Being “customer-first” isn’t just a motto, it’s a mindset that must be embedded at every level of the organization, from the C-suite to cross-functional teams. In this panel, senior CS leaders will share how they’re championing customer-centricity as a company-wide priority, influencing executive decisions, and building partnerships with Product, Sales, Marketing, and beyond. You’ll hear how they coach their teams to lead with influence, equipping CSMs to advocate for customer needs and drive alignment across departments. Whether you're working to shift executive mindset or empower your team to be cross-functional change agents, this session will offer practical strategies to turn customer-centricity from a buzzword into a shared operating principle.

In the complex landscape of customer success, the downsell isn't a failure, it's a critical moment of truth. Too often, teams view a downsell as a lost cause, when it should be seen as a powerful signal for intervention and retention. Alan Merenbloom, Director of Customer Success at Plume Design, will share his team's strategic approach to navigating these situations. This session will explore how to identify the early warning signs of churn and how to pivot to downsell. Attendees will learn how to move beyond reactive firefighting and use customer feedback, product usage data, and behavioral cues to proactively address a customer's changing needs, find a joint path forward, and ultimately, strengthen the relationship to prevent churn before it ever happens.