Get CSM

Last week at DCMEX in Mexico City, I led a discussion on LTV and retention with a group of founders.

My wife Karla Stefan Singson is the big stage speaker in our family.

I’m usually just happy when I get to share what I know with a room that actually wants to hear it.

And honestly, it was one of the most energizing conversations I’ve had in a while.

We talked about something most businesses know matters, but rarely build a real system around.

Keeping customers longer & making more money from them.

Here are the 4 principles I shared.

1️⃣ Close the expectation gap

Churn is often planted during the sale.

Not because the product or service is bad.

But because the customer bought one version of the future, and the team is delivering another.

The faster you surface and correct misaligned expectations during onboarding, the longer clients stay.

2️⃣ Obsess over time to first value

The longer it takes a client to feel a real win, the more likely they are to leave.

In the first 30, 60, and 90 days, your team should be focused on one thing.

Getting the client to value as quickly as possible.

3️⃣ Build a North Star Scorecard

Know why your client actually bought.

Document it.

Track it.

Make every future conversation point back to it.

When customers can clearly see progress toward the outcome they care about, trust grows.

And upsell conversations become a lot more natural.

4️⃣ Make feedback a ritual, not a survey

Two questions.

Optional area to share more details.

Quarterly.

Followed up on until complete.

CSAT and NPS are not magic on their own.

But when they are done consistently, they become an early warning system for churn, a source of product insight, and a pipeline for testimonials and referrals.

After the session, multiple founders booked calls with me on the spot.

Their teams are not approaching LTV and retention with this level of structure. And it is costing them.

Thank you Dynamite Circle for giving me the space to share.

This community never disappoints.

—
Alex Booth
GetCSM | Huckleberry Consulting

Got churn?

Most people think churn is a product problem. Or a pricing problem.

It’s usually a support problem.

Building a business is hard, but doing it without the right support system is where things start to break. I’ve been lucky to have a spouse who genuinely has my back. Someone who understands the vision, pushes me when I need it, and supports me when things get messy.

That changes everything.

And the more I think about it, that’s exactly what a great Customer Success Manager does for their clients.

A great CSM isn’t just there to “check in.” They’re in your corner. They help you stay aligned to your goals, work through challenges, and give you the confidence to keep growing.

Without that, things slip. Progress stalls. And eventually, people leave.

That’s true in business, and honestly, it’s true in life too.

The right support system isn’t optional. It’s the reason you retain, grow, and win.

—

Alex Booth
GetCSM | Huckleberry Consulting

(Karla Stefan Singson)

In my humble opinion, someone from outside your business, especially not you the founder, can spot your glaring issues and strengths in your customer journey better than you can.

Not because you’re incapable. Because you’re too close to it.

You know how it’s supposed to work. You know the intent behind every process. Your customers only experience what actually happens.

Some of the best brands in the world use outsiders to pressure test their experience. Ritz Carlton. Apple. McDonalds. Chick fil A. They do it because proximity creates bias and blind spots.

That’s exactly why I built Secret Shopper Customer Journey audits into Huckleberry.

I genuinely love building global CSM teams. But these audits put me back in the Customer Success driver’s seat. I quietly go through the entire journey myself. Sales process, onboarding, support, billing, follow up. No special treatment. Just the real experience.

Within about two weeks, clients get a breakdown of what’s strengthening retention and expansion and what’s quietly costing them revenue, satisfaction, or referrals.

If you’re curious but not ready for a full audit, we created a free mini audit. It’s a short form with carefully curated questions. Within two business days, I send back at least four specific recommendations to improve your customer journey.

Comment “audit” and I’ll send you the free mini audit link directly.

—

Alex Booth
GetCSM | Huckleberry Consulting

Last week, on Thursday, after 30 hours of travel, Karla and I attended a charity gala here in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

The event supported KKIS, Keep Kids In School.
I’ll drop their link in the comments for anyone who wants to learn more.

This year they are sponsoring 145 children.

School supplies.
Food.
And for older students, full college tuition.

We heard directly from the kids.

Their stories.
Their goals.
The challenges they’ve faced just to stay in school.

Many children here simply do not get the opportunity to attend college. Even an inexpensive one.

On behalf of GetCSM and Proximity Outsourcing, we made a donation that will help fund school supplies, food, and college tuition for students.

I want to say something openly.

Karla Stefan Singson and I do not come from wealth.
This donation came from our companies.

Which means it came from the work our teams do.
From our clients.
From the people who trust us (shoutout to our affiliates!).

Business can be more than revenue.
It can create a margin that can be redirected toward impact.

Proud of what we are building. Grateful for the people building it with us.

—

Alex Booth
GetCSM | Huckleberry Consulting

Where are you currently losing money without realizing it?

Not in ads.
Not in new sales.

Inside your existing customers.

It usually shows up quietly:

• Missed renewals
• Payment defaults
• Clients not attending calls
• Clients sitting idle
• Uncaptured referrals
• Clients who should upgrade but don’t

Most businesses track revenue.

Very few track revenue leakage.

I’ve been in Customer Success for 12 years.

The last 3, I’ve owned a staffing and consulting agency working across ecommerce, agencies, SaaS, service businesses, and more.

Different industries.
Same pattern.

The biggest growth opportunity is almost always inside the current customer base.

Not by being salesy.
Not by pushing upgrades.

But by building structure around goals, engagement, accountability, and visibility.

When you fix retention gaps,
improve follow through,
and align customers to measurable outcomes

Revenue grows naturally.

Before you ask how to get more customers,

Ask where you’re quietly losing the ones you already have.

—

Alex Booth
GetCSM | Huckleberry Consulting