How to become a Strategic Customer Success Manager

In this episode of the Customer Success Pro Podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Erika Villarreal, a Strategic Customer Success Manager at Eptura and a Top 25 CS Influencer of 2023. Erika’s story is one of resilience, growth, and leveraging personal branding to advance her career.

She shares her journey from Mexico to becoming a strategic CSM in Dallas, how she has used LinkedIn to elevate her professional presence, and her approach to proactive, data-driven customer success. We also explore success plans, business reviews, and career growth strategies for CS professionals looking to take the next step.

The Power of Personal Branding in CS 

One of the most inspiring aspects of Erika’s journey is how she used personal branding on LinkedIn to accelerate her career.

Key Takeaways on Personal Branding for CS Professionals: 

✅ Share your knowledge – Whether it’s best practices, frameworks, or lessons learned, putting yourself out there builds credibility.

✅ Engage with the community – Commenting, networking, and contributing to discussions help establish you as a thought leader.

✅ Be consistent – Building a strong online presence takes time, but regular posting and engagement pay off.

For CS professionals looking to get noticed for promotions or leadership roles, a strong LinkedIn presence can be a game-changer.

What Makes a Strategic CSM Different? 

Erika and I also dive into the differences between a traditional CSM and a Strategic CSM. While all CS professionals focus on customer relationships, strategic CSMs take a more high-level, proactive approach.

Key Differences of a Strategic CSM: 

📌 Data-driven decision-making – Leveraging customer data to create actionable insights.

📌 Long-term business planning – Helping customers align their goals with product adoption strategies.

📌 Executive-level engagement – Partnering with C-suite stakeholders to drive high-impact initiatives.

The Secret Sauce: Proactive Success Planning 

One of the highlights of our conversation was Erika’s method for staying organized and proactive in her role.

✨ Her top strategies for success: 

✔ Success Plans – Clearly define customer objectives and align them with measurable outcomes.

✔ Business Reviews – Use data to tell a compelling story about the customer’s progress and opportunities.

✔ Time Management Hacks – Prioritize high-value activities to avoid getting overwhelmed.

For CS professionals who struggle with workload management, Erika’s approach is incredibly practical and helps demonstrate value to leadership.

Advancing Your CS Career: Erika’s Insights 

Want to climb the CS career ladder? Erika shares actionable steps for earning a promotion or leadership role.

How to showcase your value and move up in CS: 

🔹 Track and communicate your impact – Document customer success metrics and outcomes.

🔹 Seek mentorship and coaching – Learn from those ahead of you in their careers.

🔹 Speak the language of the business – Show leadership how CS contributes to revenue growth and retention.

She also discusses her eBook, ‘Raising the Bar: How to Excel in Your Enterprise CSM Role,’ which is filled with insights for professionals who want to master strategic customer success.

Listen Now & Level Up Your CS Game 

This episode with Erika Villarreal is packed with career-changing advice for CS professionals looking to enhance their strategic mindset, improve their workflows, and get noticed for leadership roles.

🎧 Listen on your favorite platform: 

🔹 YouTube

🔹 Spotify

🔹 Apple Podcasts

Want to take your CS career to the next level? 

✅ CSM RevUP Academy – My coaching program for ambitious CS professionals.

✅ AI Guidebook for CS – Learn how to use AI for smarter Customer Success strategies.

Connect with Us 

📌 Follow Erika Villarreal: LinkedIn

📌 Follow Anika Zubair: LinkedIn | YouTube | TikTok | Website