122. 5 Ways Top Performing CSMs Use Champions to Drive Adoption, Expansion & Renewals in Their Accounts

What if the biggest opportunities in your accounts are being left on the table because you are treating champions like power users instead of strategic partners?In this episode, I’m breaking down the five specific ways top performing CSMs use champions to drive adoption, expansion, and renewals without carrying the entire account on their back.I’m sharing the exact plays I used throughout my CS career, why most CSMs are thinking about champions the wrong way, and how to turn your internal advocates into the people opening doors, influencing teams, and helping you protect revenue.You’ll walk away knowing how to sound more strategic, create more momentum in your accounts, and stop feeling like you have to do everything yourself. If you’re ready to become the kind of CSM that companies cannot afford to lose, hit play, and let’s dive in.1:10 – Why most CSMs aren’t set up to leverage champions (and it’s not your fault)3:22 – The three must-haves that make someone a true champion, not just a coach6:47 – Turning your champion into a community builder with a simple Slack channel10:55 – Upleveling adoption by helping champions create a resource hub or wiki14:38 – Making your product stickier by baking it into new hire onboarding16:30 – Driving expansion with champion-led value stories that actually land21:44 – Teaching champions to talk ROI to crush renewal conversationsFREEBIES & RESOURCES:🛎️ Actively looking for a job in Customer Success or plan to in the near future? Apply for 1:1 Coaching with me HERE🛎️ Optimize your resume for Customer Success jobs to land consistent interviews with my FREE Training: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/resume🛎️ Learn how to sell yourself as the best candidate & walk into your next Customer Success job interview with confidence with my FREE Training: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/sellyourself🛎️ Learn how to Master Behavioral Interviews with my FREE Training: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/behavioralCONNECT WITH ME:❤️ Let's be LinkedIn friends: www.linkedin.com/in/carly-agar/💭 Got any questions? Send me an email at [email protected] TO THE SHOW NOTES: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/episode122FOLLOW & REVIEW:Are you loving the podcast? I'd appreciate it if you could take a few seconds to do these two things:👉🏻 Hit the FOLLOW button so you don't miss out on any new episodes when they drop👉🏻 And either leave a review on Apple Podcasts or let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment over on Spotify!This helps me reach more customer success pros who need these insights.Thanks for tuning in to the Customer Success Career Coach podcast! I'll catch you next week.New episodes drop every Wednesday!