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Summer Tuttle

How to Sound Strategic Without Buzzwords

How to Sound Strategic Without Buzzwords

This article builds on a core idea from the Foundations of Customer Success series: being strategic is not about sounding impressive — it’s about applying judgment with clarity. If you haven’t already, start with: “Being Strategic Is Vague - and How to Make It Real” which defines what strategy

“Being Strategic” Is Vague - and How to Make It Real

“Being Strategic” Is Vague - and How to Make It Real

Why the advice CSMs hear most is also the least actionable At some point in their career, every Customer Success Manager hears the same feedback: “You need to be more strategic.” It’s often well-intended. And almost never explained. CSMs are left to interpret it on their own, which usually

QBRs Don’t Fail -They Just Ask Too Much of Customers

QBRs Don’t Fail -They Just Ask Too Much of Customers

Why disengagement is usually a design problem, not a customer problem Quarterly Business Reviews have a reputation problem. They’re often described as: * Necessary but painful * Important but poorly attended * Strategic in theory, transactional in practice When QBRs fall flat, the default explanation is usually: “The customer just isn’t

What Enterprise Customers Actually Expect from Their CSM

What Enterprise Customers Actually Expect from Their CSM

And why most expectations go unspoken Enterprise Customer Success looks impressive from the outside. Large contracts. Complex organizations. Executive stakeholders. Strategic conversations. But once you’re inside those relationships, a surprising truth becomes clear: Enterprise customers rarely tell you what they expect - they assume you already know. That gap

You Were Never Trained for Customer Success - and That’s the Problem

You Were Never Trained for Customer Success - and That’s the Problem

Why so many capable CSMs feel behind, burned out, or unsure of their impact Most Customer Success Managers didn’t choose this career because there was a clear, well-defined path. They landed here. From support. From implementation. From sales. From project management. From “you’re good with people, can you

How to Run a Business Review When Your Customer Doesn’t Care

How to Run a Business Review When Your Customer Doesn’t Care

Why disengagement is usually a signal - not a failure You’ve scheduled the review. You’ve prepared the materials. You’ve sent the invite. And still, the signs are familiar: * Attendance is minimal * Engagement is polite but thin * The conversation stays surface-level * Nothing meaningful changes afterward At some point,

Adoption is Not Value

Adoption is Not Value

Why confusing the two quietly undermines Customer Success Adoption is often treated as the north star of Customer Success. Logins go up. Feature usage increases. Engagement looks healthy. And yet; renewals still stall, executive sponsors disengage, and expansion never materializes. This isn’t a tooling problem. It’s a definition