Wake Me Up When September Ends
Is it just me, or was June, like... three days ago? Suddenly, it's September, and everyone is coming back from vacation, getting ready for school, dusting off the sweaters from storage, and hopefully responding to that email you sent them three weeks ago asking for an update.
You can almost smell the pumpkin spice radiating from every major retailer as they prep for the fall season. Some are even selling Halloween candy already which, honestly, is either very exciting or extremely depressing, depending on how much you like discounted candy.
September is the month to make things happen, and we've got some pretty exciting things in store for you this month! Personally, we can't wait to see all your happy faces at our CS In Focus in-person event on the 21st (see our "Upcoming Events" section below for details!).
Don't forget to send in your nominations for our CS Spotlight, where each month we'll feature a dynamic leader, an up-and-comer, or anyone you feel is doing great things in the CS Community! You can send your nominations, questions, or favorite fun fact to askus@csinfocus.com
Ask (foc)Us!
Check out this thread in our #peerquestions channel if you're looking for some examples & tips on creating some top-notch onboarding resources. If you think it'd be useful to have some more in-person or virtual roundtables to collaborate on and workshop onboarding processes, let us know!
Finding the right platform can be an incredibly daunting task. Before committing to any one tool, it's important to first flush out & define your processes. Figure out what's important for you to be able to report on, what actions your team needs to be able to perform, and what other tools you'll need to be able to plug into! Setting up the proper platform takes time; you don't want to rush into anything without being confident it'll provide value to your team!
Remember to send your questions to askus@csinfocus.com, or post to our #peerquestions channel in slack!
CS Spotlight - Onnela Pukk
Onnela Pukk is the Sr. Director of Enablement Services at Loopio and brings with her over 10 years of experience working on CX teams in SaaS. She manages the Customer Onboarding, Professional Services and Customer Education teams at Loopio. Prior to her current role, Onnela managed an Enterprise CSM team in Martech, which helped to give her a unique perspective on how enablement and services can supercharge the overall customer experience.
What's the thing you love most about your current role?
Witnessing the flywheel effect of a growing and successful team, supported by the backdrop of a growing and successful business. When I started at Loopio I managed 5 individuals, now we have become a department of 22, made up of Customer Education, Onboarding, Professional Services, and Proactive Services teams, each with their own leader and specializing in their unique domains. I’ve witnessed many refer past colleagues-turned friends to join the team, promotions and transfers, and the evolution of a new team structure that gives us a lot of opportunities to get creative by supporting all things enablement and services-related.
What's one of your favorite memories from your time in CS?
This would be a time when the customer onboarding team at Loopio showed a) initiative and b) generosity, by proactively suggesting that we try out re-onboarding any existing customers that needed the extra support. I really admired the team for independently coming up with such a helpful suggestion and monitoring the results - this was a limited but highly successful pilot which helped to inform a couple of new roles that now exist on our team; both customer education and proactive services.
If you could give a piece of advice to anyone just getting started in their career in CS, what would it be?
Be a “builder” and look at any gaps as opportunities. Those are often the fastest ways to get recognized, by not waiting to be asked but ameliorating something for the team of your own initiative, communicating it well, and sharing generously. This could be a missing process that consistently causes confusion or a lack of a resource that people are continuously looking for. That, and always making suggestions, instead of, or alongside any criticisms.
Any other tips, tricks, stories, jokes, or words of wisdom you'd like to share?
For these you’ll have to attend a CS in Focus event!
Onnela will be hosting one of the round-table discussions during our in-person CS in Focus event on Wednesday, September 21st! See our "Upcoming Events" section below for details, and the link to reserve your spot!
Job Opportunities
Enablement Lead, Support - Docebo
We are seeking an action-oriented, creative, and experienced Revenue Enablement professional to join our rapidly growing Enablement team. As an Enablement Lead, you will be responsible for full-stack Enablement for our global support teams (or other segments as appointed).
Customer Success Specialist - Proof of Impact
POI is looking for an eager, mission-driven, and detail-oriented individual to help build the next generation of ESG and impact data intelligence technology.
Implementation Project Manager - Ten Thousand Coffees
Ten Thousand Coffees (10KC) is looking for an Implementation Project Manager who is passionate about working with our diverse range of customers to remove organizational and technical barriers and implement best-in-class connectivity and informal talent development programs.
Upcoming Events
Your CS in Focus community is hosting an in-person event on Wednesday, September 21st! The event will consist of opportunities for some networking, free food, and three separate round-table discussions each focused on a different branch of CS (Onboarding, Support, and Customer Success Management). Each discussion will be hosted by an incredibly talented leader in the space, stay tuned to our public channels for more information!
Food and drinks will be provided, space is limited, so register below to save your seat!
Where: 111 Peter Street, Toronto, ON - 9th Floor
When: Wednesday, September 21st, 5:30 pm EST
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