Customer success isn’t just a department — it’s a mindset. And in today’s customer-first economy, how your Customer Success Managers (CSMs) engage with clients directly impacts loyalty, expansion, and lifetime value. 📊
But here’s the issue: many CSMs are still operating in a concierge-style model — responding to requests, sharing documentation, and directing customers to resources. While helpful, this approach is reactive, not strategic.
Today’s B2B customer doesn’t just want access to tools — they want a partner who guides them forward. That means it’s time to evolve from concierge to expedition leader 🧭 — someone who proactively shapes the customer journey, anticipates friction, and delivers strategic value every step of the way.
The Problem with “Empowered” Customers
You’ve probably heard it before: “Teach them to fish.” 🎣 The idea is to enable users to be self-sufficient — to find their own answers using help centres, community forums, and onboarding flows.
But let’s be honest — most users aren’t reading your knowledge base at 7 p.m. on a Friday night. They want quick, clear, and contextual help. When we treat self-service as a substitute for customer engagement rather than a supplement, it leads to:
- Frustration and wasted time 😠
- Drop-offs during onboarding or adoption 🛑
- Low perceived value from your product 😕
According to Forrester, 73% of customers say the most important thing a company can do is respect their time. Sending them on a wild goose chase for answers via doc links just doesn’t align with that expectation.
Why the Concierge Model Isn’t Enough
In the concierge model, CSMs are friendly and responsive. They say things like:
“Here’s a link to our documentation.”
“Let me point you to our upcoming webinar.”
“You can find that answer in our help centre.”
Nice? Sure. Strategic? Not even close. 🙅
Here’s where it fails:
- It’s reactive: You wait for problems to appear before engaging.
- It’s passive: Customers still have to do the work to interpret and act.
- It’s unscalable: It depends on individual customer motivation.
- It lacks personalization: Everyone gets the same links, regardless of their use case or maturity.
And perhaps most importantly — it doesn’t make the CSM indispensable.
Enter the Expedition Leader
Now let’s flip the model.
Imagine your customer as someone exploring new terrain. They don’t need a hotel concierge handing them a map — they need someone who’s walked the path, knows the pitfalls, and can guide them to success. 🚶♂️🌄
That’s the expedition leader CSM.
This role is:
- Proactive — anticipating needs before they’re voiced
- Strategic — aligning customer goals with success outcomes
- Context-aware — tailoring guidance based on account maturity, behaviour, and goals
- Outcome-focused — always steering conversations toward measurable value
In this model, the CSM doesn’t wait for a support ticket — they’re the reason the ticket never happens.
How to Be an Expedition Leader (Not Just a Helpful Host)
Let’s explore what it looks like to step into this role and operationalize it in your day-to-day CS motion:
🎯 1. Focus on Outcomes, Not Just Education
Don’t just show them how to use a feature — show them why it matters to their business.
- Ask: “What’s the business impact of this success?”
- Align onboarding and training to specific customer OKRs.
- Measure adoption against value, not feature clicks.
🧭 2. Map the Journey in Milestones
Create structured, proactive checkpoints. Think of it as a GPS for customer growth.
- Day 10 = onboarding validation
- Day 30 = value realization check-in
- Day 90 = success plan review
🧩 3. Deliver Contextual Enablement
Generic enablement is like giving the same gear to hikers and mountain climbers — someone’s going to struggle. 🏕️
Instead, tailor resources and conversations:
- By role (admin vs. end user)
- By segment (SMB vs. enterprise)
- By stage (new user vs. power user)
📊 4. Use Data to Lead Strategically
Real-time insights should shape every customer interaction.
- Is usage dropping? Book a coaching session.
- Are tickets rising post-implementation? Launch a mini health audit.
- High NPS but low expansion? Plan a growth conversation.
Tools like Gainsight and ChurnZero give you the dashboards and signals to take smart, data-backed action.
➡️ 5. Always Recommend the Next Best Step
Every conversation should end with a clear takeaway. Never leave a customer guessing what to do next.
- “By next week, let’s review this dashboard together.”
- “Here’s one feature I recommend enabling before our QBR.”
- “You’re ready for our advanced onboarding — here’s what to expect.”
Small steps, clearly laid out, build momentum and trust. 🧱
Tools That Make It Easier
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel to implement this approach. Here are a few tools that support the expedition leader model:
- Gainsight – health scores, playbooks, and timeline views
- Totango – segment-based success tracking
- Catalyst – usage insights + alerts for CSMs
- ChurnZero – customer lifecycle automation
- Planhat – visual journey mapping with strategic account planning
🔗 Totango SuccessBLOCs
🔗 Gartner: Customer Support Trends
Conclusion: CSMs as Strategic Guides
The best customer experiences aren’t self-navigated — they’re co-led. When you operate as an expedition leader, customers don’t just renew — they expand, advocate, and grow. 📈
It’s time to move beyond being “nice and helpful.” It’s time to be indispensable.
🚀 Your Next Steps as a CSM:
- ✅ Audit your current motion: where are you reactive?
- ✅ Define 2–3 proactive checkpoints for each customer tier
- ✅ Use data to guide — not just report
- ✅ Always end calls with an action or recommendation
- ✅ Review outcomes regularly and adapt the journey accordingly
Lead the journey. Own the outcomes. Your customers are counting on you.
Note: This blog post is inspired by Daphne Costa Lopes’ LinkedIn article. For more insights, visit the original post here.