levels within the customer’s organisation. Master these 7 skills and you won’t just be "strategic. You'll be a top-performing CSM, advancing your career and boosting your earnings. Ready to elevate your CSM game? 🚀 Join 11K+ Customer Success Professionals who read my weekly newsletter for insights on building and scaling a CS team. 📩 [Sign up in the comments] #csm #customersuccess #customerexperience #CX #revops

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Salary Range is $45,000 - $50,000 USD (Fully Remote, Global 🌎) - Doesn't matter where you are in the world. 4 weeks PTO Laptop to get you started $1500 CAD learning budget $1000 CAD in travel allowance A Customer Success Rep that: - understands that success starts at support interactions with users - is the bridge between engineering and users on detailed bug/issue reporting, feature requests, etc. - knows how to effectively deliver trainings with passive campaigns to onboard user and improve product adoption - has the acumen to deal with admins for successful renewals and upsells - is up for the challenge to work in a startup and build the customer success function Someone with technical support experience and has managed 50+ accounts with at least $1 Million in Book of Business. There is no training, onboarding or a hard playbook to follow - we would build it together. If you think you've got what it takes, take a crack at applying below. Or if you think you know someone, tag them in the comments. https://lnkd.in/dZw3gbTs P.S - if you want to stand out, shoot me a loom video on LinkedIn :) #remote #csm #job

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If I was a SaaS BDR debating between multiple job opportunities, here is the criteria I would use to make a decision... TIP 1: 📚 A learning environment that works for YOU: whether it's a structured onboarding program, shadowing a buddy, or even learning through trial and error. TIP 2: 🎯 Qualify current targets (and commission) attainment of the team: don’t be swayed by a flashy €70k OTE that could really mean €50k if the team's average attainment is only 40%. TIP 3: 🫵 Figure out what matters to YOU, here are some priorities I often hear: - Opportunities to grow into an AE role within 12–18 months. - Selling a product + working with a buyer persona you resonate with. - Developing transferable skills to other roles and industries. - A team culture that aligns with you, both at work and outside (especially important if you're new to the city). -------- If you are a SaaS BDR (or aspire to be one), let me know in the comments or via message: what kind of content would be most helpful to you?

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Here is why outbound isn't dead 🪦 The BDR team at Reachdesk has been on a momentum of change over the past few months supported by Andy Laws and their new leader 🤖 Brandon Ray 🤖! In October we set a hefty goal and although outbound pipeline has been improving was still a big number. For context, we needed to double it. Here are some actions we've taken to improve and 2X our pipeline. 1. ICP with a heavy focus on technographic data from key partners using Crossbeam. Went all in on our core accounts and made sure time was heavily prioritized here. 🎯 2. Alignment on account plans with the AEs and improved 1-1's, goal setting, and building actual relationships. Win it together is the key theme. Target the right accounts at the right time. 🙌 3. Event and digital support BDRs and AE self gen - we don't use an MQL model instead everyone is invested in generating pipeline in our key accounts and converting them sooner with outbound. 🏎 4. Increase contacts reached and accounts worked with more activity - this doesn't mean spray and pray but better efficiencies to give people more of a chance of connecting with the right person and right account using tools like Nooks 📞 5. Creativity to stand out. We've launched impactful campaigns, and seasonal gifting campaigns, run some unique events and ultimately worked on our presence to be seen. Shout out Daniela Ferreira who is often the unsung hero creating the amazing design work you see! 💜 What am I happy to celebrate? 100% of the BDRs hit their October target and many exceeded Sean Ryan and Joe Kay got promoted to Snr BDRs (deserves a post on it's own) Marketing achieved their third quarter of hitting target! Well done 💜 Sofia Alexandra Silva, Sara Sa, Kinga Kusak, Sam Collins Outbound is a team effort and that's why we invest in Allbound! Cheers to all of the GTM team for a huge Q3! Let's build on it for Q4 and smash some new records!

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Oliver got laid off in January, lost a 6 figure CSM job, a role we put him in. But then: We got him a 6 figure CSM role (again) within 3 months. Here’s how: Oliver was a former client of mine. 10 months ago we worked to get him a CSM role. He got the dream gig: -Remote -6 Figures -Cool company The things dreams are made of. But this ended in January 2024. He called me while I was walking on a beach in Mexico. “dude I need you again, we all got laid off today” It was time to go to work. So we sounded the FIRE framework alarm. And got moving. -Updated his resume with newest accomplishments. -Talked through his recent stories and success. -Collaborated on 5 different task assignments. -Got his confidence back The rejections came flooding in. But this is part of the game. Oliver knew this and he’s built up the resilience to keep going So like we always do, we keep it moving. -Auto applying -Submit resume daily -No networking antics (do people still believe that?) Then we did it. We got a job offer. But it wasn’t the money we wanted. Why settle? So we kept looking. Then it came. From a SaaS company EVERYONE knows He got it again: -The remote role -The 6 figures -The unlimited PTO -The day 1 benefits. 3 months from start to finish. I’m grateful we were able to do this once again with Oliver. P.S. if you're trying to land a CSM role but: you're not getting any interviews you're not able get the offer you're getting overlooked you're sick of networking And you're ready to invest $ and take action. DM me "CSM" and I'll get you details ASAP. P.P.S: I now have 24 month payment plans for USA and Canadian clients.

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😧 The average turnover rate of sales reps is a whopping 35%. The cost of replacing an employee ranges from half to 2x their salary. But the cost of sales rep turnover isn’t just about numbers — it’s deeply personal. Every unanswered email or unreturned call feels like rejection, and over time, it can take a psychological toll. The grind of constant rejection can chip away at confidence and motivation, making it harder to approach each new prospect with enthusiasm. Then there's the sheer volume of tedious manual work. Hours spent on account research, data entry, and drafting personalized outreach is overwhelming. It leaves little time for strategic selling or meaningful conversations with prospects. The result? A sense of constant busyness without tangible progress, leading to frustration and fatigue — AKA burnout. Burnout tanks team morale, kills productivity, and chips away at an organization’s bottom line. And more than that, the impact it has on sales reps’ mental health and sense of wellbeing is unquantifiable. We see the causes of burnout and the stakes, but what about solutions? Check out this blog to learn how to keep and invest in your sales talent: https://okt.to/Ph0eJ5

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Every CS professional (who wants to keep their job in this crazy market) should get their hands on Rod Cherkas's new book: REACH. In the last few years, we have seen companies completely ditch their CS teams when things got tough, probably because their leaders were unaware of the value their CSMs brought to the table. No matter where you work, you are probably witnessing your Sales team struggle to close new deals. So now, Customer Success teams have been asked to step up their game, and honestly, I couldn't be happier. (We were already doing this anyway). It is about time CS teams start owning revenue numbers. For years we have shouted we wanted a seat at the table and how much we wanted to be taken seriously. It is our time to shine! Today's market demands a shift in mindset, CS teams that can demonstrate their contributions to the bottom line will thrive. REACH isn't just another framework. It's a game-changer. It empowers CS teams to take control of revenue numbers, finally giving them the recognition they deserve. It's time to break free from the fear and excuses and demonstrate what we've got. 💪 Ready to break free from the status quo? It starts with REACH.

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Hey CS Leaders: Customers don't want empathy. - They want to not have problems to empathize with. SVP of CS reaches out to me. - Sends CSAT survey - Get's 0s across the board - Get's my quick feedback too - Asks if I can have a call to explain - I say no, we have been through this - Nothing has changed for the better - Another call is a complete waste of time Then I get an email from my team - We've been waiting a month - To get answers on an open case - So I ask this SVP of CS for his help - He asks again for me to get on a call - To "explain my customer experience" - To "evaluate ways to better serve clients" I responded: - I don't want a call - To explain this again - For at least the 10th time - I just want this case resolved - Is that too much to ask them for? Case is resolved in 24 hours GREAT! BUT........ Do I have to email the SVP of CS every time my team can't get an answer from his team? And do I have to explain to him why I'm dissatisfied? He wants me to take time to explain the problem. Here it is: - Their "system is broken" - They don't track case resolution - Or don't make effort to improve it - Their CS team is very poorly trained - And/or not held accountable in any way - And/or they're immensely under-resourced *My best guess is they don't want to spend the money to have more CS reps to resolve issues faster, nor to improve their processes, systems, reports and metrics. There's really no other explanation for lack of response. 1. Poor systems 2. Lack of training 3. Zero accountability 4. Insufficient resources If we have to have our customers explain this to us on a Zoom call we're miles behind the curve. ✌️

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I totally agree! CS Ops needs to be “born” with the CS team as soon as the CS Head has more than 10 people under him (or as soon as possible, like a partner). It's impossible for a human being to manage people, capacity plan, performance analysis for the whole team, CRM, data and integrations at the same time as seeing the "bigger future". In the beginning, this CS Ops will be more “operational/technical” to give traction to the business in the sense of creating data analysis, integrations between systems and support for how the CS team will use CRM and how to measure this use. Then CS Ops will naturally scale up to measure risks/generate insight for the operation and then for the C-Level. The idea is that CS Ops develops from one person to an entire team!

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MOST AE's AREN'T CUT OUT FOR LEADERSHIP! Now, more than ever, I am seeing leaders move back into IC roles after they were thrust into leadership roles with no enablement during the GAAC era. Go figure 😕 It wasn't until a more challenging market where everyone started waking up and understanding that your ability as an IC is only a fraction of what is required to succeed as a revenue leader. I get it, in a sales career, you are told that the only way to progress is to become a leader. But here's the thing, the fancy title actually comes with a vastly different skillset requirement and new levels of pressure. - It's no longer about you - It's always about the team - It's your fault if you miss quota - The team gets all the credit when you overachieve - You now report to C level, founder or board = DEMANDING - You'll probably earn less than the top performing IC's - Oh, and if you do get your company to the next revenue milestone, the board may have different ideas for who the new leader should be for the next stage of growth... The title is nice, sure, but know that constant development as an IC may be your best way forward. And that is great, too! Let's stop glorifying leadership as the best way to progress your career as an IC. What do you think?!

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Absolutely, Customer Success Managers (CSMs) should earn as much as their sales counterparts. In 2024, retention has become the paramount concern for companies and their investors. Here's why: Extended Buying Cycles: Lengthier buying cycles mean sales teams are struggling to close deals. Intense Competition: Heightened competition underscores the necessity of retaining existing customers. Sales Challenges: As sales teams face difficulties, the responsibility to sustain revenue shifts to CSMs. CSMs are pivotal to customer retention and satisfaction. They face: High Pressure: Ensuring revenue stability amidst economic uncertainty. Increased Workload: Handling more responsibilities due to layoffs. Churn Prevention: Actively working to prevent customer loss. Burnout Risk: Managing customer relationships year-round is both demanding and exhausting. CSMs cultivate and maintain customer relationships, driving satisfaction and loyalty. Success leads to renewals, while failure results in customer churn.

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How Dave, an underpaid CSM secured a remote CSM role in 3 weeks (without networking): Dave was a: • Underpaid CSM • Told there was no $ to get a raise • Fighting fires instead of giving value So he started to look for his next CSM role. But things were tough. He hadn’t interviewed in years His resume was a complete mess He didn’t know the market of 2024 So he reached out and we got to work with the F.I.R.E Framework 🔥: 1. Leveraged my 2 job boards to conserve energy 2. Used an automated apply tool to apply for him 3. New resume written by a tech SaaS recruiter 4. Overhauled his LinkedIn to stand out 5. New cover letter to be concise 6. My 10 task assignments 7. My 20 QBR templates 8. A new mindset It didn’t take long for him to get traction. One of my fastest clients to date. Typically it takes 2-3 months. He did it in 3 weeks! He got what he was looking for. • 95K role • Remote Job • Bonus payout • Growth opportunities • Build out the CSM organization Grateful I was able to help Dave get to where he wanted to go. So if you are a CSM who: • Want to find their next CSM job • Think networking is a waste of time • No growth at your current company • Unable to gain traction in this job market • Want help from an enterprise CSM and Tech SaaS recruiter • Need guidance from someone who’s helped 83 CSM’s find their next role Fill out my application form in my featured section and we’ll see if we’re a fit to work together. Or, you can DM me the word “DAVE” 2/4 spots in September left.

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The biggest reason you aren’t getting CSM job interviews: Your resume, linkedin, and cover letter. 3 more reasons you’re not getting interviews: 1. You aren’t telling the company WHY you are valuable to them.     2. You also aren’t even showing off everything you’ve accomplished in your career.     3. You haven’t shown how you were valuable to your last employer Every single client i’ve worked with gets: -A hand-written customized resume -A cover letter -LinkedIn Feedback This is done by a 10 year SaaS tech recruiter (not outsourced to a resume company like some “others” 🫢) The results? 75+ people have secured roles using our 1 method that WORKS. And I'm tired of keeping this method a secret. So I had a thought... I'm thinking of hosting a group training session on Zoom next week and sharing all my secrets. And we’re giving it all to you. We'll cover: • All the insider tips/ tricks for crafting an ATS resume • What recruiters want to see (and hear) on a resume • The biggest resume mistakes that drive recruiters nuts • What a cover letter should and should not be • Why your LinkedIn is critical to success You’ll also get personalised feedback on your resume, my CSM resume, and a few other goodies we’re working on. If you're interested, DM me now with the code word "ATS". I'm only going to do it if I get 10 people interested, so I'll let the audience decide. This could be the turning point that takes your CSM job hunt to the next level. Ready to smash those resumes out of the park? Let me know in the DM’s.

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Discovery calls can sometimes feel like an interrogation - you grill the customer for info and they tell you about themselves and their business. But it shouldn't be that way. Discovery is a conversation - a collaboration. You need to involve your client and build a sense of shared ownership, which is key for a strong foundation of trust and long-term relationships. Here are essential practices that can transform your discovery calls into a tool for closing deals: 1️⃣ Ask the right questions. Demonstrate your expertise by asking insightful questions that encourage thoughtful answers. This approach deepens your understanding and solidifies your position as a trusted advisor. 2️⃣ Align your questions with the buyer's role. Customize your questions to reflect the buyer's current role and industry knowledge. This alignment helps in avoiding frustrations and enhances engagement. Once you identify a prospect's job title, understand their Critical Business Issues (CBIs) by repeatedly asking "Why?" until you uncover the core challenges. 3️⃣ Listen actively. Effective discovery involves deep listening—aim to understand not just the words but the underlying needs and emotions conveyed by your buyers. Steer clear of close-ended questions and utilize expansion questions to explore your client’s pain points more deeply. 4️⃣ Continuously re-validate information. As priorities and situations change, updating the information you gather regularly is vital. Employ tools like a Situation Slide to record each situation accurately, keeping your approach relevant and informed. 5️⃣ View discovery as a process. Understand that discovery is not a one-time event. It's crucial to continually adapt your approach based on the buyer's evolving needs and circumstances. Implementing these practices can significantly enhance your discovery process, leading to more successful outcomes. Gain a deeper understanding of the customer's situation and uncover hidden needs and opportunities. If you're looking to elevate these skills further, Great Demo! offers specialized training and support to refine your techniques and maximize the effectiveness of every sales opportunity. Send me a message!

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What's a fair salary for a CSM? Last week Noah Little blew the CS corner of the internet with a hot take that CSMs should be paid like sales reps. Needless to say, when it comes to money, the more the merrier. 🤑 But should CSMs and Sales Reps be paid in the same "structure"? Probably not... Different roles and different tasks, therefore different comp structures. So instead of comparing ourselves to sales, we need to be able to: 1- compare ourselves to the rest of the industry 2- align the comp of the CSM to the revenue it generates That's how we fight for more of the pie. The issue is that if you are in Europe, it's really hard to get good salary data to even start this process. That's why I partnered with some of the top CS brands in Europe to collate a survey that helps us understand our local salary landscape. The report will help: - Leaders design fair and equitable compensation packages - CS Professionals benchmark their offers and salaries Link to answer the survey is in the comments section! #csm #customersuccess #salary #compensation #growthmindset

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One of the most annoying parts of #CustomerSuccess is having to manage a #Portfolio with a high number of customers that are #Unresponsive. Trust me, if you show them that you can drive value for them, this will change! To drive this value, you have to think like them- as #BusinessPartners!

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Underrated CSM Skill: Internal Collaborator 🤝 Aka: willing to think beyond just the CSM perspective. We all agree that customers' success (and the company's for that matter) relies on way more than the Customer Success team. And the best CSMs and CS leaders know how to operationalize that fact by being strong internal collaborators. They don't just look out for what the Customer Success team is accountable for or able to influence. They expand their horizons and look at the big picture of how other teams influence customer outcomes. And when they see those other teams as real people and vital to customers' success, they're willing to collaborate with other teams even on things that don't immediately "benefit" Customer Success but help the big picture of the company. Doing this leads to stronger outcomes for customers. And bonus points? It also makes the CS team more pleasant to work with and more likely to be able to call in favors from other teams as well. How do teams practically get better at collaborating? How can you improve in this area 1. ASK It sounds super obvious, but a great starting point is to ask other teams if there's something they're working on that your team can help move the needle on. You don't know what you don't know, so starting a conversation is one of the best ways to learn. 2. CAN I MENTALITY We often operate professionally with a "Must I" mentality that asks if we have to do certain things. "That's not Customer Success's job" "I don't think that's in my KPIs" etc. Now let me be clear: healthy boundaries and clear delineation of responsibilities are EXTREMELY important. If you've got a coworker or company trying to take advantage of you or just playing hot potato and the blame game, that isn't healthy. And that absolutely should be addressed. But when you're in a healthy culture, adopting a "Can I" mentality carries you far with internal collaboration. You begin to approach challenges with curiosity and ask "Can I be a part of improving outcomes?" instead of "Must I be a part of this?" That sort of curiosity builds towards a type of collaboration that strengthens teams, and leads to stronger outcomes. ________________________________ Don't be the CSM or CS team that is only focused on your small niche of the business. That's a good way to miss out on growth opportunities and limit customer outcomes. But I want to hear from you! How do you go about improving internal collaboration on your teams? #CustomerSuccess #Collaboration #Leadership

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