To Customer Value and Beyond

In dieser Folge sprechen wir mit Anastasia Albert, Founder & VP Growth bei B2B Practitioners darüber, wie SaaS Unternehmen die Lücke zwischen Strategie und Umsetzung schließen können, dabei in unterschiedlichen Märkten skalieren können und eine vorhersehbare GTM Maschine bauen.

In this episode, Steven Lewandowski and Microsoft expert Alkim Mete discuss the synergistic connection between artificial intelligence, cloud technologies and Customer Value Management. Mete explains how her experiences as a pianist and athlete shape her analytical approach to complex software architectures and customer needs.A central point of the conversation is the necessity of a "translation layer" between technical departments and the executive level to secure the long-term business value of IT investments. While the potential of AI agents for process optimization is highlighted, both underscore the indispensable role of human intuition and empathy in sales. Ultimately, the combination of technical savvy and emotional intelligence is identified as the critical future competency for success in the B2B sector.

Ein unterschriebener Vertrag ist kein Erfolg. Ein realisierter Business Case schon.Ich spreche im Podcast mit jemandem, der die Welt des B2B-Vertriebs und der Customer Value Realization aus einer spannenden Perspektive kennt: Dr. Jens Erasmus. Er hat über eine Karriere bei Unternehmen wie Hella, Wabco & ZF als Käufer von B2B SaaS Lösungen gesehen, was passiert, wenn Sales-Versprechen auf die harte Realität der Konzern-Compliance und CFO-Budgets treffen.Wir räumen mit der „Silosicht der Seller“ auf und schauen uns an, warum der klassische Software-Vertrieb oft genau an der Stelle scheitert, wo es für den Kunden wichtig wird.🔍 Darum geht es in der Folge (und in unserer kommenden Blog-Serie):- Der Status Quo des Schmerzes: Warum „haben Sie das Tool genutzt?“ die falsche Frage ist und wie wir echten Pain in messbaren Value übersetzen.- ⁠Die unsichtbare Mauer: Warum die Übergabe von Sales zu Customer Success oft ein schwarzes Loch für Informationen ist.- ⁠Silodenken vs. Kundenbedürfnis: Warum der CFO heute anders auf Software schaut und was nötig ist, um ihn wirklich zu überzeugen.- ⁠Value Realization & End-to-End Methodik: Unser Weg von der Value Identification bis zur Expansion in der P&L.Jens wird uns erklären, warum er heute in seinen Rollen als Global Director of Business Transformation und Advisor darauf besteht, dass Wertversprechen von der ersten Zeile Code bis zum fertigen Business Case lückenlos nachweisbar sein müssen.💡 Ein kleiner Vorgeschmack: Aus diesem Gespräch ziehen wir im Anschluss direkt 5 Deep-Dive-Blogartikel, die euch helfen, eure eigene Value-Strategie vom Kopf auf die Füße zu stellen.

I sat down with Ognen Borozanov, a powerhouse in the world of customer-centric growth and value realization.Ognen brings a wealth of experience in navigating the most critical phase of the customer journey: the transition from a "closed-won" deal to a thriving, value-producing partnership. He is a firm believer that the real work and the real magic, starts the moment the ink dries. His approach focuses on bridging the gap between sales promises and operational reality, ensuring that every account doesn't just launch, but truly excels.In this deep-dive episode, we’re tackling the "post-signature" roadmap:The Path to First Value: How to take a newly signed account starting with a rock-solid handover and lead them swiftly and effectively to their first meaningful win.Stakeholder Alignment: Proven strategies for keeping various stakeholders engaged, informed, and excited about both the intended value and the achieved outcomes.Value as a Growth Engine: How to leverage documented success and realized value to naturally drive up-sell and cross-sell opportunities without the hard sell.

Kicking Off Season 2 with a Customer Success Architect!I am very excited to announce that 'To Customer Value and Beyond' is returning for Season 2! I sat down with John Huber, Founder of Customer Success Architects.John is a seasoned expert in the B2B SaaS space with over 20 years of experience leading Customer Success, Account Management and Services teams in the US. Having worked across both enterprise and growth-stage companies, he brings a very practical, "in-the-trenches" perspective to the table. Today, John works as a fractional CS leader and strategic advisor, helping founders and revenue leaders align customer outcomes to business goals. He’s known for his operator-first approach and his ability to help teams turn customer success into a scalable, measurable growth engine.In this season opener, we discussed:- The Architect’s Framework: Practical strategies for moving beyond reactive support to ensure customers fully realize value from their investments.- The Fractional Model: How growth-stage companies can leverage strategic CS leadership to reduce churn and improve NRR without over-scaling too early.

Christian Richter, Chief Customer Officer at SAP Signavio & SAP LeanIX, is a major force in the Customer Success world. His experience is truly impressive, leading the charge at LeanIX since 2017 (the year I met him) to building out and scaling their Customer Success Management, Customer Success Engineering, Customer Support, Professional Services and Sales / Solution Engineering functions across Europe and the US. He's driven by a passion for customer success and accelerating digital transformations, bringing a wealth of knowledge from his consulting background in Telco and Retail, where he saw firsthand the impact of architecture decisions. Beyond his CCO role, Christian is an Advisory Board Member at Cozero, an exciting carbon accounting and climate management solution from my hometown Berlin.In this must-listen episode, we'll dive deep into some key topics:- Customer Value Deep Dive: Exploring the differences in how we define and deliver customer value in the worlds of Process Mining versus Enterprise Architecture.- The Power Trio: Strategies for significantly improving Sales, Customer Success and Product Collaboration to drive better outcomes for everyone.

New episode of "To Customer Value and Beyond" is live, and I'm so grateful to my amazing guest, Angeley Mullins!We covered so much ground, but one thing that really stood out was her emphasis on critical thinking for tech leaders. It's a skill she sees as absolutely fundamental to success.Tune in to hear why!

In dieser Episode spreche ich mit ⁠Tatjana Imhof⁠ von Pluralsight über das Thema „Digitale CS Strategie: Der Wandel zum hybriden Customer Value“.Tatjana vereint über 12 Jahre Erfahrung im Aufbau und in der Leitung von Customer Success Teams bei HubSpot, Stripe und Pluralsight – und hat Portfolios von bis zu 350 Mio. ARR verantwortet. Sie hat Organisationen erfolgreich von High-Touch zu digital-first und hybriden Modellen transformiert und zeigt, wie man mit klaren Strategien echten Kundenwert skaliert.In unserem Gespräch geht es um:• Hybrider Customer Value: Warum die Zukunft nicht „entweder-oder“, sondern „sowohl-als-auch“ ist.• Skalierbare CS-Programme: Erfolgreiche Ansätze für Onboarding, Adoption, Renewals und Risikomanagement.• Leadership & Transformation: Wie man diverse, starke Teams aufbaut, die messbaren Impact liefern.Eine inspirierende Folge für alle, die Customer Success nicht nur effizienter, sondern auch wirkungsvoller gestalten wollen.

We are excited to welcome ⁠Max Elster⁠, Co-Founder & CEO at ⁠Minoa⁠, to our show.Max is at the forefront of helping companies prove and realize customer value, and he shared a bold perspective on a major market trend:“From Product-Led Growth to Proof-Led Revenue: A Market Shift.”Drawing from his experience working with leading SaaS companies, Max highlights how the conversation is moving away from pure adoption metrics toward concrete proof of value delivered.We’ll be diving into:- Proof-Led Revenue: Why companies need to demonstrate impact earlier and more consistently.- The Role of Customer Value: How value frameworks are reshaping pre- and post-sales alignment.- What’s Next for SaaS Growth: Lessons from building Minoa and working with fast-scaling teams.

I’m thrilled to welcome Hans Christian Heinemeyer, Chief Revenue Officer at bookingkit to our show. Hans Christian brings a wealth of experience in building and scaling B2B tech companies, offering a sharp perspective on the practical application of technology in the real world.In a landscape buzzing with AI, Christian argues that the technology itself isn't the ultimate prize. His experience at the forefront of the tours and activities industry with bookingkit provides a unique insight into how to leverage AI for tangible business growth, rather than chasing the hype.We’ll be diving into:- AI Itself is Not Value: Moving beyond the buzz to find real-world applications.- Internal vs. External AI: Separating use cases for optimizing your operations from those that enhance the customer experience.

I’m proud to welcome Stefan to the show - a longtime colleague, friend & someone who brings a unique perspective at the intersection of Customer, Technology and Product.As the first employee at a company which eventually became a unicorn, Stefan has been part of building customer value from the ground up. His experience offers a rare inside view into how CS can influence product and tech decisions early on - and how that shapes long-term growth.We’ll talk about: • Aligning teams around customer value • Using a product mindset to drive meaningful outcomesWhether you’re in CS, Product or Tech - there’s a lot to take away from this conversation.

This week, it’s just Jim Smith and me, diving into the latest buzz in tech and syncing up on what’s shaping the industry. We’ll be tackling key trends, sharing insights from decades in Tech, B2B SaaS and Customer Success and of course, keeping things fun and engaging.

We couldn’t be more thrilled to announce our next guest: Diana De Jesus - a true thought leader in Customer Success, hailing from New York with an impressive track record as a CSM. Not only that, she’s the Founder of her own consultancy, Strategic CS Labs and the General Manager of Stand The F*ck Out, a company dedicated to helping professionals stand out from the crowd.Join Jim & myself for a conversation packed with real-world strategies, fresh insights and inspiring success stories. This is one you don’t want to miss!

Join us for an exciting episode with the great Paul Ferguson. Get ready for fresh perspectives, real-world strategies and inspiring stories to level up your customer success game and learn about transferable skills from areas outside of tech, which might benefit your career!

We’re thrilled to announce that Richard Anderson, seasoned CCO and manager I had the honour of working with, will be joining us to share his unique insights on the evolving world of Customer Success and SaaS.

We’re excited to welcome Dan Steinman, a true expert in scaling SaaS businesses and one of the pioneers of Customer Success. With experience at Epiphany, NearbyNow, Mozes and Adobe Marketo, Dan literally wrote the book on building successful, customer-led organizations.

Join us for an exciting episode with TWO incredibly exciting guests!Kate Forgione has been rocking the CS world since 2012, working with companies like KPMG, Yammer, Inc. and Microsoft before founding one of the largest CS communities on the planet: the Customer Success Network (still thriving today!). She’s Australian (expect great stories), living in the UK (tea-drinking confirmed) and known for her razor-sharp wit and industry expertise.Kathleen Rouse, MBA is a CS leader who has had the honor of leading high-performing teams at medium and large companies like Coursera, Certinia, Microsoft and Yammer, Inc.. She now advises companies globally on their CX strategy as Founder & Principal of Cultivate CX. She’s a Gainsight Gamechanger, President’s Club Winner, a top Customer Success influencer. Oh, and she even wrote a book for a “smaller” audience (spoiler: it’s a children’s book)! 🚀

Join host Steven Lewandowski & Jim Smith on this very first episode, introducing the world To Customer Value and Beyond. Get to know Jim, Customer Success & Tech leader with a track record on building strong CS teams in SaaS.This show is brought to you by addressable value.