Psychology of Customer Success

Rachel Provan

Humans don’t think and act like computers. So why are you setting your CS strategy based solely on logic?

Join Customer Success Expert turned Brain-based CS Leadership and Strategy Coach, Rachel Provan, each Wednesday as she pulls back the curtain on how to use Cognitive, Behavioral, and Evolutionary psychology to create positive influence with your customers, and your internal teams.

So if you want to unlock customer-led growth, get buy-in from the C-suite, and skyrocket your career - this show is for you.

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Top 10 Psychology of Customer Success Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Psychology of Customer Success episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Psychology of Customer Success for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Psychology of Customer Success episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

What Your Customers Aren't Telling You

Psychology of Customer Success

03/06/24 • 45 min

Bob London and I discuss the power of Radically Authentic Discovery in customer success, emphasizing deep listening and strategic questioning to uncover true customer insights and drive engagement. Bob shares practical tips and the psychological foundations behind his method, inspiring CS leaders to adopt a more human-centered approach in their conversations.
Have you ever been blindsided by a customer churning?

It’s not that your health score needs adjusting (again) or that they were being dishonest.

You just weren’t asking the RIGHT QUESTIONS

Join us for the first guest episode of “Psychology of Customer Success” and learn Bob London’s psychology-based method for getting the full story out of your customers, so you can understand their pain points, and highest priorities to provide the best guidance on how they can leverage your product to produce the outcomes their business needs - NOW.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL DISCOVER

How to stop talking AT your customers and start understanding THEM (and why that’s harder than you might think!)
Why you should “Go Deckless” at your next business review
What kinds of questions to ask to unlock the full story of your customer retention and expansion opportunities - as well as unearth hidden risk factors

When you finish listening, I'd love to hear your biggest takeaway from today’s episode. Share a post on LinkedIn and tag me (@Rachel Haynes Provan) and @Bob London!

While you’re there, make sure you follow me on LinkedIn so you can see behind the scenes of how I built and scaled World-Class CS departments for over 15 years, and how you can too.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
https://www.boblondon.co/ - Bob London’s Website

https://www.linkedin.com/in/boblondon/ - Bob London’s LinkedIn Profile https://www.oscartrimboli.com/podcasts/ - Oscar Trimboli's Podcast
https://www.audible.com/pd/Youre-Not-Listening-Audiobook/1250263727 - Kate Murphy’s You’re Not Listening (AudioBook)

🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.

Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com

++++NEW FREE RESOURCE++++
💎 The Ultimate Onboarding Checklist for Customer Success Leaders - The Step-by-Step Checklist to demonstrate your leadership, value, and strategic expertise.
WORK WITH RACHEL:

🧑🏻‍🎓 The CS Leadership Academy

CONNECT WITH RACHEL
Follow at:
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WEBSITE

https://provansuccess.com

What it Takes to Make it to Executive Leadership

Psychology of Customer Success

05/15/24 • 44 min

Struggling to adapt to changes in your CS Leadership Role?

Feel like you’re always dealing with problems outside of your control?

Join Madelyn DePrey, Global VP of Customer Success at Aircall, as she shares her expertise on rising through the ranks to executive leadership by mastering change, overcoming victim mentality, and learning from sales to enhance customer success strategies. Discover the transformative power of building cross-functional relationships and resilience in this insightful episode.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL LEARN:

Effective Strategies for Handling Change: How to embrace and navigate through changes in the tech industry with agility and confidence.
Overcoming Victim Mentality: Techniques to shift from a mindset of constraints to one of proactive problem-solving within customer success.
The Power of Cross-Functional Relationships: How building strong relationships with sales, product, and other departments can facilitate smoother operations and better outcomes in customer success.
Learning from Sales: What customer success can adopt from sales techniques, including top of the funnel strategies and objection handling, to enhance customer retention and satisfaction.
Building Resilience in Leadership: Strategies to develop resilience, helping you to not only survive but thrive through challenges and adversity in your career.

Tune in to transform how you view your role in customer success and accelerate your path to leadership.
Find Madelyn on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madelyn-deprey-29a91642/

🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.

Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com

🧑🏻‍🎓 The CS Leadership Academy

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WEBSITE

https://provansuccess.com

The Loyalty Trap: Are You Fooling Yourself?

Psychology of Customer Success

04/17/24 • 39 min

Are your "best customers" actually as loyal as you think?

Or could it just be a matter of convenience?
Join me as I talk to the brilliant Ali Cudby and she shares her insightful take on the different levels of customer loyalty, and how we can help get more of our customers to the highest level - the Lucrative Loyal!

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL LEARN:

The three different tiers of customer loyalty - lazy loyals, limited loyals, and lucrative loyals
How to identify which type of loyal customers you have, and why that distinction is so important
Practical strategies for turning limited loyal customers into highly engaged, "lucrative" loyal customers
Why fostering authentic advocacy from your best customers is so valuable (and how to avoid the pitfalls)
The hidden costs of acquiring the "wrong" customers, and why it's critical to have a clear ideal customer profile

When you finish listening, I'd love to hear your biggest takeaway from today's episode. Share it on LinkedIn and Tag me and Ali!
Find Ali Cudby

Alignmint for Growth
Linkedin
About Ali
Ali Cudby, Founder, and CEO of Alignmint Growth Strategies, is a dynamic force in transforming businesses through intentional customer experiences. With a mission to architect superior customer interactions that drive growth, Ali's expertise lies in aligning strategy and implementation for uncontainable growth.

As the author of the #1 bestselling book "Keep Your Customers," Ali provides a fresh perspective on customer relations, offering insights from real-world consumer behavior stories, business best practices, and CEO-led case studies. Her proven four-step MINT Method, outlined in the book, has been the cornerstone of her work at Alignmint, helping clients achieve transformational customer loyalty.

With over 20 years of experience, Ali has honed her craft, having started in corporate planning at The New York Times Company and later delving into strategic marketing at the Golf Digest Magazine Group and Animal Planet TV Network. Her journey continued with the founding of Alignmint Growth Strategies in 2014, focusing on making a difference for small to mid-sized companies.

Beyond her role as a business leader, Ali taught Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Purdue University, embodying her commitment to nurturing the next generation of business minds. In her podcast appearances, Ali brings a wealth of knowledge on customer experience, growth strategies, and the intersection of intentional processes and business success. With Ali, customer experience isn't just a department—it's the essence of cross-functional, intentional efforts driving businesses to new heights.

🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.

Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com

🧑🏻‍🎓 The CS Leadership Academy

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WEBSITE

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Gainsight's Easton Taylor on the Power of Human-First Leadership

Psychology of Customer Success

07/31/24 • 45 min

Are you struggling to balance business results with employee well-being?

Do you wonder how to create a high-performing team while treating them with humanity?

It's time to explore the transformative impact of human-first leadership in customer success.

Join Rachel Provan as she sits down with Easton Taylor, SVP of Customer Success at Gainsight, to uncover the secrets of creating a thriving, human-centric culture that drives business success.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL DISCOVER:

What human-first leadership really means beyond the buzzwords, and why it's more critical now than ever in the challenging tech economy
The 8 key ingredients of human-first leadership, including empathy, authenticity, and personalized experiences
How Gainsight's core values, including "childlike joy" and "Shoshin" (beginner's mind), shape their unique culture
Practical strategies for new leaders to build trust and transparency with their teams
The crucial role of psychology in developing effective leadership skills
How to maintain a human-first approach while driving results in challenging times

Don't let the pressure to deliver results destroy your team's morale and effectiveness. Tune in to learn how human-first leadership can transform your customer success department, boost employee engagement, and ultimately drive better business outcomes.
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This episode was sponsored by Vitally.io

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🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.

Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com

🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.

Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com

🧑🏻‍🎓 The CS Leadership Academy

CONNECT WITH RACHEL
Follow at:
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WEBSITE

https://provansuccess.com

Dealing with Imposter Syndrome

Psychology of Customer Success

02/07/24 • 26 min

If you're feeling the weight of imposter syndrome in your leadership role, constantly battling with thoughts that you're not good enough, welcome to the club!
The pressure to appear perfect, handle everything on your own, and know everything can be overwhelming. Thankfully, none of those things are actually necessary.
Let's explore effective strategies to overcome imposter syndrome and step into your role with confidence and authenticity.

In this episode, you'll discover:

· Overcoming imposter syndrome empowers leaders to thrive authentically.

· Embracing vulnerability fosters genuine connections and personal growth.

· Mastering soft skills amplifies leadership effectiveness and team dynamics.

· Conquering negative thoughts cultivates a resilient and empowered mindset.

· Curbing social media usage enhances self-esteem and mental well-being.

You can't mentally beat yourself into success.

The resources mentioned in this episode are:

· Download the accomplishment tracker from the Provan Success website to track your wins and boost your confidence.
· Learn the best ways to use it in this article

· Join the waitlist for the next round of CS Leadership Academy, opening for registration on February 15, 2024, to supercharge your CS Leadership and Strategy using Human Psychology

🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.

Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com

🧑🏻‍🎓 The CS Leadership Academy

CONNECT WITH RACHEL
Follow at:
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WEBSITE

https://provansuccess.com

Let's Talk Failure - and why you need it!

Psychology of Customer Success

01/17/24 • 27 min

Failure happens to all of us.
In this episode, we'll delve into the often-feared concept of failure and discover its hidden potential for growth and learning.
We'll explore the essential role of mindset, how to differentiate between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset, and uncover sneaky signs that a fixed mindset holding you back in both your personal and professional life.
Embrace a fresh perspective on failure, seeing it not as a setback, but as a vital stepping stone to success.
Come learn to approach challenges with curiosity, openness to new experiences, and resilience against setbacks. This episode also highlights the crucial distinction between your self-worth and your failures, empowering you to define your worth independently of your setbacks. By the end, you'll be equipped to view failures as valuable experiments and embrace change as a key driver of growth.

Takeaways for You:

Understand how shifting your view of failure can unlock opportunities for learning and growth.
Learn to identify and overcome your limitations using curiosity.
Recognize the symptoms of a fixed mindset and how they might be impeding your progress.
Discover how to separate your self-worth from your failures, establishing a resilient sense of self.
Transform your approach to challenges, viewing failure as an experimental learning opportunity and change as a catalyst for personal and professional growth.

OTHER LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Mindset - Carol Dweck

🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.

Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com

🧑🏻‍🎓 The CS Leadership Academy

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WEBSITE

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The Language of the Executive Suite

Psychology of Customer Success

02/28/24 • 20 min

Are you struggling to get your ideas across to the C-suite in your Customer Success role?
Do you feel like they just don't see the urgency or importance of your CS initiatives and customer feedback, despite your best efforts?

If this sounds familiar, you might be missing a crucial tool in your arsenal: strategic presentations. But it's not just about the slides; it's about understanding the psychology behind effective communication with senior leadership based on their point of view

In this episode, we dive into the common pitfalls CS leaders face when communicating with the C-suite and how a well-crafted visual aid, combined with psychological insights, can make all the difference.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL DISCOVER:

The importance of using visual aids to convey urgency and financial impact, tapping into the C-suite's visual and analytical processing.
What to include in a presentation - and how it doesn't have to take you hours!
How to structure your presentations to keep the C-suite engaged and informed, leveraging psychological principles of attention and memory.
Tips for making your data and proposals visually compelling and memorable, using psychological insights into how people process and retain information.
Strategies for anticipating and addressing questions and objections from senior leadership, understanding their psychological biases, and decision-making processes.

Don't let your valuable insights go unheard! Tune in to learn how to elevate your communication game and get the C-suite on board with your Customer Success initiatives, using the power of psychology.

🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.

Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com

🧑🏻‍🎓 The CS Leadership Academy

CONNECT WITH RACHEL
Follow at:
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WEBSITE

https://provansuccess.com

How to Improve Employee Morale (When You Can't Give Them A Raise!)

Psychology of Customer Success

03/27/24 • 28 min

Is it possible to motivate your team without paying them more?
In a time when workloads are doubling and raises are scarce – How can you keep your team motivated - even EXCITED - to give it their all?
Money matters - no question about it. But it's only a small piece of what actually impacts job performance.
Now I'm not saying to be cheap! Pay your people as well as you possibly can!
But if you're getting no wiggle room from the C-Suite on budget - that doesn't have to mean your team will automatically stop trying. Other things matter too. People WANT to feel motivated. Come find out how.
BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL DISCOVER:

How to avoid resentment during "Do more with... (you know.)"
The career development hack that gets employees taking work off your plate - and thank you for it!
The human-first leadership techniques that tripled the effectiveness of my CS teams within the first six months.

When you finish listening, I'd love to hear your biggest takeaway from today's episode.
Tag me in a post on LinkedIn and let me hear what you learned!

🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.

Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com

🧑🏻‍🎓 The CS Leadership Academy

CONNECT WITH RACHEL
Follow at:
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WEBSITE

https://provansuccess.com

Giving Negative Feedback Without Destroying Morale

Psychology of Customer Success

01/24/24 • 30 min

Do you avoid giving negative feedback because you don't want to upset your employees? Do you ever worry they won't like you?

You’ll learn why it’s so hard to give negative feedback, what the consequences are for avoiding it, and a proven (Provan?) framework for delivering it in a way that gets results without sending the other person into a shame spiral or being wishy-washy.

Takeaways for You:

Why the brain goes haywire in these situations
Caring About Employees vs. Being Liked
How to establish psychological safety
The secret to framing your criticisms correctly
Highlighting invisible consequences

OTHER LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Crucial Confrontations (now called Crucial Accountability) - - Patterson, Grenny, Maxfield, McMillan, and Switzler
Crucial Conversations - Patterson, Grenny, Maxfield, McMillan, and Switzler
Never Split the Difference (Also great on audiobook!) - Chris Voss
Feedback Framework - a quick reference sheet

🎬 This content was edited by Lifetime Value Media.

Learn more at: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com

🧑🏻‍🎓 The CS Leadership Academy

CONNECT WITH RACHEL
Follow at:
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WEBSITE

https://provansuccess.com

Outsource Your Brain: Productivity Tools for Customer Success Professionals

Psychology of Customer Success

07/17/24 • 40 min

More customer success leaders than ever report being overwhelmed by the never-ending demands of their careers. Are you?

In this episode of Psychology of Customer Success, Rachel reveals her favorite tools designed to help CS leaders stay organized and efficient - even when things are coming at you a million miles an hour!
Discover how to build faster knowledge centers, delegate tasks effortlessly, and leverage AI to ensure nothing slips through the cracks.

Get practical insights on using tools like Fathom Notetaker and Anthropic’s Claude, offering you the keys to a more focused and productive workday for maximum efficiency. Tune in and learn how to outsource your brain for maximum efficiency!

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:40 - My favorite tools

00:02:29 - Managing tasks

00:03:55 - Discovering Fathom Notetaker

00:08:24 - Superior AI with Claude

00:15:42 - Easy SOPs and knowledge center resources

00:23:34 - Outsource your brain with my favorite productivity tool

00:26:22 - Immediate focus on demand with this music app

00:27:39 - Wake up more easily and improve sleep quality

00:29:11 - The app that will make you happier in 5 mins a day

00:34:51 - Reflecting with a bullet journal