How to Spot Churn Before It Happens (And What to Do About It)

Why Churn Should Never Be a Surprise

If you’ve ever been blindsided by a customer churning and thought, “If only I had known sooner,” you’re not alone—but you’re also not powerless. In this episode of the Customer Success Pro Podcast, Anika Zubair debunks the biggest myths about churn and shares her step-by-step strategy to detect early warning signs, validate true risk, and take fast, effective action to prevent churn before it’s too late.

This episode isn’t just about theory—it’s packed with tactical tips that you can implement immediately. Let’s dive into the highlights.

Myth-Busting: Why Churn Doesn’t “Just Happen”

Let’s start with two big misconceptions:
1. Churn comes out of nowhere.
FALSE. There are always signs—you just need to know where to look.
2. Churn is the CSM’s fault.
Also FALSE. Churn is a company-wide issue. Sales, product, marketing, and CS all share the responsibility of keeping customers happy and successful.

Churn isn’t about blame—it’s about awareness and having a risk identification process in place. Without it, you’re flying blind. And in today’s economic climate, especially in B2B SaaS, where budgets are tightening and renewals are harder to secure, you simply can’t afford to be reactive.

The 5-Step Framework for Catching Churn Early

Anika breaks down her proven 5-step strategy to identify at-risk customers early and build a repeatable process to save them.

1. Define What “At Risk” Means at Your Company

There’s no universal definition of risk—it varies by product, industry, and customer journey.

Start by building a baseline risk profile. Keep it simple:
• Drop in usage or product engagement
• Delayed onboarding milestones
• High support ticket volume
• Lack of executive engagement
• Renewal cycle approaching with low activity

Use this profile to create a risk checklist for your next QBR or portfolio review.

2. Watch for 5 Key Early Warning Signs

These are the top five churn indicators Anika has seen across SaaS companies:
1. Declining product usage – fewer logins, fewer features used.
2. Drop in usage frequency – active users tapering off.
3. Loss of executive engagement – decision makers going quiet or skipping QBRs.
4. Delayed responses or ghosting – repeated reschedules or unresponsiveness.
5. Organizational changes – layoffs, restructuring, or new stakeholders.

Bonus tip: Set up Google Alerts for your customer accounts to stay on top of org changes automatically.

3. Validate the Risk Before Jumping Into Action

Not every signal equals churn. Take a step back and validate:
• Is this behavior out of the norm?
• Has there been a change in leadership?
• Is this usage pattern linked to known product issues?

Sometimes it’s a false alarm—but when in doubt, trust your gut and start a non-confrontational conversation.

4. Build Your Save Playbook

Once you’ve validated a customer is at risk, don’t wait—act fast with a clear, repeatable save playbook. Here’s Anika’s go-to:
1. Escalate internally – align with sales, product, support, and your CS leader.
2. Re-engage the customer – offer a strategic realignment call (with execs).
3. Deliver quick wins – highlight successes and untapped features that drive value.
4. Secure exec alignment – align leadership on both sides around future goals.
5. Reset the relationship – focus on solving problems, not selling.

Remember, it’s not about pushing product—it’s about rebuilding trust and showing how your solution helps them hit their goals.

5. Run Your Own Risk Check Challenge

Anika’s weekly challenge for you:
• Pick 3 accounts in your book of business.
• Run them through your new risk checklist.
• Ask yourself: Have I seen early signals? Do I know what triggers a save play? Am I being reactive or proactive?

You don’t need a fancy CS tool to do this—just your brain, a spreadsheet, and a few smart questions.

Listen Now & Build Your Churn Prevention Strategy

This solo episode with Anika Zubair is a must-listen for CSMs, CS leaders, and anyone looking to strengthen their customer retention playbook and confidently navigate at-risk accounts.

🎧 Listen on your favorite platform:

🔹 YouTube

🔹 Spotify

🔹 Apple Podcasts

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