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The Strategic Customer Success Manager: A Blueprint for Elevating Your Impact and Advancing Your Career
“You need to be more strategic.” Those dreaded words from your manager leave you frustrated and unsure of what to do next.
But what if you could stop reacting to problems and instead become a trusted strategic partner who commands respect from both your customers and colleagues? Chad Horenfeldt—who has spent over two decades as a customer success manager (CSM) and building out high-performing customer success teams at Eloqua (Oracle), Kustomer (Meta), and other companies—shares a battle-tested approach to elevate your impact and advance your career.
In The Strategic Customer Success Manager, you will
How to quickly build unbreakable trust with customersProven techniques for mastering strategic conversations, using frameworks and insights from leading CS practitioners
Strategies for aligning with cross-functional teams across your organization
Proven methodologies for conducting impactful kickoffs, QBRs, and renewal and expansion conversations
Practical strategies for identifying and handling at-risk accounts and preventing churn
This comprehensive playbook includes ready-to-use templates, actionable exercises, and scripts designed to immediately improve your effectiveness as a CS professional.
Don’t wait for someone else to define what “being strategic” means. Take control of your career today and master the skills that will transform you and your team from ordinary CSMs to strategic advisors who drive measurable, exceptional results. Level up before you’re left out.
Praise for Chad Horenfeldt and The Strategic Customer Success Manager
The CSM of the future isn’t buried in tickets—they’re in the boardroom, speaking the language of value, building trust, and guiding accounts toward outcomes. That’s the vision this book delivers.
If you’re building a CS org or developing your own practice, The Strategic Customer Success Manager is required reading. It’s not just timely—it’s timeless.
— John Gleeson, General Partner at Success Venture Partners, Former VP of Customer Success at Motive
The days of reactive, support-focused CSMs are behind us. Today’s CSMs must be consultative, commercially savvy, and capable of delivering meaningful value. The Strategic Customer Success Manager meets this moment. Chad has written an engaging, practical, and powerful guide that helps CSMs become true business partners ready to thrive in an AI-driven world. Every CS team should have this on their desk, and in their enablement programs.
— Donna Weber, Customer Value Realization Expert, author of Onboarding Matters
With customer expectations evolving at record speed, this book is the essential guide for forward-thinking CSMs. It builds on existing resources and elevates customer success to a strategic discipline.
— Wayne McCulloch, Chief Customer Officer at Alkami Technology, author of The Seven Pillars of Customer Success
Few people have the credibility and depth of experience Chad brings to this book. His journey, insights, and frameworks combine storytelling and strategy in a way that resonates and empowers. This is the CS book we’ve been waiting for.
But what if you could stop reacting to problems and instead become a trusted strategic partner who commands respect from both your customers and colleagues? Chad Horenfeldt—who has spent over two decades as a customer success manager (CSM) and building out high-performing customer success teams at Eloqua (Oracle), Kustomer (Meta), and other companies—shares a battle-tested approach to elevate your impact and advance your career.
In The Strategic Customer Success Manager, you will
How to quickly build unbreakable trust with customersProven techniques for mastering strategic conversations, using frameworks and insights from leading CS practitioners
Strategies for aligning with cross-functional teams across your organization
Proven methodologies for conducting impactful kickoffs, QBRs, and renewal and expansion conversations
Practical strategies for identifying and handling at-risk accounts and preventing churn
This comprehensive playbook includes ready-to-use templates, actionable exercises, and scripts designed to immediately improve your effectiveness as a CS professional.
Don’t wait for someone else to define what “being strategic” means. Take control of your career today and master the skills that will transform you and your team from ordinary CSMs to strategic advisors who drive measurable, exceptional results. Level up before you’re left out.
Praise for Chad Horenfeldt and The Strategic Customer Success Manager
The CSM of the future isn’t buried in tickets—they’re in the boardroom, speaking the language of value, building trust, and guiding accounts toward outcomes. That’s the vision this book delivers.
If you’re building a CS org or developing your own practice, The Strategic Customer Success Manager is required reading. It’s not just timely—it’s timeless.
— John Gleeson, General Partner at Success Venture Partners, Former VP of Customer Success at Motive
The days of reactive, support-focused CSMs are behind us. Today’s CSMs must be consultative, commercially savvy, and capable of delivering meaningful value. The Strategic Customer Success Manager meets this moment. Chad has written an engaging, practical, and powerful guide that helps CSMs become true business partners ready to thrive in an AI-driven world. Every CS team should have this on their desk, and in their enablement programs.
— Donna Weber, Customer Value Realization Expert, author of Onboarding Matters
With customer expectations evolving at record speed, this book is the essential guide for forward-thinking CSMs. It builds on existing resources and elevates customer success to a strategic discipline.
— Wayne McCulloch, Chief Customer Officer at Alkami Technology, author of The Seven Pillars of Customer Success
Few people have the credibility and depth of experience Chad brings to this book. His journey, insights, and frameworks combine storytelling and strategy in a way that resonates and empowers. This is the CS book we’ve been waiting for.
416 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 30, 2025
83 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Chad Horenfeldt
2 books7 followersChad Horenfeldt is a seasoned customer success executive with over two decades of experience in SaaS. Chad held key positions at companies such as Meta (Kustomer), Updater, Bluecore, Influitive, and Oracle (Eloqua), where he honed his expertise in customer success and customer experience strategies. Chad has been part of an IPO while at Eloqua and of two major acquisitions, one by Oracle and a second by Meta.
Beyond his professional endeavors, Chad has received numerous industry awards, including being a 3X Top 25 Customer Success Influencer. He is a recognized thought leader, frequently sharing insights on customer success through various industry publications and speaking engagements. Among his many contributions, Chad authored a section on customer advocacy in the book The Customer Success Professional's Handbook: How to Thrive in One of the World's Fastest Growing Careers-While Driving Growth for Your Company.
Beyond his professional endeavors, Chad has received numerous industry awards, including being a 3X Top 25 Customer Success Influencer. He is a recognized thought leader, frequently sharing insights on customer success through various industry publications and speaking engagements. Among his many contributions, Chad authored a section on customer advocacy in the book The Customer Success Professional's Handbook: How to Thrive in One of the World's Fastest Growing Careers-While Driving Growth for Your Company.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 5, 2025
The biggest insight for me was that Customer Success is not just about being helpful or solving issues — it’s about building trust and delivering value in a way that aligns with your client’s actual business goals. The idea that success equals trust plus value really shifted how I see my role. It’s not enough to make a client “happy”; you have to make them successful — and that’s not the same thing.
"Customer Success = Trust + Value."
This simple formula stuck with me because it reflects a deeper truth: when clients trust you, they listen; when they see value, they stay. Lose either one, and you risk churn.
I plan to be much more intentional about understanding my clients’ business models, their own customers, and their strategic challenges. The 3C framework (Company, Customers, Challenges) feels like a great way to structure that discovery process. It’s easy to fall into the trap of focusing only on product adoption, but this book reminded me that our real job is to help clients achieve their outcomes.
This book is an honest and practical guide for anyone in Customer Success who wants to level up. It’s written from real experience — with stories, lessons learned the hard way, and frameworks that are actually applicable. It’s not theory-heavy or abstract; it’s clear, direct, and surprisingly relatable.
I’d recommend this book to any CSM, account manager, or client-facing professional in B2B who wants to move from reactive support to being a strategic partner. If you’ve ever wondered how to go beyond just “keeping clients happy” and actually contribute to long-term growth — both for your client and your company — this book will resonate deeply.
"Customer Success = Trust + Value."
This simple formula stuck with me because it reflects a deeper truth: when clients trust you, they listen; when they see value, they stay. Lose either one, and you risk churn.
I plan to be much more intentional about understanding my clients’ business models, their own customers, and their strategic challenges. The 3C framework (Company, Customers, Challenges) feels like a great way to structure that discovery process. It’s easy to fall into the trap of focusing only on product adoption, but this book reminded me that our real job is to help clients achieve their outcomes.
This book is an honest and practical guide for anyone in Customer Success who wants to level up. It’s written from real experience — with stories, lessons learned the hard way, and frameworks that are actually applicable. It’s not theory-heavy or abstract; it’s clear, direct, and surprisingly relatable.
I’d recommend this book to any CSM, account manager, or client-facing professional in B2B who wants to move from reactive support to being a strategic partner. If you’ve ever wondered how to go beyond just “keeping clients happy” and actually contribute to long-term growth — both for your client and your company — this book will resonate deeply.
October 30, 2025
A must-read for every CSM who wants to be seen as a true business partner.
This is the book I wish I had earlier in my Customer Success career. Chad Horenfeldt doesn’t just describe what a strategic CSM should be—he gives you the frameworks, real-life stories, and practical tools to become one. His approach makes the transition from reactive support to strategic partnership feel not only achievable but empowering.
What stood out most was how actionable everything is. At the end of each chapter, you're invited to visit his website and download free templates and exercises. It's not just theory—it's doable, and you feel guided every step of the way.
I also appreciated how Chad shares personal, relatable experiences that make it easy to connect with the situations he describes. One of my favorite parts? He equips you with powerful, sometimes uncomfortable, questions to help uncover the deeper truths behind your clients' challenges—something many of us hesitate to dig into.
One quote that really stuck with me:
“Being a strategic customer success manager is all about focusing on your client’s business, not just your product… aligning with their business goals rather than solely prioritizing product adoption.”
It’s a timely reminder that we often lose sight of the bigger picture—and that true success comes from aligning with our customer’s why, not just driving product usage.
Alternatively, I also loved this perspective: “Imagining your customers as heroes in their own stories will force you to concentrate on learning more about their quests before you jump into solving their problems.” What a powerful mindset shift!
Whether you're just starting out or looking to elevate your impact, this book is a game-changer. It's insightful, practical, and most of all—human. A must-read for every CSM who wants to be seen as a true business partner.
This is the book I wish I had earlier in my Customer Success career. Chad Horenfeldt doesn’t just describe what a strategic CSM should be—he gives you the frameworks, real-life stories, and practical tools to become one. His approach makes the transition from reactive support to strategic partnership feel not only achievable but empowering.
What stood out most was how actionable everything is. At the end of each chapter, you're invited to visit his website and download free templates and exercises. It's not just theory—it's doable, and you feel guided every step of the way.
I also appreciated how Chad shares personal, relatable experiences that make it easy to connect with the situations he describes. One of my favorite parts? He equips you with powerful, sometimes uncomfortable, questions to help uncover the deeper truths behind your clients' challenges—something many of us hesitate to dig into.
One quote that really stuck with me:
“Being a strategic customer success manager is all about focusing on your client’s business, not just your product… aligning with their business goals rather than solely prioritizing product adoption.”
It’s a timely reminder that we often lose sight of the bigger picture—and that true success comes from aligning with our customer’s why, not just driving product usage.
Alternatively, I also loved this perspective: “Imagining your customers as heroes in their own stories will force you to concentrate on learning more about their quests before you jump into solving their problems.” What a powerful mindset shift!
Whether you're just starting out or looking to elevate your impact, this book is a game-changer. It's insightful, practical, and most of all—human. A must-read for every CSM who wants to be seen as a true business partner.
July 11, 2025
Having just finished "The Strategic Customer Success Management" by Chad Horenfeldt, I'm genuinely impressed by how it transforms conventional wisdom about customer success. This isn't just another business book - it's a masterclass in elevating customer success from a reactive support function to a strategic cornerstone of business growth.
What struck me most was Horenfeldt's practical approach to building meaningful customer relationships. Unlike many authors who get lost in theoretical frameworks, he offers tangible strategies that I could picture implementing immediately in my own work. His section on transforming customer feedback into actionable insights particularly resonated with me.
The book shines when discussing the evolution from tactical support to strategic partnership. Horenfeldt illustrates this journey through compelling real-world examples that feel refreshingly authentic rather than cherry-picked success stories. I found myself nodding along, recognizing scenarios from my own career path.
I especially valued the career advancement roadmap he outlined. Too often, customer success professionals hit a ceiling, but Horenfeldt maps out clear pathways for growth that I hadn't previously considered. His insights on demonstrating business impact to executive stakeholders contain wisdom I wish I'd had years ago.
For anyone looking to transform their customer success approach from merely "keeping customers happy" to driving measurable business value, this book is an invaluable resource. It's earned a permanent spot on my desk, not my bookshelf - I've already referenced it three times this week alone.
What struck me most was Horenfeldt's practical approach to building meaningful customer relationships. Unlike many authors who get lost in theoretical frameworks, he offers tangible strategies that I could picture implementing immediately in my own work. His section on transforming customer feedback into actionable insights particularly resonated with me.
The book shines when discussing the evolution from tactical support to strategic partnership. Horenfeldt illustrates this journey through compelling real-world examples that feel refreshingly authentic rather than cherry-picked success stories. I found myself nodding along, recognizing scenarios from my own career path.
I especially valued the career advancement roadmap he outlined. Too often, customer success professionals hit a ceiling, but Horenfeldt maps out clear pathways for growth that I hadn't previously considered. His insights on demonstrating business impact to executive stakeholders contain wisdom I wish I'd had years ago.
For anyone looking to transform their customer success approach from merely "keeping customers happy" to driving measurable business value, this book is an invaluable resource. It's earned a permanent spot on my desk, not my bookshelf - I've already referenced it three times this week alone.
December 17, 2025
The Strategic Customer Success Manager is a practical and highly actionable guide for anyone working in Customer Success or looking to grow into a more strategic role. What I appreciated most about this book is that it goes beyond theory — it clearly explains how to think strategically while still providing concrete frameworks, examples, and real-world applications.
Chad Horenfeldt does an excellent job of breaking down what it truly means to be a strategic partner to customers, not just a reactive support function. The focus on aligning customer outcomes with business value, stakeholder management, and long-term success planning was especially helpful. The content feels very relevant to modern Customer Success roles and applicable across industries.
This book helped me better understand how to elevate my impact, communicate value more effectively, and approach my role with a more intentional, strategic mindset. Whether you are an individual contributor, aspiring leader, or experienced CSM looking to refine your approach, this is a valuable resource.
Highly recommended for anyone serious about advancing their career in Customer Success.
July 14, 2025
Chad Horenfeldt goes beyond merely listing the principles and approaches of strategic customer success, but goes into detail about how to evolve from a reactive Customer Success Manager to a Strategic partner. Becoming strategic goes far beyond being a product expert. You must also become an expert in your customers' business. The Strategic Customer Success Manager is an eye opener that enables CSMs to become aware of how influential their role can be in any organization. With inspiring references and stories weaved throughout the book, it's a must read for anyone that wants to evolve out of the old ways of CS.
November 6, 2025
A must read for anyone in Customer Success. His insights and strategy are shared simply, clearly, with actionable steps.
July 15, 2025
This is a terrific book. As a new CSM, I found lots of tips and sound advice throughout. I will be doing my job more strategically as a result of reading this book.
July 2, 2025
I had some real PTSD reading Chad's story about the client-friend who began ghosting and being evasive about the upcoming renewal. (Chapter 17). We've all been there. Our spidey-senses are tingling and our CSuite is asking for constant updates. The Strategic-minded CSM has the determination and grit to lean into the discomfort, ask the tough questions that get to the core of the issues and save the account.
This book offers the blueprint for the right questions to address the customer's core business hurdles, to align with business outcomes and to create action plans that produce results. It was a great prompt for me and my team to revisit the questions we're asking our customers and uplevel our client discovery.
This book offers the blueprint for the right questions to address the customer's core business hurdles, to align with business outcomes and to create action plans that produce results. It was a great prompt for me and my team to revisit the questions we're asking our customers and uplevel our client discovery.
July 1, 2025
I've been told a few times in my career to be more strategic without any actionable guidance as to how to make that happen. This book helps close that gap, providing an actionable pathway to go from reactive to proactive as a CSM, regardless of tenure. The examples and frameworks presented were clearly laid out, making it easy to understand how I could start implementing now. I especially appreciated the inclusion of emotion recognition and reflective listening and how that helps to build the relationship with your customer. I'd recommend this book for it's practical approach to leveling up as a CSM.
July 2, 2025
As someone who has been in CS for 15+ years, I appreciated the frameworks Chad shared for avoiding the four common identity traps (Firefighter, Waiter, Entertainer, Fixer) that derail strategic relationships with customers. Moving past reactive tasks to becoming a valuable business advisor is a mindset shift every CSM needs to make, and this book offers actionable steps to get there.
The information shared in this book will help you focus on delivering business value rather than surface-level product adoption. Chad provides new ways to uncover risk, urgency, and intent. This book equips you with strategies to drive customer impact and long-term success. I highly recommend reading it!
The information shared in this book will help you focus on delivering business value rather than surface-level product adoption. Chad provides new ways to uncover risk, urgency, and intent. This book equips you with strategies to drive customer impact and long-term success. I highly recommend reading it!
July 2, 2025
For years, many have unironically defined the CSM role more by what it isn’t: “CSMs are not white-glove support… they’re not account management… they’re not product marketing…” Chad Horenfeldt finally articulates the true mandate of this complex and high-impact role, and he does so with clarity, empathy, and hard-earned wisdom. His memorable stories and practical frameworks will elevate any CSM lucky enough to pick up this book, and I’d recommend it just as strongly to leaders across surrounding GTM teams.
July 1, 2025
Chad distils years of hands-on Customer Success expertise into a clear blueprint for becoming a Strategic CSM - one your customers and executive team will immediately notice. He provides detailed frameworks and checklists of actionable steps to elevate your CS game at any career stage. Any Customer Success professional serious about career growth, or eager to understand the role of a Strategic CSM, should carve out time to read this book.
July 4, 2025
This is exactly the book that I needed to elevate my career. From the very beginning, I felt like Chad was "living inside my head" as he was describing how CS professionals have evolved. Thanks for pulling this together. I know it will serve many of us CSMs very well!
July 1, 2025
As a manager of a Customer Success team, Chad’s book had me literally clapping and saying out loud, ‘Yes, yes,1000%!’ It offers tangible, actionable advice to help CSMs evolve from typical to truly strategic. Anyone who reads this will walk away with a powerful mindset shift, one that redefines how they show up as trusted partners to their clients while driving their own success. This book should be handed to every new CSM on their first day.
September 17, 2025
The Strategic Customer Success Manager by Chad Horenfeldt is a practical and inspiring guide for anyone working in Customer Success who wants to go beyond reactive problem-solving and become a true strategic partner. Horenfeldt combines years of hands-on experience with a clear, actionable framework that helps CSMs elevate their impact. The book is well-structured and easy to follow, with real-world examples that make the advice immediately applicable. Whether you’re new to Customer Success or an experienced CSM looking to advance your career, this book shows you exactly how to add value for your customers and your company.
What makes this book stand out is its focus on both personal and professional growth. Horenfeldt doesn’t just talk about processes and metrics; he emphasizes the mindset shift needed to step into a strategic role. His insights on building internal influence, becoming a trusted advisor, and measuring success go beyond theory and give readers a blueprint they can put into practice right away. This is an essential read for anyone serious about driving customer outcomes, building a long-term career in CS, and positioning themselves as indispensable to their organization.
What makes this book stand out is its focus on both personal and professional growth. Horenfeldt doesn’t just talk about processes and metrics; he emphasizes the mindset shift needed to step into a strategic role. His insights on building internal influence, becoming a trusted advisor, and measuring success go beyond theory and give readers a blueprint they can put into practice right away. This is an essential read for anyone serious about driving customer outcomes, building a long-term career in CS, and positioning themselves as indispensable to their organization.
July 16, 2025
As a CSM early in my career, there is nothing that infuriated me more than being told to be “more strategic”. I had no idea what it meant and I had to figure it out myself. Years later as a leader, I vowed to never ask my CSMs to be “more strategic” and instead always point out the specific behaviours and situations that they could lean into to become strategic in their their jobs. My challenge was that there was no single unified resource that I could point them to to help them further their research and figure out a way forward for themselves.
Well, that resource is finally here! If you’ve always wondered what it means in practical terms to be a strategic CSM this book is for you. Pick it up to understand how you can behave with your customers, your company, and yourself to elevate your CS game to the strategic level.
January 9, 2026
Definitely a must-read if you’re aiming to take your Customer Success game to the next level.
What I appreciated most is that it’s written for practitioners, not just CS leaders, and it’s packed with examples and exercises that actually help you apply the concepts.
I’m about 2 years into my CS journey and was looking for a resource that would help me level up fast, in a way that matches what the role looks like today. I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to get sharper on demonstrating business value, navigating the day-to-day CS chaos, and building the habits of a truly world-class CSM.
What I appreciated most is that it’s written for practitioners, not just CS leaders, and it’s packed with examples and exercises that actually help you apply the concepts.
I’m about 2 years into my CS journey and was looking for a resource that would help me level up fast, in a way that matches what the role looks like today. I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to get sharper on demonstrating business value, navigating the day-to-day CS chaos, and building the habits of a truly world-class CSM.
December 15, 2025
I had the privilege of reading this book during pre-sale, and simply put, it’s one of the most practical Customer Success handbooks I’ve encountered.
No fluff, no theory-for-the-sake-of-theory — just clear frameworks and real-world guidance that genuinely resonated with my day-to-day work as a CSM. A resource I’d confidently recommend to any CS professional looking to operate more strategically.
No fluff, no theory-for-the-sake-of-theory — just clear frameworks and real-world guidance that genuinely resonated with my day-to-day work as a CSM. A resource I’d confidently recommend to any CS professional looking to operate more strategically.
December 15, 2025
This is a must-read for anyone working in B2B SaaS Customer Success. As a leader in the space, I will suggest this to all CSMs, and leaders I work with moving forward. It has fantastic frameworks, great stories, good anecdotes and real live examples anyone can learn from. I've met Chad and crossed paths with him in a few ways over the years and he's great. Read the book, learn from it, and engage with his content, you'll learn really relevant ways to uplevel yourself and your career.
January 21, 2026
I’ve been in customer success for a while and wasn’t expecting to find new ideas. However, this book made me pause and rethink how I handle things like renewals and exec conversations. It’s practical and easy to apply. Worth a read at any stage of a CS career.
December 28, 2025
Quite okay reading for CSM-s.
Got many new ideas to use.
Some parts of the book seemed like material from other books - how to be efficient etc.
Got many new ideas to use.
Some parts of the book seemed like material from other books - how to be efficient etc.
January 5, 2026
I really enjoyed how this balances great strategies and clear tactics.
December 30, 2025
I have somewhat of a bias here but posting a review to share my Kindle book highlights. I hope you enjoy the read.
July 2, 2025
This book is such a great resource for customer focused teams with great tools and resources. The questions in each chapter and ending chapter summary are great to reinforce the concepts shared in this chapter - as are Chad's personal examples. There is a growing focus on Customer Success and this book helps ensure Customer Success isn't just the current buzz phrase. I'll be sharing this with my team - both up and down the ladder - as a resource to use to ensure we are distinguishing customer support from customer success and taking a strategic focus. I've been highlighting frequently and I can see turning lots of this material into training for my team.
Bottom line: we can be experts in our product, but if we don't know our customers business and the impacts and value our software creates for them we risk becoming stagnant and losing customers at renewal time.
Bottom line: we can be experts in our product, but if we don't know our customers business and the impacts and value our software creates for them we risk becoming stagnant and losing customers at renewal time.
July 4, 2025
The book you never knew you needed in CS, it’s easy to read, full of expert tips and a helpful summary at the end of each chapter to make sure it all sinks in. Anyone wanting to level up in their CS role, CS leaders, those transitioning into the CS world will benefit from reading this.
Through this book I’ve discovered I am actually a strategic minded CSM! I have learned so much and it helped a lot to validate the way I’ve been thinking about Customer Success. How to be a trusted advisor and efficient in the role.
Looking forward to applying all this new information and structure as I start in a new role, feeling confident and prepared.
Through this book I’ve discovered I am actually a strategic minded CSM! I have learned so much and it helped a lot to validate the way I’ve been thinking about Customer Success. How to be a trusted advisor and efficient in the role.
Looking forward to applying all this new information and structure as I start in a new role, feeling confident and prepared.
October 6, 2025
I picked up The Strategic Customer Success Manager looking for a cheat sheet on how to help CSMs move from task managers to strategic partners. This book more than delivered...what I found was a clear, practical playbook for building trust, owning outcomes, and driving growth without burning out.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews