# CS & Expansion Director Playbook

Reference playbook for the cs-expansion-director skill. Read the relevant section before producing any CS artifact.

## Table of Contents

1. Health Score Calibration - Deep Methodology
2. QBR Execution Guide
3. Expansion Motion Design
4. Churn Analysis Methodology
5. NRR Optimization Framework
6. Customer Onboarding - Detailed Program
7. Renewal Management
8. Customer Advocacy Program
9. CS Team Design and Capacity
10. CS Benchmarks and Diagnostics

---

## 1. Health Score Calibration - Deep Methodology

### Calibration Process

**Step 1: Backward analysis from churn**

Pull all accounts that churned in the last 12 months. For each, capture what their metrics looked like at 90 days, 60 days, and 30 days before churn:
- Product usage trajectory (increasing, flat, declining)
- Support ticket volume and sentiment
- Stakeholder engagement (QBR attendance, email responsiveness, meeting frequency)
- Champion status (still present, promoted out, left company)
- Renewal conversation status (engaged, avoiding, adversarial)

These patterns become your red flag indicators - the signals that predict churn before it happens.

**Step 2: Backward analysis from expansion**

Pull all accounts that expanded in the last 12 months. Capture the same metrics at 90/60/30 days before expansion:
- Usage growth trajectory
- New user additions from the same account
- Feature adoption breadth (using new capabilities)
- Stakeholder engagement (multi-threaded, executive engaged)
- Proactive outreach from customer (asking about capabilities, pricing)

These patterns become your green flag indicators - signals that predict expansion readiness.

**Step 3: Weight validation**

Start with the default weights from SKILL.md (Product Adoption 30%, Engagement 25%, Outcomes 25%, Relationship 20%). After 2 quarters of data, validate:
- Do green-scored accounts actually retain and expand at higher rates? (If not, weights are wrong.)
- Do red-scored accounts actually churn at higher rates? (If not, thresholds or indicators are wrong.)
- Which dimension is most predictive of churn? (Increase its weight.)
- Which dimension is most predictive of expansion? (Create a separate "expansion readiness" score.)

**Step 4: Threshold calibration**

Target distribution: 60% Green, 25% Yellow, 15% Red.
- If >80% Green: thresholds too low. You're not identifying risk - lower the green floor.
- If >30% Red: thresholds too high. Too many false alarms, team goes numb - raise the red ceiling.
- Recalibrate quarterly based on actual churn/expansion outcomes.

### Health Score Data Sources

| Dimension | Data Source | Update Frequency | Automation Level |
|-----------|-----------|-----------------|-----------------|
| Product adoption | Product telemetry → CRM via API | Daily | Fully automated |
| Feature usage breadth | Product telemetry → CRM | Weekly | Fully automated |
| User activation rate | Product telemetry (active users / licensed users) | Weekly | Fully automated |
| Support ticket volume | Help desk → CRM | Real-time | Automated |
| Support sentiment | NLP on ticket text or manual CSM tag | Weekly | Semi-automated |
| QBR attendance | Calendar + CRM event tracking | After each QBR | Manual CSM input |
| Executive engagement | CSM assessment of sponsor activity | Monthly | Manual CSM input |
| Stakeholder changes | LinkedIn alerts, CRM contact updates | Ongoing | Semi-automated |
| Outcome achievement | QBR notes, customer-reported metrics | Quarterly | Manual CSM input |
| NPS/CSAT responses | Survey tool → CRM | Per survey | Automated |

### Health Score Alert System

```
AUTOMATED ALERTS:

RED ALERT (immediate CSM + manager notification):
  - Health score drops below 50 (from any previous score)
  - Executive sponsor leaves the company (LinkedIn trigger)
  - Usage declines >30% month-over-month
  - 3+ negative support tickets in 30 days
  - Customer mentions competitor or "evaluating alternatives"

YELLOW ALERT (CSM notification, manager visibility):
  - Health score drops below 75 (from green to yellow)
  - Primary contact unresponsive for 14+ days
  - Usage flat or declining for 2 consecutive months
  - Missed or declined QBR
  - Support ticket volume increasing without resolution

GREEN SIGNAL (expansion opportunity):
  - Usage exceeds tier by >20% (capacity expansion trigger)
  - New users from new departments appearing
  - Customer requests enterprise-only features
  - Customer proactively asks about pricing/packaging
  - Customer agrees to be a reference or case study
```

---

## 2. QBR Execution Guide

### Pre-QBR Preparation (CSM, 2-3 hours)

```
PREPARATION CHECKLIST:
  [ ] Pull usage data and trends (last 90 days vs. prior 90 days)
  [ ] Calculate ROI metrics (time saved, incidents prevented, cost reduced, tools replaced)
  [ ] Review support tickets (themes, sentiment, resolution times, open items)
  [ ] Review last QBR action items (what was committed by us, what was committed by them)
  [ ] Identify expansion opportunities based on usage signals and account context
  [ ] Prepare roadmap slides (ONLY features relevant to THIS customer's use cases)
  [ ] Check health score and all contributing dimensions
  [ ] Draft agenda and send to customer 1 week before
  [ ] Confirm attendees (push for executive attendance - explain the value to THEM)
  [ ] Prepare 1-page "value summary" leave-behind document
  [ ] If competitive risk exists, prepare competitive differentiation talking points
```

### QBR Slide Structure

```
SLIDE 1: PARTNERSHIP SUMMARY (1 min)
  - Deployment overview: [N] devices, [N] users, [N] months as customer
  - Relationship map: who's engaged on both sides

SLIDE 2-3: VALUE DELIVERED (10 min)
  - Key metrics: [Before state] → [Current state]
  - Usage highlights: what's growing, what's new
  - ROI calculation: quantified business impact
  - "You saved [X hours/month]" or "You prevented [N incidents]"

SLIDE 4: SUCCESS STORIES FROM THEIR TEAMS (5 min)
  - Quotes or anecdotes from their internal users (gathered during the quarter)
  - Shows you talked to people beyond the primary contact

SLIDE 5: ROADMAP PREVIEW (5 min)
  - 2-3 upcoming features relevant to THEIR use case
  - Beta/early access opportunity if applicable
  - "We're building this because customers like you asked for it"

SLIDE 6: BLANK / CUSTOMER PRIORITIES (15-20 min)
  - Literally a blank slide or simple prompt: "Your priorities for next quarter"
  - THIS IS WHERE THE CUSTOMER TALKS
  - CSM listens, takes notes, asks follow-up questions
  - The most valuable part of the QBR is understanding their future direction

SLIDE 7: JOINT ACTION PLAN (10 min)
  - Actions for your team: [Specific, dated, owned]
  - Actions for their team: [Specific, dated, owned]
  - Expansion discussion if signals warrant it (natural, not forced)
  - Next QBR date confirmed on the spot
```

### QBR Anti-Patterns

| Anti-Pattern | What Happens | Fix |
|-------------|-------------|-----|
| Feature tour | CSM presents product features instead of customer value | Every slide must reference THEIR metrics, not YOUR product |
| CSM monologue | CSM talks for 45 minutes, customer barely speaks | Customer priorities section should be the longest. Set a timer. |
| No executive attendance | QBR becomes tactical, no strategic conversation | Require VP+ or reschedule. Explain value: "This is where we align on next quarter's priorities" |
| No action items | Meeting ends with "let's follow up" | End every QBR with specific, dated commitments on both sides. Write them during the meeting. |
| Skip when healthy | Green accounts don't get QBRs | Green accounts are your BEST expansion candidates. QBR is where you find those opportunities. |
| Same deck every quarter | Customer feels like groundhog day | Each QBR must show CHANGE: new metrics, new insights, new recommendations |
| Buried bad news | CSM avoids mentioning issues customer raised in support | Address issues head-on. Credibility comes from honesty, not avoidance. |

### QBR Cadence by Health and ACV

| ACV | Green | Yellow | Red |
|-----|-------|--------|-----|
| $50-100K | Semi-annual | Quarterly | Monthly check-in (not full QBR - focused intervention) |
| $100-250K | Quarterly | Quarterly (enhanced - more prep, more stakeholders) | Monthly with CS leadership escalation |
| $250K+ | Quarterly (executive-led - your VP/CRO attends) | Monthly | Biweekly with CRO involvement and save plan |

---

## 3. Expansion Motion Design

### Expansion Plays by Type

**Play 1: Capacity Expansion (more of the same)**

```
Trigger: Usage approaching or exceeding tier limit, new office/team/department
Signal: Usage dashboard alert, new user registrations from unfamiliar teams, 
        account growth (company raised funding, acquired another company, hiring spree)
Approach: Ground in value → show growth → propose next tier
  "Your deployment has grown to [N] devices - up [X%] since last quarter.
   At this scale, the [next tier] includes [capabilities] that help manage
   [specific operational challenge at their new size]."
Owner: CSM identifies and initiates, AE or CSM closes depending on deal size
  - <20% uplift: CSM can close directly (streamlined approval)
  - >20% uplift: AE involvement for commercial negotiation
Typical uplift: 20-50% ACV increase
Timeline: 2-4 weeks from identification to close
```

**Play 2: Feature Upgrade (more capabilities)**

```
Trigger: Enterprise feature interest, compliance requirement, advanced use case
Signal: Feature requests in support tickets, enterprise docs page views, 
        compliance-related questions, security audit approaching
Approach: Connect the feature to their specific business need
  "Based on your [compliance requirement / team growth / security initiative],
   the enterprise tier includes [specific features] that [specific outcome].
   [Similar customer] added these for [reason] and saw [quantified result]."
Owner: CSM identifies, AE leads if significant deal size (>30% uplift)
Typical uplift: 30-100% ACV increase
Timeline: 4-8 weeks (may involve technical evaluation)
```

**Play 3: Multi-Team Expansion (new use cases / departments)**

```
Trigger: Success in initial deployment creates interest from adjacent teams
Signal: Champion mentions other teams, new users from different departments,
        inquiries from new personas at the same company
Approach: Leverage success story from initial team
  "Your [IT ops team] has seen [quantified result] with Fleet. I understand
   [security team / DevOps / other department] faces similar challenges with
   [use case]. Would an introduction be helpful? I can share how [similar
   customer] expanded to [N] departments."
Owner: CSM facilitates introduction, AE runs as a new opportunity
Typical uplift: 50-200% ACV increase (essentially a new deal within existing account)
Timeline: 8-16 weeks (new buying process within the same company)
```

**Play 4: Renewal Uplift (price increase or scope expansion at renewal)**

```
Trigger: Renewal approaching (120 days out)
Signal: Calendar trigger, usage growth during current term, feature requests
Approach: Value-justified renewal at higher price point
  "Over the past [term], your deployment has grown from [start] to [current].
   You've achieved [quantified outcomes]. For the renewal, I'd recommend
   [tier/scope] which includes [additional value] at [price]."
Owner: CSM leads renewal conversation, AE for negotiation if needed
Typical uplift: 10-30% ACV increase
Timeline: Start 120 days before renewal, close 30 days before
```

### Expansion Conversation Framework

```
STEP 1: ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR SUCCESS (build on what's working)
  "You've been running [product] across [context] for [time]. How's it going?"
  "Last QBR, you mentioned [goal]. How are you tracking against that?"
  WHY: Validates their investment. Shows you remember and care.

STEP 2: EXPLORE THE GROWTH (uncover the expansion need)
  "I've noticed [usage signal / team growth / new users]. What's driving that?"
  "What's changed in your environment since we last talked?"
  "Are there other teams that could benefit from what [initial team] has built?"
  WHY: Let THEM articulate the expansion need. Don't assume.

STEP 3: MAP VALUE TO THEIR SPECIFIC SITUATION
  "For organizations at your scale with [their specific context], the
   [expanded offering] typically helps with [2-3 specific capabilities
   mapped to what they told you in Step 2]."
  WHY: Personalized value, not a feature list.

STEP 4: PROVIDE PROOF
  "[Peer company] was in a similar situation - [started with X, expanded to Y].
   They saw [specific result]. Their [title] said [compelling quote]."
  WHY: Peer proof reduces perceived risk of expansion.

STEP 5: QUANTIFY THE GAP
  "Right now, how is [new team / use case] handling [the thing they need]?"
  "What does that cost in terms of time / risk / tool sprawl?"
  WHY: Makes the cost of NOT expanding tangible.

STEP 6: REDUCE FRICTION
  "Expanding is [simple process description]. Your existing [configs/data]
   carry over. We can start with a pilot for [subset] and expand from there."
  WHY: The #1 objection isn't value - it's perceived hassle.

STEP 7: PROPOSE SPECIFIC NEXT STEP
  "Would it be helpful to run a [30-day pilot / workshop / assessment] with
   [new team]? I can set that up this week."
  WHY: Specific, low-commitment, focused on their need.
```

### Common Expansion Objections

| Objection | What They Mean | Response |
|-----------|---------------|----------|
| "The free version does everything we need" | Enterprise need hasn't surfaced yet, or they're managing without enterprise features | "That's great - means the core tech is solid. Most teams find the enterprise need surfaces when [trigger: audit, team growth, compliance change]. Is any of that on the horizon?" |
| "We can build what we need ourselves" | DIY culture, engineering wants to keep control | "A lot of customers started there. What they found was [TCO comparison]. [Customer] estimated [N hours/month] maintaining custom tooling for [capability]." |
| "It's too expensive" | Price-to-value equation unclear | "What are you comparing it to? Per device, it's [$X/device/month]. When we factor in [tools replaced + time saved], customers typically see [N]x return." |
| "We need to check with [stakeholder]" | Not the sole decision-maker | "Makes sense. Would it help to set up a session with [stakeholder]? I can prep materials specific to [their role's concerns]." |
| "Not right now" | May be real timing issue or soft no | "Understood. When does [budget cycle / planning season / project timeline] come around? I'll check back then with updated data on your usage." |
| "We're evaluating alternatives" | Competitive threat | "I appreciate the honesty. What's driving the evaluation? If there's something we're not delivering, I'd rather know and try to fix it." |

---

## 4. Churn Analysis Methodology

### Pre-Churn Intervention Process

```
120 DAYS BEFORE RENEWAL:
  CSM reviews: health score, usage trends, support history, stakeholder map
  Action: If Yellow or Red → initiate save plan immediately
  Action: If Green → standard renewal conversation begins

90 DAYS BEFORE RENEWAL:
  CSM conducts: renewal discovery call
  Questions: "How's the year been? What would make you renew enthusiastically
  vs. reluctantly? Anything we should address before renewal?"
  Action: Document concerns, create action plan for each

60 DAYS BEFORE RENEWAL:
  If concerns exist: executive engagement (your VP CS calls their VP)
  Value revalidation: updated ROI presentation if needed
  Commercial discussion: pricing, scope, any changes requested

30 DAYS BEFORE RENEWAL:
  Contract sent (if not already in signature)
  Escalation if not signed: daily tracking by CS leadership
  Last-resort intervention: CRO engagement for strategic accounts
```

### Post-Churn Analysis Template

```
ACCOUNT: [Company name]
ACV LOST: $[Amount]
CUSTOMER SINCE: [Date] - TENURE: [Months]
HEALTH SCORE AT CHURN: [Score and 6-month trend]
CSM: [Name]

CHURN REASON (primary - one):
  [ ] Product gap - missing critical capability we don't have
  [ ] Value realization - never achieved the outcomes they expected
  [ ] Relationship failure - champion left, trust eroded, CSM issues
  [ ] Budget / priority shift - their priorities changed
  [ ] Competitive displacement - switched to [specific competitor]
  [ ] Acquisition - company was acquired, acquirer mandated different tools
  [ ] Going out of business - company shut down or downsized severely

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS (secondary):
  - [Factor 1 - e.g., "champion left 4 months ago, replacement never engaged"]
  - [Factor 2 - e.g., "support response time averaged 48 hours, SLA was 24"]
  - [Factor 3 - e.g., "competitor offered 30% lower pricing at renewal"]

EARLY WARNING SIGNALS WE MISSED:
  Signal: [Describe]  When it appeared: [Date]  Did we act? [Yes/No/Too late]
  Signal: [Describe]  When it appeared: [Date]  Did we act? [Yes/No/Too late]

WHAT WE COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY:
  At 6 months: [Proactive action we should have taken]
  At 3 months: [Intervention we should have started]
  At 1 month: [Last resort we could have tried]

IS THIS A PATTERN?
  [ ] No - isolated incident, specific to this account
  [ ] Yes - this is the [N]th churn for [reason]. This is now a systematic problem.
  If yes, systemic fix needed: [Describe]

RECOVERABLE?
  [ ] Yes - if we [fix specific thing], they would consider returning
  [ ] Maybe - they'd reconsider if [condition changes]
  [ ] No - permanent decision, relationship damaged, or company gone
  If recoverable: win-back plan: [Describe, including timeline]
```

### Quarterly Churn Pattern Analysis

```
Q[X] CHURN REVIEW

ACCOUNTS LOST: [N]
ARR LOST: $[Amount]
LOGO CHURN RATE: [%]
REVENUE CHURN RATE: [%]

CHURN REASONS (ranked by ARR impact):
  1. [Reason]: [N] accounts, $[ARR] - [%] of total churn
  2. [Reason]: [N] accounts, $[ARR] - [%] of total churn
  3. [Reason]: [N] accounts, $[ARR] - [%] of total churn

CHURN BY SEGMENT:
  [Segment A]: [%] churn rate - [above/below/at] average
  [Segment B]: [%] churn rate - [above/below/at] average

CHURN BY TENURE:
  0-6 months: [%] - if high, onboarding problem
  6-12 months: [%] - if high, value realization problem
  12-24 months: [%] - if high, relationship or competitive problem
  24+ months: [%] - if high, product stagnation or price problem

CHURN BY ACQUISITION SOURCE:
  Outbound: [%] churn - if high, ICP/qualification problem
  Inbound: [%] churn - if high, expectation-setting problem
  PLG/community: [%] churn - if high, enterprise value gap

HEALTH SCORE PREDICTION ACCURACY:
  % of churned accounts that were Red 90 days before: [%]
  (If <70%, health score isn't predictive enough - recalibrate)

ACTION ITEMS:
  1. [Systemic fix for top churn reason] - Owner: [name] - Due: [date]
  2. [Process change for second reason] - Owner: [name] - Due: [date]
  3. [Health score adjustment if needed] - Owner: [name] - Due: [date]
```

---

## 5. NRR Optimization Framework

### NRR Components and Levers

```
NET REVENUE RETENTION = 
  (Starting ARR + Expansion ARR - Contraction ARR - Churn ARR) / Starting ARR × 100

LEVER 1: REDUCE GROSS CHURN (biggest impact on NRR)
  Actions:
  - Better health scoring → earlier intervention (catch risk at 90 days, not 30)
  - Better onboarding → faster time to value (if they see ROI in 60 days, they renew)
  - Better ICP alignment → fewer bad-fit customers (some churn is pre-determined at sale)
  - Champion succession planning → when champion leaves, relationship survives
  Impact: Reducing churn by 5 percentage points = 5 point NRR improvement

LEVER 2: REDUCE CONTRACTION (downgrades and seat/device reduction)
  Actions:
  - Multi-threaded relationships (decision to downgrade requires multiple stakeholder buy-in)
  - Continuous value demonstration (not just at QBR - monthly value touchpoints)
  - Address product gaps proactively (if a gap causes partial rollback, fix it or offer alternatives)
  - Anticipate budget cycles (know when their budget is set, influence before it's locked)
  Impact: Reducing contraction by 3 percentage points = 3 point NRR improvement

LEVER 3: INCREASE EXPANSION (the growth engine)
  Actions:
  - Systematic expansion signal monitoring (don't rely on CSM intuition alone)
  - In-product capacity expansion triggers (approaching limit → prompt upgrade)
  - Feature upgrade conversations in every QBR (make it a standing agenda item)
  - Multi-team expansion playbook (most untapped expansion source)
  - Usage-based pricing that grows naturally with customer growth
  Impact: Increasing expansion by 10 percentage points = 10 point NRR improvement

TARGET NRR BY COMPANY STAGE:
  Growth stage ($5-20M ARR): 100-110% (proving retention works)
  Scale stage ($20-50M ARR): 110-120% (expansion engine is working)
  Market leader ($50M+ ARR): 120-130%+ (compounding growth from installed base)
```

### NRR Improvement Roadmap

```
QUARTER 1: STOP THE BLEEDING
  - Implement health score (if none exists) or recalibrate (if inaccurate)
  - Identify all Red accounts - assign save plans to every one
  - Start 120-day renewal process for all upcoming renewals
  - Establish baseline NRR measurement
  Expected impact: 3-5 point NRR improvement

QUARTER 2: BUILD THE EXPANSION ENGINE
  - Define expansion plays (capacity, feature, multi-team)
  - Train CSMs on expansion conversations
  - Build expansion signal monitoring into health score
  - Launch first QBR cycle with expansion as standing agenda item
  Expected impact: 5-8 point NRR improvement

QUARTER 3: OPTIMIZE AND SCALE
  - Refine health score based on Q1-Q2 churn/expansion data
  - Scale expansion plays that worked; retire those that didn't
  - Implement automated expansion triggers (in-product and CRM-based)
  - Launch advocacy program to convert happy customers into references
  Expected impact: 3-5 point incremental NRR improvement

QUARTER 4: COMPOUND
  - Full NRR reporting by segment, source, CSM, and product
  - Advanced expansion analytics (predict expansion timing)
  - Customer lifecycle automation (right touch at right time at right scale)
  Expected impact: Sustained NRR trajectory, compounding quarterly
```

---

## 6. Customer Onboarding - Detailed Program

### Enterprise Onboarding Timeline

```
PRE-KICKOFF (Contract signed → Kickoff meeting):
  Target: <5 business days
  
  INTERNAL HANDOFF (AE → CSM):
  - Deal context: why they bought, what pain they're solving, what success looks like
  - Stakeholder map: who's involved, who the champion is, who might block
  - Competitive context: who else was evaluated, why they chose you
  - Technical requirements: deployment environment, integrations needed
  - Red flags: anything that almost killed the deal, concerns raised
  
  FORMAT: 30-min handoff meeting + written deal summary in CRM
  RULE: CSM should never ask the customer to repeat what they told the AE
```

```
PHASE 1: KICKOFF (Week 1)
  Meeting: 60 minutes with customer stakeholders + CSM + SE
  Agenda:
  - Introductions and role clarity (who does what on both sides)
  - Reconfirm objectives: "Here's what [AE] shared. Is this still accurate?"
  - Walk through mutual action plan (timeline, milestones, responsibilities)
  - Technical requirements review
  - Agree on communication cadence during onboarding
  - Schedule all Phase 1-2 milestones on the calendar NOW (not "we'll figure it out")
  
  Deliverable: Mutual action plan document shared with all parties
  Milestone: Both sides agree on plan, technical environment access confirmed
```

```
PHASE 2: IMPLEMENTATION (Weeks 2-6)
  Activities:
  - Technical deployment guided by SE / implementation team
  - Configuration aligned with customer requirements and use cases
  - Integration with existing tool chain (SSO, SIEM, ticketing, etc.)
  - Initial admin training (power users who will manage the product)
  - Data migration if applicable (from previous solution)
  
  Cadence: Weekly 30-min check-in with project leads on both sides
  Escalation: If any milestone misses by >1 week, CSM escalates internally
  
  Milestone: Product deployed in production, core integrations live
  Measurement: On-time vs. plan, customer satisfaction with implementation
```

```
PHASE 3: ACTIVATION (Weeks 6-10)
  Activities:
  - Phased user rollout (department by department or site by site)
  - End user training (not just admins - everyone who uses the product daily)
  - First value check: are initial KPIs starting to move?
  - Identify and address adoption blockers (if users aren't logging in, why?)
  - Quick wins: surface and celebrate early results with the team
  
  Cadence: Biweekly check-ins, more frequent if adoption is lagging
  
  Milestone: 80%+ of licensed users active (login + meaningful usage)
  Measurement: User activation rate, feature adoption, support ticket volume
```

```
PHASE 4: VALUE REALIZATION (Weeks 10-16)
  Activities:
  - First formal value review: present ROI to stakeholders
  - Baseline metrics established for ongoing measurement
  - Transition from implementation mode to relationship mode
  - CSM takes over as primary contact (SE steps back to as-needed)
  - First QBR scheduled (90 days post-kickoff)
  - Advocacy ask if health score is Green (reference call, case study)
  
  Milestone: Customer confirms initial success criteria met
  Measurement: Success criteria achieved, health score, NPS
```

### Onboarding Metrics

| Metric | Target | When | What It Tells You |
|--------|--------|------|-------------------|
| Contract to kickoff | <5 business days | Track at kickoff | Momentum - delays signal internal friction |
| Kickoff to deployment | <30 days | Product telemetry | Technical implementation speed |
| Deployment to 80% activation | <60 days from deploy | Product telemetry | User adoption health |
| Time to first value | <90 days from contract | Customer confirmation | Overall onboarding effectiveness |
| Onboarding NPS | >50 | Survey at Phase 4 | Customer experience during onboarding |
| On-time milestone completion | >80% | Track per milestone | Process reliability |
| Escalations during onboarding | <2 per customer | Track in CRM | Process quality |

### Onboarding Risk Indicators

| Indicator | Healthy | At Risk | Critical |
|-----------|---------|---------|----------|
| Kickoff timing | Within 5 days | Delayed 1-2 weeks | Delayed >2 weeks |
| Customer resources assigned | Named project lead + executive sponsor | "We'll figure it out" | No one assigned |
| Technical deployment | On track per plan | 1-2 weeks behind | >3 weeks behind |
| User adoption at day 30 | >50% of users active | 25-50% active | <25% active |
| Customer engagement | Attending all meetings, responsive | Missing some meetings | Going dark |
| Stakeholder sentiment | "This is going well" | Neutral / quiet | "We're frustrated" |
| First QBR scheduled | Before day 90 | Before day 120 | Not scheduled |

---

## 7. Renewal Management

### Renewal Process Timeline

```
120 DAYS BEFORE RENEWAL:
  Owner: CSM
  Actions:
  - Review health score and all dimensions
  - Review usage data and value metrics
  - Identify any unresolved issues or concerns
  - Prepare internal renewal forecast (will they renew? At what level?)
  - Flag to AE if expansion or contraction expected

90 DAYS BEFORE RENEWAL:
  Owner: CSM
  Actions:
  - Renewal discovery conversation with customer
  - "How has the past year been? What's working? What isn't?"
  - "Any changes in priorities or team structure that affect your needs?"
  - "What would make you renew enthusiastically?"
  - Document concerns and create action plan for each

60 DAYS BEFORE RENEWAL:
  Owner: CSM + AE (if commercial changes)
  Actions:
  - Address all documented concerns (or have a credible plan)
  - Present renewal proposal (scope, pricing, any changes)
  - If expansion: present expanded proposal with ROI justification
  - If contraction risk: address proactively (don't wait for them to ask)
  - Executive engagement if Yellow or Red health

30 DAYS BEFORE RENEWAL:
  Owner: AE (commercial) + CSM (relationship)
  Actions:
  - Contract sent for signature
  - Weekly tracking if not yet signed
  - Escalation if blockers emerge (procurement, legal, budget)
  - CSM continues relationship management throughout

POST-RENEWAL:
  Owner: CSM
  Actions:
  - Confirm any scope changes are implemented
  - Set new success criteria for the upcoming term
  - Schedule first QBR of the new term
  - Thank the customer (a genuine thank-you goes further than you think)
```

### Renewal Risk Scoring

```
RENEWAL RISK FACTORS:

HIGH RISK (3 points each):
  - Health score Red
  - Executive sponsor left in last 6 months
  - Expressed dissatisfaction in last QBR
  - Active competitive evaluation
  - Budget cuts announced at the company

MEDIUM RISK (2 points each):
  - Health score Yellow
  - Usage declining for 2+ months
  - Primary contact unresponsive
  - Missed last QBR
  - Unresolved support escalations

LOW RISK (1 point each):
  - No QBR in last 6 months
  - Single-threaded relationship (only 1 contact)
  - No usage growth during the term
  - Industry downturn affecting their sector

RISK SCORE:
  0-3: Low risk - standard renewal process
  4-7: Medium risk - enhanced attention, address concerns proactively
  8+: High risk - save plan, executive engagement, daily monitoring
```

---

## 8. Customer Advocacy Program

### Advocacy Ladder

```
LEVEL 1: PRIVATE REFERENCE
  Ask: "Would you be willing to speak with a prospect about your experience?"
  Commitment: 1-2 reference calls per quarter (30 min each)
  When to ask: After first successful QBR (health Green, outcome confirmed)
  Value to them: Early access to new features, executive attention

LEVEL 2: CASE STUDY
  Ask: "Would you be featured in a case study we can share publicly?"
  Commitment: 1-hour interview, review of draft, logo usage approval
  When to ask: After 6+ months with quantified results
  Value to them: Marketing exposure for their team/company, public proof of innovation

LEVEL 3: PUBLIC SPEAKING
  Ask: "Would you present at [event/webinar] about your experience?"
  Commitment: Co-present at event, 30-60 min prep, travel if in-person
  When to ask: After 12+ months, strong relationship, confident speaker
  Value to them: Thought leadership positioning, conference attendance, networking

LEVEL 4: ADVISORY BOARD
  Ask: "Would you join our customer advisory board?"
  Commitment: Quarterly meeting (2 hours), annual in-person summit
  When to ask: Strategic accounts, executive relationships, 18+ months tenure
  Value to them: Direct influence on product roadmap, peer networking with other senior leaders, exclusive access
```

### Advocacy Program Operations

```
RECRUITMENT:
  - CSM nominates based on health score + relationship + willingness signals
  - No automated "would you be a reference?" emails (kills the personal touch)
  - CSM makes the ask personally: "Your story is compelling. Would you be open to..."
  - Prepare the ask: know exactly what you're asking for and what they get

MANAGEMENT:
  - Track advocates in CRM (custom field: advocacy tier, last reference date)
  - Maximum 2 reference calls per advocate per quarter (don't burn out your best customers)
  - Prep advocates before reference calls: "Here's what the prospect cares about"
  - Debrief with advocates after: "How did it go? Any feedback for us?"
  - Annual thank-you: gift, exclusive event, executive dinner

MEASUREMENT:
  - Number of active advocates by tier
  - Reference calls completed per quarter
  - Pipeline influenced by customer references ($)
  - Advocate NPS (are your advocates still happy?)
  - Case study publication rate (interviews → published stories)
  - Impact: win rate on deals with reference calls vs. without
```

---

## 9. CS Team Design and Capacity

### CSM-to-Account Ratios

| ACV Band | Accounts per CSM | Touch Model | CSM Profile |
|----------|-----------------|-------------|-------------|
| $250K+ | 5-15 | High-touch: weekly engagement, named CSM, executive QBRs | Senior CSM, technical depth, executive presence |
| $100-250K | 15-30 | Mid-touch: biweekly, named CSM, quarterly QBRs | Experienced CSM, strong communication |
| $50-100K | 30-60 | Low-touch: monthly check-in, named CSM, semi-annual QBR | CSM with good time management, process discipline |
| <$50K | 60-200+ | Tech-touch: automated, CSM for escalation only | Junior CSM or CS associate, heavily tooling-supported |

### CS Hiring Sequence

| Hire | When | Focus | Profile |
|------|------|-------|---------|
| CSM #1 | First 10 enterprise customers | All customers, build process from scratch | Generalist who can do everything |
| CSM #2-3 | 20-40 customers | Segment by ACV or vertical, begin specializing | Experienced CSMs who can own a book of business |
| CS Manager | 40-60 customers (3+ CSMs) | Team management, process maturity, QBR standardization | Player-coach who manages AND carries some accounts |
| CS Ops / Analyst | 50+ customers | Health scoring automation, reporting, tooling, data | Analytically minded, RevOps-adjacent skillset |
| Implementation / Onboarding Specialist | When onboarding becomes a bottleneck | Dedicated onboarding, free up CSMs for ongoing management | Technical, project management oriented |
| VP CS | 80+ customers, 5+ CS team | Strategy, executive relationships, NRR ownership, board reporting | Executive-level CS leader |

### CSM Competency Model

```
PRODUCT EXPERTISE:
  - Can demo core product workflows
  - Understands technical architecture at a level credible with IT/DevOps buyers
  - Knows product roadmap and can discuss relevantly
  
BUSINESS ACUMEN:
  - Understands customer's industry and business model
  - Can connect product usage to business outcomes
  - Can build and present ROI analysis
  
RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT:
  - Builds trust with technical and executive stakeholders
  - Navigates organizational politics
  - Handles difficult conversations (price increases, feature gaps, churn risk)

EXPANSION SELLING:
  - Identifies expansion signals proactively
  - Conducts expansion conversations naturally (not pushy)
  - Collaborates with AE on larger expansion deals

DATA & PROCESS:
  - Maintains accurate CRM data
  - Uses health scores to prioritize effort
  - Follows onboarding and QBR processes consistently
```

---

## 10. CS Benchmarks and Diagnostics

### CS Performance Benchmarks

| Metric | Good | Great | Best-in-Class |
|--------|------|-------|---------------|
| Gross logo retention | >85% | >90% | >95% |
| Gross revenue retention | >88% | >92% | >97% |
| Net revenue retention | >105% | >115% | >125% |
| Time to value | <90 days | <60 days | <30 days |
| QBR attendance rate (exec) | >70% | >85% | >95% |
| QBR NPS | >40 | >60 | >75 |
| Expansion rate (% accounts expanding) | >20% annually | >30% | >40% |
| Customer NPS | >30 | >50 | >70 |
| Health score % Green | >55% | >65% | >75% |
| Logo churn rate | <10% annual | <7% | <5% |
| Revenue churn rate | <8% annual | <5% | <3% |
| Onboarding completion rate | >85% | >92% | >98% |
| CSM satisfaction (internal) | >3.5/5 | >4/5 | >4.5/5 |
| Reference availability | >20% of customers | >30% | >40% |

### CS Diagnostic Tree

```
SYMPTOM: NRR below target

  CHECK CHURN:
    Gross churn rate above benchmark?
    → YES: Churn is the primary NRR problem
      → Check churn by tenure:
        Early churn (0-6 months): Onboarding problem or ICP misfit
        Mid-tenure churn (6-18 months): Value realization or relationship problem
        Late churn (18+ months): Product stagnation, competitive, or price problem
    → NO: Churn is healthy. Continue to expansion check.

  CHECK CONTRACTION:
    Revenue contraction rate above 3%?
    → YES: Customers are downsizing
      → Single cause or distributed? Check by segment and reason.
      → Common causes: budget cuts, overbuying at initial sale, product gaps
    → NO: Contraction is manageable. Continue to expansion check.

  CHECK EXPANSION:
    Expansion rate below 15%?
    → YES: Not growing within accounts - this is the NRR bottleneck
      → Is expansion being pursued? Check expansion conversation rate.
      → If conversations happening but not converting: value prop or pricing issue
      → If conversations NOT happening: CSM capability or process gap
    → NO: Expansion is happening but not enough to offset churn + contraction
      → Likely need both: reduce churn AND increase expansion

SYMPTOM: Churn is concentrated in specific segment
  → Is that segment a good ICP fit? Maybe stop selling to them.
  → Is onboarding different for that segment? Maybe it needs segment-specific onboarding.
  → Is there a competitive threat specific to that segment?

SYMPTOM: Health scores aren't predicting outcomes
  → Recalibrate weights against actual churn/expansion data
  → Check data quality (are product usage and engagement feeding accurately?)
  → Check CSM input quality (are they being honest about relationship health?)
```
