Emilia D’Anzica

Key takeaways

1. How did you get into customer success?

My career began in a pizzeria at age four, nurturing my passion for customer service. Restaurant work during college honed my people skills, paving the way for my transition to technology. I advocate starting in service to build essential skills, a lesson I share with my daughters and aspiring professionals.


2. What do you enjoy the most in your role?

Understanding the customer journey map clarifies responsibilities for ensuring success. While not all handle tasks directly, adopting a growth mindset and aligning efforts with customer goals is essential for all.


3. What skills do I believe someone excellent in CS should possess?

Effective communication and empathy are crucial skills for Customer Success Managers to understand and address customer needs. Emotional intelligence guides interactions, ensuring timing and external factors are considered for successful engagement.

4. How important do I think CS is for an organization?

In the SaaS revenue model, digital customer success is vital, even for product-led companies like calendar apps. With a shift to digital resources, organizations focus on efficient, non-intrusive support, emphasizing core skills for customer satisfaction and growth.

5. What are your predictions for the direction of CS and CS platforms in 2024, given the increasing prevalence of AI?

Top-tier digital platforms for customer success utilize AI to simplify communication and note-taking, freeing up CSMs to delve into growth insights. AI identifies passionate users, boosting community involvement. It’s astonishing that some firms overlook CSPs, despite their cost efficiency and time-saving advantages. CFOs should understand the transformative impact of CSPs on customer success.

6. What tips do you have for anyone looking to enter CS?

There are numerous free resources available for learning Customer Success, like Women in Revenue forums, Pavilion platform, and Growth Molecules Academy videos.

7. How can individuals seeking a job in CS go about it? Anyrecommended forums/events?

To find customer success job opportunities, join Slack groups like Customer Success Network, study LinkedIn job descriptions, gain customer-facing experience, and prioritize interpersonal skills and empathy.

8. What are some of the key challenges in the field of CS you have faced and what helped you overcome it?

Early in my career, transitioning from a PMP and Scrum Master to client-facing roles in product development posed challenges. Building trust with clients, especially from diverse backgrounds, required active listening and validation of concerns to ensure their success.

9. Who are your mentors or individuals you look up to in CS?

10. Your favourite book?

The Alchemist is written by a Brazilian writer, Paul Coelho.
Siddhartha, was written by a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter

11. Your favourite pastime.

Living in Sonoma County, California, surrounded by wine region and nature, my family and I enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, biking, and spending time with animals, including my daughter’s horse and chickens.

12. Anything else that I like to add?

Expect rejection in your career journey but use it as an opportunity for growth. Embrace feedback, even if negative, and learn from it to progress towards success.

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