Chris Regester

We put customer-centric on the website. It's top-down and it's cultural.

We put customer-centric on the website. It's top-down and it's cultural.

I mean, I think you're hitting on something that's very clearly a thing. I would say at the top on the cultural level, so you're talking about maybe culture is the wrapper and a good way to reflect on it as an organization is like, who are the heroes in your company?

I mean, I think you're hitting on something that's very clearly a thing. I would say at the top on the cultural level, so you're talking about maybe culture is the wrapper and a good way to reflect on it as an organization is like, who are the heroes in your company?

And in most companies I've ever seen, the heroes are either the seller who lands the big deal or it's the engineer who builds whatever it is, the fancy AI integration. But typically, it's either an engineer or it's a sales rep. And that sales rep who closes that deal and rings the bell or whatever they do to celebrate, they're like, oh my God, you did it.

And in most companies I've ever seen, the heroes are either the seller who lands the big deal or it's the engineer who builds whatever it is, the fancy AI integration. But typically, it's either an engineer or it's a sales rep. And that sales rep who closes that deal and rings the bell or whatever they do to celebrate, they're like, oh my God, you did it.

Meanwhile, there's some CSM who's going to have to work that thing every day for so long. And who gets remunerated off that deal? Is it the seller who lands it or is it the CSM who delivers the continuous value? So I think it's a very interesting thing there. And another way of like who are the heroes is what are the stories?

Meanwhile, there's some CSM who's going to have to work that thing every day for so long. And who gets remunerated off that deal? Is it the seller who lands it or is it the CSM who delivers the continuous value? So I think it's a very interesting thing there. And another way of like who are the heroes is what are the stories?

And this is something that we talk to our customers a lot about on the post-sale side is the vast majority of organizations, you know, they'll celebrate their victories in sales in a big way and communicate their releases in a big way. So they're celebrating engineering, they're celebrating sales. But the great stories that happen post-sale, they don't really get celebrated.

And this is something that we talk to our customers a lot about on the post-sale side is the vast majority of organizations, you know, they'll celebrate their victories in sales in a big way and communicate their releases in a big way. So they're celebrating engineering, they're celebrating sales. But the great stories that happen post-sale, they don't really get celebrated.

They don't even get communicated that much. You know, we've got this new customer and we onboarded them in record time. We just renewed our, you know, we really discussed them, blah, blah, blah. You know, whatever it may be, people don't tell those stories and share those stories a little bit.

They don't even get communicated that much. You know, we've got this new customer and we onboarded them in record time. We just renewed our, you know, we really discussed them, blah, blah, blah. You know, whatever it may be, people don't tell those stories and share those stories a little bit.

So it becomes a little bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy that culturally the other areas are more prominent in the business. I think the recruitment path into CS or into post-sale roles was for a long time what you're saying. It's kind of like we used to joke about it like, you know, it's the elephant's graveyard. You know, it's that person that you really like in the company.

So it becomes a little bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy that culturally the other areas are more prominent in the business. I think the recruitment path into CS or into post-sale roles was for a long time what you're saying. It's kind of like we used to joke about it like, you know, it's the elephant's graveyard. You know, it's that person that you really like in the company.

It's like, oh, they're so likable. They're not really great at anything, though. I'll shove them in CS. And I'd say that that's how it was. I don't think that's how it is now. I do think it's changing. And sort of my theory on this and my message to anyone who will be listening to it is that your post-sale team in the organization should be the most aggressive team you have in the organization.

It's like, oh, they're so likable. They're not really great at anything, though. I'll shove them in CS. And I'd say that that's how it was. I don't think that's how it is now. I do think it's changing. And sort of my theory on this and my message to anyone who will be listening to it is that your post-sale team in the organization should be the most aggressive team you have in the organization.

And that's a fairly, you know, for many people, that's a counterintuitive point. You know, sales should be aggressive. But I'm like, no. Post sale needs to be the most aggressive part of the organization because they're the team that needs to say no more than anyone else. So they need to understand they don't work for the customer. They work for the customer's objectives.

And that's a fairly, you know, for many people, that's a counterintuitive point. You know, sales should be aggressive. But I'm like, no. Post sale needs to be the most aggressive part of the organization because they're the team that needs to say no more than anyone else. So they need to understand they don't work for the customer. They work for the customer's objectives.

And so you align on what the objectives are and then like, hey, you want to go up that mountain? Let's go. Get behind me. Let's march up the mountain. We'll go there. And midway, the customer's like, oh, you know what? I want to go over to there. There's a nice picnic. It's going to have a picnic by the river. And you're like, no, we're going up the mountain. That's where we're going.

And so you align on what the objectives are and then like, hey, you want to go up that mountain? Let's go. Get behind me. Let's march up the mountain. We'll go there. And midway, the customer's like, oh, you know what? I want to go over to there. There's a nice picnic. It's going to have a picnic by the river. And you're like, no, we're going up the mountain. That's where we're going.