TECHtonic: Trends in Technology and Services: Recent Episodes
Technology & Services Industry Association
Join host Thomas Lah as he discusses shifts in the ever-changing technology industry with tech executives, researchers, and thought leaders who share their experience and provide their perspective and data on what companies should do to stay relevant, be profitable, and succeed.
On this episode of TECHtonic, Thomas asks hard questions about the shifting landscape of customer success with Nick Mehta, CEO of Gainsight. Inspired by a provocative chapter in Frank Slootman's "Amp It Up" that questions the necessity of customer success, Thomas and Nick explore the current debates and future directions of this critical business function.
Nick shares his insights on why customer success is more vital than ever, especially as technology companies face increasing pressure to prove their business value. From the historical context of customer success a decade ago to today's innovative strategies, Nick discusses the integration of AI, the importance of verticalization, and the evolving roles within customer success organizations.
Listeners will gain valuable perspectives on how to leverage AI for better customer experiences, early warning systems, and productivity enhancements. Nick and Thomas also tackle the challenge of balancing cost efficiency with maintaining the core capabilities of customer success teams and the necessity of adopting a beginner’s mind in the face of seismic industry shifts.
Tune in to receive actionable advice and discover how you can stay ahead in the debate on the value of customer success and prepare your organization for the future.
Join us for the first episode of TSIA Takes, a limited TECHtonic podcast series. During this series, Thomas Lah dives deep into the pivotal question: What is the value of customer success? This pressing question has turned the customer success organization upside down as it navigates what the future of its business looks like.
In this episode, Thomas is joined by Jim Roth, President of Customer Success at Salesforce, who discusses Saleforce’s pioneering approach to integrating customer success, support, and training into a seamless, unified experience. They explore the dynamic roles within Salesforce, emphasizing the importance of customer success managers (CSMs) as orchestrators who ensure comprehensive customer support.
Jim shares how Salesforce's strategy of merging support, training, and success roles leads to a more streamlined and compelling customer experience. This allows Salesforce to leverage data to drive customer health, adoption, and education and create a unified customer success score that guides its strategies.
They also discuss the financial models behind customer success, debating the merits of monetizing versus offering services as part of the overall customer experience. Jim provides a compelling argument for why tech companies should consider customer success a critical investment rather than a cost center.
Whether you're a tech industry veteran or new, this episode offers insights to elevate your understanding of customer success. Take advantage of this first episode of our TSIA takes special podcast series, which challenges conventional wisdom and provides a fresh perspective on making your customer success business model successful.
This May, TSIA will host our INTERACT conference in Orlando, showcasing an engaging panel discussion on deploying and optimizing AI hosted by Thomas Lah. Pattabhi Raman, VP of Digital Experience at Informatica, will join the distinguished panel. Recently, Thomas had the privilege of conversing with Pattabhi, gaining exclusive insights into Informatica's strategies for achieving a successful digital customer experience. They discuss the secrets behind Informatica's success and explore how they've exponentially leveraged AI to enhance their digital-first mindset.
Tune into this episode of TECHtonic for a sneak peek into how Informatica can’t go wrong with its digital-first mentality, and don’t miss the chance to join us at INTERACT to explore this topic even further! Register today and get ready to uncover deeper insights to empower you to craft an even more impactful digital customer experience with AI.
This May, TSIA will host our INTERACT conference in Orlando, featuring a special closing keynote by Doug Schmitt, President of Dell Technologies Services. TECHtonic host Thomas Lah recently had the pleasure of speaking with Doug one-on-one for a sneak peek into his presentation. During their conversation, Thomas and Doug delve into Dell's use of AI as the cornerstone for continuously enhancing the customer experience.
Their discussion also touches on:
- The essential skills required to harness AI effectively in today's dynamic business landscape, as well as the nuances and strategies needed to leverage AI to its fullest potential.
- How Doug and his team spearheaded the deployment of AI within their organization, and its transformative impact on organizational structures.
- The differentiating factors between customers who thrive with cutting-edge technology and those encountering hurdles.
Tune into this episode of TECHtonic for a sneak peek into Dell’s winning formula, and don’t miss the chance to join us at INTERACT to explore this topic even further! Register today and get ready to uncover deeper insights to empower you to craft an even more impactful customer experience with AI.
In this episode of TECHtonic, Thomas Lah chats with Justin Cawood about the complex journey of integrating AI into the operations of a large technology services provider. Together, they explore the evolution of Managed Services platforms, the initial business case for AI, and the transformative impact of AI on service delivery and customer value propositions.
Additionally, Justin shares the challenges and triumphs of deploying AI from the customer perspective and helping customers realize the value of their enhanced experiences—even while preemptively addressing service issues.
With a lively discussion on the ever-changing nature of AI-driven operations and the critical role of a team approach in evaluating and implementing AI solutions, this episode isn’t just about technology; it's about the future of service delivery, and the strategic advantage that AI can provide to companies seeking to stay competitive in the marketplace.
In this episode, host Thomas Lah, TSIA’s Executive Director, engages in a pivotal conversation with Alexandra Zagury, Global Vice President at Cisco. Together, they explore the intricacies of partner strategies in the as-a-service era, as well as the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on technology business models.
Key highlights include:
- The industry's urgent need for clarity and direction in partner strategies amidst the as-a-service transition. This includes Cisco’s innovative approaches to partner management, ensuring a seamless transition, and fostering success in a service-dominated landscape.
- How AI is redefining tech business models, Cisco's AI implementation journey, the importance of AI in enhancing operational efficiency, customer experiences, and the crucial role of telemetry and data governance in harnessing AI's full potential.
- The implications of AI and as-a-service models on the workforce and corporate culture. How can companies retool and retrain employees to leverage new AI capabilities effectively, and how important is a growth mindset for individuals and organizations?
- Alexandra Zagury’s personal career trajectory, and insights on how it helped mold her unique perspective on the essential skills and adaptive strategies needed to thrive in tech.
For professionals seeking to understand and adapt to the seismic technological shifts transforming the industry, this episode is a can’t miss!
Join us in the latest episode of TECHtonic, where we dive into the world of customer success with Thomas Lah and Stephen Fulkerson, VP of Customer Success Research at TSIA. In this episode, we explore how customer success can become a more effective channel for ensuring customer satisfaction and organizational success.
Thomas and Stephen analyze all aspects of customer success, including:
- Introducing the KORE score: Keeping Organizational Outcomes, Retention, Renewal, and References Excellent, as the all-in-one solution for organizational success.
- Streamlining customer success to better define success, break down silos, and foster collaboration with sales.
- The significance of evolving job titles, such as Renewal Specialists, and what that means for compensation metrics.
- How to effectively harness and utilize AI capabilities in customer engagements.
Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn how to empower your customer success organization with the essential tools required to survive in the uncertain future.
Report: The State of Customer Success 2024
Jillian Alexander, Global Vice President of Learning Services at OpenText, guides Thomas Lah through the significant impact of a straightforward, manageable, and focused AI deployment strategy, which leads to strong ROI benefits that simply cannot be ignored.
A few key topics that Thomas and Jillian discuss include:
- The core AI capabilities that OpenText has leveraged for content development.
- The clear and less obvious benefits of being an early AI adopter.
- Which KPIs to focus on if you want to demonstrate to senior leadership that there is no ambiguity in the ROI of your AI deployment.
At the end of the day, there's a linchpin throughout the conversation that might be the most overlooked piece to build a successful AI strategy. This episode is truly focused on the essential AI stepping stones necessary for everyone, regardless of how far along the AI deployment path you are.
Join us in the latest episode of "TECHtonic" as we delve into the evolving world of technology support models with TSIA's Distinguished Vice President of Support and Field Services Research, Vele Galovski. In this conversation, Thomas and Vele offer a unique blend of insights and perspectives on the current and future state of technology support.
They begin with the dramatic shifts observed in 2023, marked by divergent perspectives in the industry, including the bifurcation of corporate responses to economic conditions.
Then they talk through the crucial role of support in driving growth, emphasizing the importance of viewing support as a strategic differentiator and an engine for customer satisfaction, while addressing the ongoing challenge of scaling service delivery and monetizing support.
The highlight of the discussion is around AI's role in transforming support services. Vele introduces the concept of 'AI Base Campers' and 'AI Mountaineers,' explaining how companies are positioned in terms of AI readiness and adoption. He provides insightful statistics and real-world examples to illustrate how different organizations are leveraging AI to enhance support services, improve efficiency, and scale operations.
This is a must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of technology, support services, and AI business strategy!
Dive deep into the dynamic world of technology channel partners with TECHtonic's host, Thomas Lah, and Jay McBain, Chief Analyst of Channels, Partnerships & Ecosystems at Canalys.
During this conversation, Thomas and Jay explore the evolving role of channel partners in technology business models, particularly in the context of 'as-a-service' offerings. They focus on key points such as:
- The shift from traditional transactions to non-transactional moments, emphasizing the partner's lifetime value in subscription models.
- The critical role partners play in the 'as-a-service' landscape, adapting to changing buyer demographics.
- The essential nature of managed services in the 'as-a-service' model, with the linchpin being continuous customer support and success.
- How transparent data sharing between partners and providers fosters stronger trust and collaborations for improved customer outcomes.
Tune in to understand the breadth of the expanding landscape of the technology business channel, with actionable insights vital to your ecosystem's success.
Research Report: The Real State of Profitable SaaS - Abriged
Historically, Customer Success organizations have relied on inconsistent metrics, lacking a unified framework for assessing renewals and expansions. Simultaneously, the common practice of using NPS is dwindling, with fewer companies finding it effective in gauging customer value. With this, the critical question arises: What should CS orgs prioritize to define improvement and success for both themselves and their customers?
In this episode, we not only talk about the “what” but also dive even deeper and explore the 'how,' with telemetry being the key that unlocks both parts of the Customer Success equation.
Revolutionize your approach within your Customer Success organization by listening to this thought-provoking conversation from leaders Jim Roth, VP, Customer Support at Salesforce, TSIA's Stephen Fulkerson, VP, Customer Success Research, and TECHtonic host, Thomas Lah, Executive Director and EVP.
In a recent discussion, TSIA's Thomas Lah and Sean Morton, SVP of Professional Services for Trellix, delve into the critical challenges facing enterprise technology today, including the relentless threats of ransomware, the scarcity of IT security professionals, and the overwhelming complexity of IT software tools. Sean breaks down these challenges, shedding light on the paramount issues that demand attention in the tech security landscape.
Thomas and Sean touch on key topics such as:
- The ongoing role Trellix plays in ensuring seamless customer experiences paints a vivid picture of how the company continues to support clients through post-implementation.
- The future of professional services and how the role will evolve in response to the changing technological landscapes.
- How Sean's past "product experience" roles have shaped his approach to professional services, and what unique insights and strategies he's brought to the table as a result of blending product expertise with service excellence.
Join us as Sean unpacks the intricate tapestry of technology, unveiling the secrets behind Trellix's success and offering a glimpse into the future of IT security, professional services, and the evolving landscape of SaaS companies.
With a wealth of practical expertise between them, TSIA's Thomas Lah and George Humphrey, Distinguished VP & Managing Director of Offering and Delivery Research, delve into the transformative impact of AI on technology business models. They focus on three pivotal dimensions:
- Data-Driven Decision-Making
- Efficiency and Cost Reduction
- Enhanced Customer Experience
Emphasizing the urgency for companies to effectively organize around AI, they discuss the risks of stagnation in the face of rapid technological advancements. They stress the need for proactive strategies and highlight the potential dangers of irrelevance and diminished competitiveness for companies that fail to strategically embrace AI-driven transformations.
Take the first step on the Enterprise AI in Technology and Service Operations Research Journey by completing the TSIA Quick Poll: Organizing for AI Success, enabling leaders to remain at the forefront of how AI is reshaping the technology industry. Gain valuable insights, stay informed, and be part of the transformative conversation that is shaping the landscape of technology businesses worldwide.
TSIA World ENVISION closed with J.B. Wood, President & CEO, and Thomas Lah, Executive Director and Executive VP at TSIA, discussing reflections and insights from our week together, and exploring the benefits of Silo Busting for Profits and Growth. From key takeaways and the most impactful breakout session presentations to the pulse from countless conversations with attendees throughout the week, this framing conversation will add depth and insights to the content that was presented. What resonated? What assumptions were validated or fell flat? Listen now to stay ahead of current trends that are forming and driving the technology industry today.
In this episode, host Thomas Lah interviews Rashellee Herrera, founder and president at CPA firm RNB Capital, who focuses on helping CEOs optimize the financial performance of their SaaS businesses. She provides an expert take on today’s SaaS environment, what SaaS companies can do to protect cash flow, and the common mistakes that many SaaS companies make.
Rashellee and Thomas discuss financial health metrics for SaaS businesses, as well as:
- Financial and business connections that executive teams must understand
- The top practices that profitable companies are implementing today
- Areas of risk assessment that CFOs may not be looking at
- The current economic environment for SaaS companies
Tech companies everywhere are being challenged to grow recurring service revenues and scale customer success to nurture these recurring revenues. Today, TECHtonic host, Thomas Lah, is joined by Grad Rosenbaum, VP of Global Customer Success at HP Inc., to discuss these challenges, which are central to our current Research Journey, Protecting and Growing Your Customer Base.
In this episode, Lah and Rosenbaum discuss the development of customer success at HP, the roles of sales and customer success in the expansion and renewal motions, and cost-effectively scaling customer success.
Ready to learn more? Keep up to date on this subject by subscribing to TSIA's Research Journey, Protecting and Growing Your Customer Basetoday!
After years of focusing on growth at any cost, SaaS companies are now being forced to balance growth with improved profitability. Abbas Haider Ali, VP of customer success at GitHub and SaaS advisor and investor, believes that this pivot is creating a moment of truth for customer success organizations.
Today, Ali talks to TSIA’s Thomas Lah about his experience as an investor and customer success executive, and what he sees in the customer success landscape today. They discuss topics such as:
- Key questions that customer success executives must ask themselves and their teams to be successful
- The current customer success landscape
- Key levers that customer success organizations must pull to improve profitability
- Vital telemetry for customer success today
- The possibilities of AI for customer success
Today on TECHtonic, we dive into the role of customer success in a profitable software business model with Mike Flannagan, corporate vice president of global customer success at Microsoft.
Mike and host Thomas Lah discuss what customer success entails today and how organizations can get it right, answering questions such as:
- How has customer success changed over the past few years?
- How can companies leverage data and analytics in terms of helping customers achieve business objectives?
- What is the role of AI in delivering customer success?
- What does the digital experience look like for larger, more complex customers?
- What should somebody newer to customer success or customer success leadership be thinking about?
Today’s tech companies are struggling with the question of how to maintain corporate culture in a world where the workforce is rapidly evolving. But how do we define culture, and what are its effects?
This week, we tackle the tricky topic of corporate culture with Culture Partners’ Chief Scientist of Workplace Culture, Jessica Kriegel, discussing such critical topics as:
- What defines company culture
- How culture drives results
- Elements of a strong or weak corporate culture
- What virtual work means for culture
- How leaders drive company culture
- Managing a multi-generational workforce
Catch Jessica at TSIA World ENVISION this October 16-18! Her keynote will demystify corporate culture, providing attendees with an inspired perspective on achievable culture transformation and four actionable steps for cultivating an intentional culture that strengthens business strategy and performance.
Shally Stanley, SVP of Global Delivery at Salesforce, joins us on TECHtonic to discuss the future of the professional services function within technology providers. In this episode, we cover topics such as:
- How companies are breaking down silos between professional services, customer success, and support
- KPIs and future metrics for success in professional services
- How companies are pricing and packaging professional services offers
- The impact of AI and data on consulting and professional services
- The market’s current demand for customized offers
Founding a successful SaaS company has never been easy, but as of 2022, it got much harder. Valuations took a hit, investment dollars became scarce, and for the first time ever, SaaS companies actually started laying off employees.
In this episode of TECHtonic, Thomas is joined by Phil Alves, SaaS entrepreneur, CEO of DevSquad, and host of SaaS Origin Stories, a podcast where he interviews SaaS founders. In this fantastic conversation on the current state of SaaS, they discuss:
- How the current economic environment is impacting SaaS companies
- The best approach to starting a SaaS company
- How AI plays into SaaS valuations
- Whether AI will soon start to replace technical staff
Managed services is one of the fastest-growing revenue streams in the technology industry, and can be a bridge to recurring revenues.
Joined by Peter Lacoste, SVP of Managed Services at Dell, we shine a light on what it means to provide managed services in today's technology industry, and address the following questions:
- What is managed services and how is it different from traditional outsourcing?
- What are the best pricing approaches for managed services offers?
- How can managed services accelerate digital transformation?
- How have managed services sales evolved?
- What internal relationship is most critical for managed services success?
Ready to learn more? Keep up to date on this subject by subscribing to TSIA's Research Journey, The Evolution of Pricing Models for Managed Services today!
Edwina Fitzmaurice, Chief Customer Success Officer at Ernst & Young, gives some insight into effective customer success at a services company. They discuss the human side of customer success, as well as:
- How AI is impacting the tech industry.
- How to monetize customer success.
- What to look for in customer success talent.
- How to create a better B2B customer experience.
- How a chief customer success officer defines success.
- Why diversity is important in customer success.
About 15% of Fortune 5000 companies have a chief product officer (CPO), and we believe that percentage will only increase. We click into the role of CPO with Moe Tanabian, veteran of AWS and Microsoft, and current CPO at Cognite, discussing:
- The challenges of moving into a leadership role.
- How a CPO drives best practices.
- Differences between CPO and chief technology officer (CTO).
- Challenges of the current economic environment.
- How to differentiate your business and keep margin on the table.
- How to become more profitable as a SaaS business.
Free Executive Briefing: How can SaaS companies become profitable?
Free Executive Briefing with Thomas Lah
TSIA World ENVISION
Thousands of sales, service, marketing, and training professionals are playing around with and imagining how AI can be used in their jobs and at their company.
This episode is a panel discussion from TSIA World INTERACT 2023, which examines:
- The potentially constructive (and dangerous) uses of AI across the B2B customer lifecycle.
- How AI should (and should not) be adopted in the short term in sales and service.
- What the rise of AI might mean for B2B customers and their demands.
In this keynote, TSIA President and CEO J.B. Wood led a panel of researchers who shared their thoughts on the current and future states of AI:
- Kevin Bowers, Director, Field Services Research, TSIA
- Maria Manning-Chapman, Distinguished VP, Education Services Research, TSIA
- Jack Johnson, VP, Customer Growth and Renewal Research, TSIA
- John Ragsdale, Distinguished Researcher, VP, Technology Ecosystems, TSIA
- Mark Troyan, Sr. Director, Customer Success Research, TSIA
Oliver Johnson, Chief Commercial Officer at SimCorp, joins Thomas to discuss the impact of XaaS transformation on the go-to-market capabilities of a company—specifically, how companies reduce the cost of growing revenue, utilize data in the sales process, and execute outcome-based sales.
Questions answered include:
- What are the responsibilities of a Chief Commercial Officer?
- What does outcome selling mean?
- How do you execute outcome selling?
- What data is most important to a chief commercial officer?
- What type of as-a-service offers is SimCorp taking to market?
- What should companies do to reduce overall cost of growing revenue?
Conference: TSIA World : Envision - Las Vegas, October 2022
Book: Digital Hesitation
Podcast episode with Emma Sopadjieva: Impacting the Customer Experience Through Data Analytics
Order Digital Hesitation on Amazon now!
Thomas and Natasha discuss topics like:
- Quantitative versus qualitative analysis, and why both are valuable.
- The art involved in getting a client or would have been client to open up about their experience.
- Why not to be afraid of lost buyer feedback.
- How are technology providers navigating the pivot from the technical buyer to the business buyer persona.
- Current top trends in the sales cycle.
- How companies build the customer facing role muscle of being effective listeners for customer’s needs, and or frustrations.
- How technology sales will change and evolve over the next 5 years
During the discussion Thomas and Neeracha discuss the following topics:
- How early should customer success managers get involved in that sales cycle?
- How do you incent sales people to subscribe to a methodology that your organization needs to be successful?
- What are the biggest changes in customer success over the past decade?
- How important is vertical expertise in customer success today?
- What are some of the key levers that can help scale customer success?
- What metrics do and should matter the most to your organization?
- What does the future of customer success look like?
- What can front-line managers do to recruit more diverse talent into the technology industry?