The Strategic CSM: How to Drive Business Outcomes with Chad Horenfeldt episode artwork

EPISODE · Sep 3, 2025 · 52 MIN

The Strategic CSM: How to Drive Business Outcomes with Chad Horenfeldt

from The Customer Success Pro Podcast · host Anika Zubair

Signup for the FREE Masterclass: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/masterclassIn this episode of the Customer Success Pro Podcast, host Anika Zuber speaks with Chad Hornerfeld, VP of Customer Success at Sienna AI, about the evolution of customer success and the importance of strategic customer success management. They discuss the shift from traditional customer success roles to a more strategic approach, focusing on business outcomes rather than just product adoption. Chad shares insights from his newly published book, 'The Strategic Customer Success Manager,' and provides frameworks for CSMs to enhance their strategic conversations and relationships with customers. The episode emphasizes the need for CSMs to understand their customers' businesses and to ask the right questions to drive value and outcomes.Chapters:00:00 Introduction 02:52 The Evolution of Customer Success06:01 The Strategic Customer Success Manager08:50 Defining Strategic CSMs11:50 The Importance of Business Outcomes14:47 Frameworks for Strategic Conversations17:42 Managing Up and Building Relationships20:54 Quickfire Questions and Wrap-UpThe CS Promotion Tracker: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/offers/wh6BFvEcConnect with Anika Zubair:Website: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/CSM RevUP Academy: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revupConnect with Chad Horenfeldt:https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadhorenfeldt/https://www.strategiccustomersuccess.com/Chad Horenfeldt is the VP of Customer Success at Siena AI and an award-winning CS leader with over 20 years of experience building high-impact teams at companies like Eloqua (acquired by Oracle) and Kustomer (acquired by Meta). Known for his blend of strategic insight, empathy, and operational excellence, Chad has shaped the careers of hundreds of CSMs and helped define the modern CS profession. He’s a founding member of CS Angel, advisor to emerging CS tech, and a longtime advocate for elevating CS into a strategic function.Grab our FREE resources here: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/resources Want to be our next podcast guest? Apply here: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/podcast-guest Book Anika as a speaker at your next team event: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/team-event

Signup for the FREE Masterclass: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/masterclassIn this episode of the Customer Success Pro Podcast, host Anika Zuber speaks with Chad Hornerfeld, VP of Customer Success at Sienna AI, about the evolution of customer success and the importance of strategic customer success management. They discuss the shift from traditional customer success roles to a more strategic approach, focusing on business outcomes rather than just product adoption. Chad shares insights from his newly published book, 'The Strategic Customer Success Manager,' and provides frameworks for CSMs to enhance their strategic conversations and relationships with customers. The episode emphasizes the need for CSMs to understand their customers' businesses and to ask the right questions to drive value and outcomes.Chapters:00:00 Introduction 02:52 The Evolution of Customer Success06:01 The Strategic Customer Success Manager08:50 Defining Strategic CSMs11:50 The Importance of Business Outcomes14:47 Frameworks for Strategic Conversations17:42 Managing Up and Building Relationships20:54 Quickfire Questions and Wrap-UpThe CS Promotion Tracker: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/offers/wh6BFvEcConnect with Anika Zubair:Website: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/CSM RevUP Academy: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revupConnect with Chad Horenfeldt:https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadhorenfeldt/https://www.strategiccustomersuccess.com/Chad Horenfeldt is the VP of Customer Success at Siena AI and an award-winning CS leader with over 20 years of experience building high-impact teams at companies like Eloqua (acquired by Oracle) and Kustomer (acquired by Meta). Known for his blend of strategic insight, empathy, and operational excellence, Chad has shaped the careers of hundreds of CSMs and helped define the modern CS profession. He’s a founding member of CS Angel, advisor to emerging CS tech, and a longtime advocate for elevating CS into a strategic function.Grab our FREE resources here: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/resources Want to be our next podcast guest? Apply here: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/podcast-guest Book Anika as a speaker at your next team event: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/team-event

NOW PLAYING

The Strategic CSM: How to Drive Business Outcomes with Chad Horenfeldt

0:00 52:37

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Customer Success Pro Podcast?

This episode is 52 minutes long.

When was this The Customer Success Pro Podcast episode published?

This episode was published on September 3, 2025.

What is this episode about?

Signup for the FREE Masterclass: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/masterclassIn this episode of the Customer Success Pro Podcast, host Anika Zuber speaks with Chad Hornerfeld, VP of Customer Success at Sienna AI, about the evolution of customer...

Can I download this The Customer Success Pro Podcast episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!