Traditional customer segmentation helps with cost control, but it often fails to deliver the right level of Customer Success to each customer.
In Part 3, we move away from supplier-centric thinking and introduce a customer-centric alternative.
Instead of segmenting customers by revenue or account value, this approach focuses on actual customer needs.
Customer-centric segmentation looks at:
☑️ Adoption requirements ☑️ Solution complexity ☑️ Level of customization ☑️ Customer maturity ☑️ Lifecycle phase of the initiative
This shift solves a key problem: ☑️ Some customers receive too much CS support they don’t need ☑️ Others receive too little support despite needing more ☑️ Resources are misallocated ☑️ Customer experience suffers
Part 3 introduces the idea that segmentation should guide how CS services are blended, not simply which customers deserve more attention.
This sets the foundation for a more flexible and scalable delivery model.
Make learning your New Year resolution and start building practical Customer Success skills. 🥳
All Practical CSM courses are now 30% off, including CCSMP Basic, Scholar, Full, the Upgrade path, and CSM Essentials. Each program includes structured modules, practical exercises, and 12-month access so you can learn at your own pace.
Final day of the Year-End Sale. CCSMP Scholar at 42% off ends today.
This is the last opportunity this year to enroll in the full Levels 1–4 Customer Success certification at this price. Once the sale ends, standard pricing applies.
Year-End Sale continues. The CCSMP Scholar certification is still available at 42% off.
If you have been planning to complete full Customer Success certification, this is still an opportunity to enroll at a reduced price before the year ends. The program covers Levels 1–4 and includes structured training, exams, certificates, and badges.
Scaling Customer Success is one of the biggest challenges teams face. Most companies rely on a simple formula: segment customers and deliver different levels of CS based on value.
It’s the classic model:
☑️ High-touch for large customers
☑️ Low-touch for mid-tier
☑️ Tech-touch for everyone else
But this is a supplier-centric view. A better approach is to scale CS based on actual customer need, not just revenue.
Here’s the core challenge:
☑️ CSMs are highly skilled but expensive
☑️ They can only handle one thing at a time
☑️ 80% of revenue often comes from 20% of customers
☑️ The other 80% still need help, but at a sustainable cost
This is why most teams turn to:
☑️ Automation – scalable, efficient, always on
☑️ Segmentation – grouping customers by defined criteria and assigning service levels
This post is the first part of a 4-part series that breaks down:
☑️ Why scaling CS is so difficult
☑️ How traditional segmentation works
☑️ Where the approach starts to fail
Year-End Sale is now live. CCSMP Scholar is available at 42% off, the same pricing as Black Month.
Complete full Levels 1–4 Customer Success certification and earn 4 professional certificates and 10 shareable badges, each with a public verification page.
This Year-End offer applies exclusively to the CCSMP Scholar program and is available for a limited time.
Full product adoption can be complex, which is why breaking it into structured steps matters. In Part 3 of the series, we focus on Step 3: Create Impacted Groups (IGs).
Impacted Groups help you understand who is affected by process changes and how they’ll experience those changes.
Here’s what Step 3 covers:
☑️ Identify all workers affected by new processes
☑️ Group users based on shared impacts
☑️ Ensure each IG reflects real differences in roles, responsibilities, or change impact
☑️ Capture KSA gaps (knowledge, skills, attitude) for each IG
☑️ Decide where IGs must be subdivided vs. where they should stay unified
☑️ Note practical considerations like team availability or scheduling needs
IGs become essential because every later adoption activity relies on them:
☑️ Communications
☑️ Training and certification
☑️ Coaching
☑️ Support plans
☑️ Change management actions
A well-designed IG structure ensures teams receive the right support, not a generic one-size-fits-all plan.
🤓 Planning for Product Adoption: The First Two Steps
Effective adoption doesn’t happen by accident. It starts with understanding what the customer truly needs and how their internal processes will change.
Here are the first two steps of a structured adoption planning approach:
☑️ Step 1: Determine Adoption Requirements
Clarify objectives, involved stakeholders, measurement methods, and what “success” looks like. This often means aligning multiple viewpoints and validating expectations.
☑️ Step 2: Identify Process Changes
Review which business capabilities and workflows will be impacted, how they will change, and who will be affected. This helps create a realistic foundation for communication, training, and planning.
These two steps set the stage for a smoother and more predictable adoption rollout.
Cyber Week is almost over ⚡
All Practical CSM courses are still 30 percent off, but only for a short time.
If you have been planning to build your Customer Success skills, prepare for a new role, or start formal CS training, this is the moment to act while the promotion is still live. The sale covers CCSMP Basic, Scholar, Full, the Upgrade path, and CSM Essentials.
Each program gives you structured lessons, practical examples, and 12 month access, so you can learn at your own pace and apply the skills directly in your daily work.
Best for:
• Customer Success Managers improving their capabilities
• Professionals moving into CS
• Teams onboarding or upskilling CSMs
• Anyone developing verified CS skills
📊 Part 2 of 2 - A New Approach to Scaling Customer Success
Traditional revenue-based segmentation can feel unfair and inefficient. Part 2 flips the lens to customer centricity and blends humans with tech based on actual needs.
What changes in Part 2:
☑️ Shift from supplier-centric tiers to customer-centric criteria
☑️ Segment by adoption requirements, solution complexity, customization, and customer maturity
☑️ Factor in lifecycle phase to flex support over time
Three scalable delivery models:
☑️ AB Model - blend CSM and automation like a simple crossfade
☑️ AB Plus - add a few more service options without heavy reorg
☑️ A to Z Model - multi-track, tech-enabled mix for large teams and diverse needs
Bottom line: set hard cost guardrails, then flex the mix so each customer gets the right help at the right time.
👉 Read Part 2: practicalcsm.com/scaling2/
How are you blending people and tech to scale CS today?
Practical CSM
Practical CSM
🎛️ Scaling Customer Success: Part 3 of 4
Traditional customer segmentation helps with cost control, but it often fails to deliver the right level of Customer Success to each customer.
In Part 3, we move away from supplier-centric thinking and introduce a customer-centric alternative.
Instead of segmenting customers by revenue or account value, this approach focuses on actual customer needs.
Customer-centric segmentation looks at:
☑️ Adoption requirements
☑️ Solution complexity
☑️ Level of customization
☑️ Customer maturity
☑️ Lifecycle phase of the initiative
This shift solves a key problem:
☑️ Some customers receive too much CS support they don’t need
☑️ Others receive too little support despite needing more
☑️ Resources are misallocated
☑️ Customer experience suffers
Part 3 introduces the idea that segmentation should guide how CS services are blended, not simply which customers deserve more attention.
This sets the foundation for a more flexible and scalable delivery model.
Read Part 3:
practicalcsm.com/scaling-customer-success-part-3-o…
Does your CS segmentation reflect customer needs - or internal constraints?
5 days ago | [YT] | 0
View 0 replies
Practical CSM
New Year Sale is live. 🎉
Make learning your New Year resolution and start building practical Customer Success skills. 🥳
All Practical CSM courses are now 30% off, including CCSMP Basic, Scholar, Full, the Upgrade path, and CSM Essentials. Each program includes structured modules, practical exercises, and 12-month access so you can learn at your own pace.
▶️ Explore the courses here: practicalcsm.com/product-category/certification/
1 week ago | [YT] | 0
View 0 replies
Practical CSM
Final day of the Year-End Sale.
CCSMP Scholar at 42% off ends today.
This is the last opportunity this year to enroll in the full Levels 1–4 Customer Success certification at this price. Once the sale ends, standard pricing applies.
Enroll before the offer closes:
practicalcsm.com/product/ccsmp-scholar/
1 week ago | [YT] | 0
View 0 replies
Practical CSM
Year-End Sale continues.
The CCSMP Scholar certification is still available at 42% off.
If you have been planning to complete full Customer Success certification, this is still an opportunity to enroll at a reduced price before the year ends.
The program covers Levels 1–4 and includes structured training, exams, certificates, and badges.
Learn more or enroll here:
practicalcsm.com/product/ccsmp-scholar/
1 week ago | [YT] | 0
View 0 replies
Practical CSM
📈 Scaling Customer Success: Part 1 of 4
Scaling Customer Success is one of the biggest challenges teams face. Most companies rely on a simple formula: segment customers and deliver different levels of CS based on value.
It’s the classic model:
☑️ High-touch for large customers
☑️ Low-touch for mid-tier
☑️ Tech-touch for everyone else
But this is a supplier-centric view. A better approach is to scale CS based on actual customer need, not just revenue.
Here’s the core challenge:
☑️ CSMs are highly skilled but expensive
☑️ They can only handle one thing at a time
☑️ 80% of revenue often comes from 20% of customers
☑️ The other 80% still need help, but at a sustainable cost
This is why most teams turn to:
☑️ Automation – scalable, efficient, always on
☑️ Segmentation – grouping customers by defined criteria and assigning service levels
This post is the first part of a 4-part series that breaks down:
☑️ Why scaling CS is so difficult
☑️ How traditional segmentation works
☑️ Where the approach starts to fail
👉 Read Part 1:
lnkd.in/gm8nq5x5
How does your team currently scale Customer Success
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 0
View 0 replies
Practical CSM
Year-End Sale is now live.
CCSMP Scholar is available at 42% off, the same pricing as Black Month.
Complete full Levels 1–4 Customer Success certification and earn 4 professional certificates and 10 shareable badges, each with a public verification page.
This Year-End offer applies exclusively to the CCSMP Scholar program and is available for a limited time.
Enroll here:
practicalcsm.com/product/ccsmp-scholar/
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 0
View 0 replies
Practical CSM
👥 Planning for Product Adoption: Step Three
Full product adoption can be complex, which is why breaking it into structured steps matters. In Part 3 of the series, we focus on Step 3: Create Impacted Groups (IGs).
Impacted Groups help you understand who is affected by process changes and how they’ll experience those changes.
Here’s what Step 3 covers:
☑️ Identify all workers affected by new processes
☑️ Group users based on shared impacts
☑️ Ensure each IG reflects real differences in roles, responsibilities, or change impact
☑️ Capture KSA gaps (knowledge, skills, attitude) for each IG
☑️ Decide where IGs must be subdivided vs. where they should stay unified
☑️ Note practical considerations like team availability or scheduling needs
IGs become essential because every later adoption activity relies on them:
☑️ Communications
☑️ Training and certification
☑️ Coaching
☑️ Support plans
☑️ Change management actions
A well-designed IG structure ensures teams receive the right support, not a generic one-size-fits-all plan.
Read the full breakdown: practicalcsm.com/adoption2/
How do you normally identify impacted groups in your adoption projects?
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 0
View 0 replies
Practical CSM
🤓 Planning for Product Adoption: The First Two Steps
Effective adoption doesn’t happen by accident. It starts with understanding what the customer truly needs and how their internal processes will change.
Here are the first two steps of a structured adoption planning approach:
☑️ Step 1: Determine Adoption Requirements
Clarify objectives, involved stakeholders, measurement methods, and what “success” looks like. This often means aligning multiple viewpoints and validating expectations.
☑️ Step 2: Identify Process Changes
Review which business capabilities and workflows will be impacted, how they will change, and who will be affected. This helps create a realistic foundation for communication, training, and planning.
These two steps set the stage for a smoother and more predictable adoption rollout.
👉 Full article with detailed explanations and examples: practicalcsm.com/adoption1/
Which part of adoption planning do you find most challenging?
4 weeks ago | [YT] | 0
View 0 replies
Practical CSM
Cyber Week is almost over ⚡
All Practical CSM courses are still 30 percent off, but only for a short time.
If you have been planning to build your Customer Success skills, prepare for a new role, or start formal CS training, this is the moment to act while the promotion is still live. The sale covers CCSMP Basic, Scholar, Full, the Upgrade path, and CSM Essentials.
Each program gives you structured lessons, practical examples, and 12 month access, so you can learn at your own pace and apply the skills directly in your daily work.
Best for:
• Customer Success Managers improving their capabilities
• Professionals moving into CS
• Teams onboarding or upskilling CSMs
• Anyone developing verified CS skills
💡 Cyber Week discount: 30 percent off all courses
See all courses here: practicalcsm.com/product-category/certification/
1 month ago | [YT] | 0
View 0 replies
Practical CSM
📊 Part 2 of 2 - A New Approach to Scaling Customer Success
Traditional revenue-based segmentation can feel unfair and inefficient. Part 2 flips the lens to customer centricity and blends humans with tech based on actual needs.
What changes in Part 2:
☑️ Shift from supplier-centric tiers to customer-centric criteria
☑️ Segment by adoption requirements, solution complexity, customization, and customer maturity
☑️ Factor in lifecycle phase to flex support over time
Three scalable delivery models:
☑️ AB Model - blend CSM and automation like a simple crossfade
☑️ AB Plus - add a few more service options without heavy reorg
☑️ A to Z Model - multi-track, tech-enabled mix for large teams and diverse needs
Bottom line: set hard cost guardrails, then flex the mix so each customer gets the right help at the right time.
👉 Read Part 2: practicalcsm.com/scaling2/
How are you blending people and tech to scale CS today?
1 month ago | [YT] | 0
View 0 replies
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