Taking control of the broken funnel with Justin Edwards, SVP of Revenue @ Mercato Partners

Today, we're joined by Justin Edwards, SVP of Revenue @ Mercato Partners (a venture capital fund supporting early-stage technology companies). In his role, Justin works closely with revenue teams in tech startups as an expert growth advisor. In this episode, Justin discusses the biggest challenge facing startups today - the decline in growth rate, and what Customer Success teams can do to take control of their available levers. Takeaways The decline in growth rate is the biggest challenge facing startups today. Focusing on delivering value to existing customers and expanding revenue opportunities within existing accounts is crucial. Alignment within the organization is essential for supporting customer success. Preventing discounting and focusing on value delivery are key strategies for success. Mastering the fundamentals is crucial for success in any field. Selective customer acquisition is essential for recurring businesses. Building strong relationships requires avoiding unnecessary barriers. Revisiting the fundamentals of communication and value delivery is important for customer success. Organizational design and efficiency are key factors in supporting customer success efforts. Listening to customers and gathering feedback is crucial for understanding their needs and improving the customer experience. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction 05:15 The Biggest Challenge Facing Startups Today 12:09 The Impact of Growth Rate Decline 20:39 Preventing Discounting and Focusing on Value Delivery 27:59 Aligning the Organization for Customer Success 35:59 The Pillars of Customer Success 41:02 Delivering Business Value and Remediating Discounting 43:28 The Importance of Fundamentals 44:22 Selective Customer Acquisition 45:03 Building Strong Relationships 46:23 Revisiting the Fundamentals 49:03 Organizational Design and Efficiency 50:55 Listening to Customers and Gathering Feedback 53:04 Summary and Closing Thoughts Resources ⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with Casey⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with Todd⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit the show page⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Get to know BrainStorm⁠⁠⁠ Credits Show direction: ⁠⁠⁠Debra Wilson⁠⁠⁠ Show design: ⁠⁠⁠Kensie Smith⁠⁠