M&A is one of the few moments when customer engagement can double or disappear within months. Most CS teams wait for instructions from Legal and the exec team. By then, the competing vendor has already met the new stakeholders. This article outlines a practitioner's playbook for both directions: when your client acquires, and when your client is acquired.

Christopher Voss maps three negotiator types. Most CSMs are built for two of them- the Analyst and the Accommodator. The Assertive throws us off, until you find what they're actually negotiating for.

When a customer fails to realize value, it is tempting to lay that problem at CS’s door. But in most cases, the root cause is detected earlier in the customer journey. Marketing sets expectations. Sales made promises. Product capabilities are not easily proven. CS was handed a customer who was already misaligned. Read this post for practical tips and ideas to promote value and outcomes with your customers.