Share and Learn Best Practices

Implementing Gainsight CS from scratch is both an exciting and complex challenge. At PVcase, a leading solar energy software provider, we had the unique opportunity to deploy Gainsight CS in a greenfield environment, meaning we had no existing customer success platform to migrate from. This offered both freedom and responsibility so that we could design the system exactly as we needed, but we also had to ensure it met our business needs from day one, exceeding the expectations of many in our teams.We’re about 4 months in from full deployment, and so  I wanted to create a quick post that walks through our approach to a successful deployment, the challenges we overcame, and lessons learned that could help others in a similar situation. Understanding Our Starting Point: A True Greenfield DeploymentAs an ex-Gainsight employee, I was tasked with leading this deployment. PVcase had no prior CS tool, meaning our processes were mostly manual, siloed across teams, and we as a company lacked a c

Alright, so this is all about controlling who gets to see what in your reports and dashboards. We're gonna talk about two main things: sharing groups and folder permissions.Quick Rundown:Part 1: Sharing Groups - Making Teams: Basically, you can create your own teams of people to share stuff with. These teams can update automatically based on certain info (dynamic) or you can just pick the members yourself (static). I’m using a simple example here: CS Managers>CS Leads>CSMs. Part 2: Folder Permissions - Locking Down Folders: You can also control who can even open and see the dashboards within specific folders. Whatever rules you set on a main folder automatically apply to all the folders inside it. Each folder is shared with the right team of people (that sharing group we talked about)Part 1: Create your sharing groupsGo to data permissions → sharing groups. For this example, I have 3 groups that follow this hierarchy:CS Managers  CS Leads    CSMsAccessing Sharing GroupsThe great

Summary:Summary: This article provides a comprehensive guide to planning, launching, and managing Gainsight Journey Orchestrator (JO) programs, emphasizing thorough planning, testing, and communication. It should take approximately 10-15 minutes to read thoroughly.Missed the previous posts in this JO-focused series? This article follows these previous posts:Understanding Journey Orchestrator: Yes, it’s important enough to have its OWN admin! Diving Deep: My Role as a Gainsight JO AdminMain text:Getting started: a good plan is essentialAs you plan your first few JOs, it’s best to start simple. The fewer steps and the less complex the source, the greater the likelihood of a successful launch, and the lower the risk of errors. Look for the low-hanging fruit, especially where automations can result in a big win for you and your team. Speaking of your team, include your stakeholders from the beginning — all of them. Ask questions. Skipping this crucial step is a surefire way to experience u

Hey Everyone,  I am not quite sure when my session is yet (we are moving some things around), but wanted to share with you a little information about my session: Customer Education Integrated: The Human + Hybrid Model That ScalesI’ll be sharing more deeply about the onboarding process for our customers at Handshake and how we have crafted was we think is a healthy balance of infusing technology for efficiencies while keeping humanity at its core. We made many mistakes along the way and hope to share them with you for us all to learn from and iterate on. Hope to see you there!

Can’t wait to see you all at Pulse 2025 !!I’m SO excited to be presenting this year and taking in all of the great content from Pulse 2025In my session, attendees will take away tangible ways to;- Foster psychological safety and support within your CX team- Create a thriving team culture that enhances customer outcomes- Implement strategies that empower your team to deliver exceptional serviceSee you all in Las Vegas 🤩  

Summary: This article provides an overview of Gainsight Journey Orchestrator (JO), its benefits, and the crucial role of a JO-focused administrator. It also shares insights on approaching communications within this platform, drawing from practical experience. 1. What is Journey Orchestrator (JO), and Why Should You Care?Gainsight Journey Orchestrator is a powerful tool within Gainsight that empowers customer success teams to automate and personalize communication programs. This platform enables scalable engagement with customers, leading to increased efficiency and improved outcomes. Key features and benefits include:Automated Communication Sequences: Streamlining outreach efforts. Scalable, Personalized Experiences: Tailoring interactions to individual customer needs. Integration with Gainsight: Seamlessly working within the existing Gainsight ecosystem. Data-Driven Insights: Utilizing data to inform and optimize communication strategies.* Note – this information on point 1 was source

Summary: This article explores the nuances of my role as a Gainsight Journey Orchestrator (JO) administrator, distinguishing it from a broader Gainsight CS Ops admin position and highlighting the skills, challenges, and future evolution of this critical function. Missed the first article in this series? View it here. 1. My Role vs. a "Whole Gainsight" CS Ops AdminMy role is more focused than that of a general Gainsight CS Ops admin. While a CS Ops admin handles a wide range of tasks, including data design, reporting, and surveys, I primarily concentrate on:JO-Specific Tasks: Email template creation, content creation for journeys, troubleshooting, and testing within the JO platform Data and Integration: Working with data designs, reports, and dashboards as they relate to JO programs, and coordinating with marketing counterparts on external communication flowsAt the core, I specialize in the communication aspects of Gainsight, ensuring effective and targeted customer engagement through j

Hello Gainsight and Pulse Community!We’re thrilled to bring back Circles of Success  - one of the most popular sessions at Pulse. It’s our rotating roundtable lunch where you’ll connect with 100+ Gainsight customers and discuss top-of-mind topics around CS, ops, customer journeys, and career growth. Whether you’re looking for fresh ideas, peer insights, or a chance to share your own experiences, these sessions are interactive and unscripted - making each conversation unique!Event DetailsWhen & Where:Lunchtime, both days at Pulse. Enjoy your meal as part of the event - no need to bring your own lunch! (P.S. I’ve heard it’s the best food at Pulse!)Who:Pulse attendees who want to learn and network!What:Two 30-minute roundtable discussions on planned topics. Choose from 10 tables covering a range of CS-related themes: AI Tools for Customer Success Managers Customer Enablement, Self-Service, and AI Redefining CS Roles: CSMs, Technical CS, and Sales CS Ops Pros’ Roundtable Metrics Th

Howdy Folks!I just got back from a week long conference in which most of the sessions seemed to be the standard interview where there is a couple of chairs and a staff member asks one or two guests predetermined questions. Its been done before and, honestly speaking, after the 2nd or 3rd time seeing a session like that you get tired of it. I’m sure that to some degree this interview format will be use at Pulse 2025 as well, which is fine however, I would like to suggest that the event staff consider having a few sessions in the format of Hot Ones. Specifically, there would be a table with chicken wings, or the preferred veggie, which is covered in varying degrees hot sauce and the interviewer and guests eat one for each question in order of least hot to most hot. There are many examples of this online so its easy to get inspiration from and I think it would be a huge hit if ​@nick_mehta or some other members of the event staff participated in this. Regardless adding this as an option t

Greetings fellow Gainsight PX Admins.I was asked to create a visual tool that would allow us to view the Engagements.We typically have nearly 100 Engagements running at any given time.We wanted to be able to view which Engagements are currently running and others that are scheduled to run within the next 12 months.I used a Google Sheet to create the “Gainsight PX Engagement Tracker”.I’m sharing it here for anyone else that might have a similar need.Here is the link to the “Gainsight PX Engagement Tracker” Google Sheet:https://bit.ly/3Xm6FrFHere is the link to the YouTube video that demos the “Gainsight PX Engagement Tracker”   All the best,John Tomczak

Building relationships is not about transactions, it’s about connections. - Michelle Tillis Lederman The renewal experience is important when it comes to keeping our customers happy and making our business grow. So, it's crucial that your team stays in touch with the right people involved in the process to make sure those renewals go smoothly. One great way to do that is by setting up a system to check and confirm who the key stakeholders are. This way, we can reach out to them directly, have more personalized conversations, and increase our chances of successful renewals. When we know who the key stakeholders are we are able to build connections.Before diving into how to set up checks and balances, it's important to understand your organization's renewal process and identify who is typically involved. Answering the following discovery questions will help you:What does your renewal process entail? What stages and touch points are involved Who are the typical stakeholders involved? Who

Big Ideas. Bold Moves. Vegas Energy. We're so excited to announce that Pulse 2025 will be hosted at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, May 28-29, 2025. With registration now open, this is your chance to go all in on learning, networking, and career growth with 2,000 of brightest minds in Customer Success, Community, and Education. Don’t gamble with your budget—lock in the Super Early Bird rate of $995 before prices increase on January 31, 2025. P.S. Interested in getting on stage? Our speaker applications are now open! Submit your proposal today for the chance to speak in front of 2,000 CS professionals.

Remember the first time you used a voice assistant to set a timer or play music? That small taste of hands-free computer control felt like magic. Now, imagine a world where AI can navigate your entire computer system with the same intuitive understanding as a human assistant sitting at your desk. On Oct 22nd, 2024, Anthropic released Computer Use. Per their website: 'Available today on the API, developers can direct Claude to use computers the way people do—by looking at a screen, moving a cursor, clicking buttons, and typing text. Claude 3.5 Sonnet is the first frontier AI model to offer computer use in public beta'.Let's examine this capability and what it means for businesses below.Beyond Simple AutomationCurrent automation tools are like trains on tracks - they follow pre-defined paths and break down when something unexpected appears. But imagine an AI that can adapt to changing interfaces, understand context, and navigate computer systems with human-like flexibility. This isn't ju

 Calling all Customer Success champions! As a Senior Manager of Digital Customer Success within BMC Software, I've seen firsthand how departmental silos can hinder our efforts. Everyone's focused on their own goals, leaving the customer experience fragmented.Here's how a lack of collaboration hurts your customers:Confused by conflicting information from different teams. Stuck in slow-motion resolutions as issues get passed around. Solutions that only address part of the problem, leaving them frustrated. Feeling like they're just a number, not a valued customer.But imagine the possibilities with customer-centric collaboration!Join me and the amazingly brilliant, Victoria Barry at my session at #Pulse24!  We'll equip you with actionable strategies to:Unify the business: Align everyone around the common goal of customer success. Speak the same data language: Use data insights to make informed decisions for your customers. Embrace a customer-centric mindset: Put the customer at the heart o

Hello Gainsight Community! I wanted to share some thoughts on the value of ROI as we work with our clients on a daily basis.  I would love to hear your thoughts or experiences around this topic.  Please see the article I published below: ROI, the big 3 letter acronym we love to use in the business world.  Return on Investment is the underlying theme when it comes to providing a product or service.  Before a concept can become a reality the question of ROI is addressed.  What is in it for the customer?  How will the customer realize enough value to buy and stay with your product?  How will ROI be measured and shared with customers?  These are all important questions when it comes to gaining new customers and retaining current customers. As a Customer Success Manager, you have many responsibilities and tasks to complete each day.  There are executive business reviews to conduct, escalations to be resolved, documentation to update, cadence calls to prepare for, and many other to-dos on yo

 Picture this: It's Monday morning, and you need to understand why customer engagement dropped last month. Your current options? Wade through multiple spreadsheets, wait for an analyst to build a custom report, or click through countless dashboard filters hoping to stumble upon the answer. Sound familiar?Here's a reality check: while every enterprise software product comes equipped with robust reporting features, what users actually want isn't reports – they want answers.The Hidden Cost of Traditional ReportingFor too long, getting business insights has felt like playing a corporate version of telephone. You start with a simple question: "How are our customers using our product?" What follows is an all-too-familiar routine: requesting reports, waiting for them to be generated, analyzing various visualizations (yes, including those occasionally indecipherable pie charts), and often repeating the entire process when the initial data doesn't quite answer your question.This isn't just inef

"Help! My champion just left the company!" "Wait, when did this person join the account?" "Why are these emails bouncing? We just had a QBR!"Sound familiar? 🙋‍♀️I've been having fascinating conversations with many of you about a challenge we all share - maintaining accurate contact data. Every time I bring this up at customer meetings or CS events, I see knowing smiles and hear deep sighs of recognition.Last week, a CS leader shared something that really stuck with me: "We spent months building the perfect digital engagement strategy... only to realize half our contact data was outdated. It felt like planning an amazing party but sending the invitations to old addresses!"This got me thinking about how we've traditionally approached contact management:Traditional Approach:CSMs manually updating contact records Quarterly contact audits "Last known good" email lists Reactive updates when emails bounce Endless spreadsheet maintenanceThe results? Usually:Outdated org charts Missing key sta

Embarking on the digital customer success journey can feel daunting—deciphering ownership and team responsibilities often poses just one of the many challenges. Questions loom:Who should spearhead the digital customer success team? Is hiring dedicated resources necessary to begin? Where should this team fit within our organizational structure?Let’s navigate the best approach to structure your team and support your journey into digital customer success.1. Inaugural Steps: The Tiger TeamStart by assembling a digital customer success 'tiger team,' comprising representatives from pivotal departments like Customer Success, Marketing, Operations, Support, and Product. While it may seem like a medley of opinions, having one representative per department minimizes the "too many cooks" situation. 2. Evolutionary Phases: The Journey to DedicationAs your digital customer success journey blossoms, recognizing the value becomes paramount. At Gainsight, our pivotal shift occurred in 2019, leading us

Exciting news! The recordings from Pulse Europe 2024 are now available!  Missed a session or simply want to relive your favorite moments? You can now catch up on all the insights, strategies, and inspiration you missed (or loved) from the Pulse Library.Whether it’s cutting-edge AI trends, strategies to boost retention, or tips to build stronger communities, it’s all there, on demand and ready for you.Happy listening and watching!  

Remember 2021? NFTs were the talk of the town, remote work became the new normal, and traditional customer onboarding was still largely a manual, time-consuming process. Fast forward to today, and artificial intelligence is revolutionizing how we bring customers onboard - not by replacing human expertise, but by making it exponentially more powerful.Gone are the days when customer onboarding was a simple handoff process. In today's enterprise SaaS landscape, it's evolved into a specialized function that can make or break customer success. But here's the challenge: how do you maintain quality while scaling your onboarding operations? The answer lies in the strategic application of AI.The New Face of Customer OnboardingToday's onboarding ecosystem is a complex network of specialists, each playing a crucial role in customer success. Implementation teams handle technical setup, Customer Success Managers guide long-term strategy, and dedicated training teams ensure proper customer enablemen

Every year at Pulse Europe, we recognize European industry leaders who have made significant contributions to the field of customer success (CS), driving innovation and transforming the way businesses engage with their customers.Without further ado, put your hands together for this year’s Pulse Europe GameChanger Award Winners!The Architect : Odido, Jason de Krijger ​ ​@Jason_Odido The Architect Award recognizes the individual or team that has gone above and beyond to build a thriving customer community. The Architect is a visionary leader who understands the power of community to drive customer engagement, loyalty, and success. They are adept at creating a space that is not only informative and helpful, but also fosters a sense of belonging and connection.This year, The Architect goes to … (drumroll, please) … ​@Jason_Odido, Community Manager at Odido.Odido is the largest mobile phone company in the Netherlands—and offers the best mobile network in the world. The company wants everyon

 Picture this: A neural network peers into a brain scan and spots a tumor that three skilled radiologists missed. Another one listens to whale songs and decodes a previously unknown pattern in their communication. And somewhere in a lab, a third network is dreaming up new molecules that could revolutionize battery technology. Welcome to the fascinating world of neural networks, where artificial minds are pushing the boundaries of what we thought possible.Remember your first day learning to ride a bike? At first, you wobbled and fell. But gradually, your brain formed new connections, strengthened pathways, and suddenly – balance! This remarkable process of learning and adaptation isn't just limited to biological brains anymore. Welcome to the fascinating world of neural networks, where artificial intelligence mirrors the very essence of how we learn.The Architecture of IntelligenceImagine walking into a vast control room. At the front, you see rows of sensors catching every detail of th

Remember when virtual assistants were just glorified alarm clocks? "Hey Siri, set a timer for 30 minutes." Those days feel almost quaint now. In 2024, we're witnessing something far more revolutionary: the rise of AI agents that can actually get things done – from booking your flights to writing your code, and even running entire business processes autonomously.The New Digital WorkforceAI agents are fundamentally different from the chatbots and virtual assistants we've grown accustomed to. Think of them as digital employees who can understand context, make decisions, and execute complex tasks without constant human supervision. They're not just responding to commands; they're proactively solving problems.For instance, an AI agent can now:Schedule meetings by understanding everyone's preferences and time zones Research competitors and generate market analysis reports Debug code and suggest optimizations Manage customer support tickets from start to finish Monitor and adjust digital mark

I’m a familiar face around here in this community, but I’m also excited to be going to Pulse Europe this week where I’ll be giving the talk: Community Magic: How Collaboration fuels an Engaged Community.When I do talks I’m normally drawn to strategic topics with lots of cool nerdy frameworks that hopefully people want to take photos of.  😅 Who doesn’t love frameworks!?  But this talk will be a bit different.  It’s going to be about the very real challenges of running a mature enterprise community across multiple use cases, products, modules and more.  As the title suggests, the heart of the talk is about the power of internal collaboration, where I’ll be sharing four key strategies that we employ to navigate the complexity of our programs, along with a lot of very practical examples.  If you’re at Pulse this year and you see me around, please do come and say hi!