Episode
122. 5 Ways Top Performing CSMs Use Champions to Drive Adoption, Expansion & Renewals in Their Accounts
- Published
- May 27, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1784
- Processing state
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- https://www.carlyagar.com/
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Summary
What if the biggest opportunities in your accounts are being left on the table because you are treating champions like power users instead of strategic partners? In this episode, I’m breaking down the five specific ways top performing CSMs use champions to drive adoption, expansion, and renewals without carrying the entire account on their back. I’m sharing the exact plays I used throughout my CS career, why most CSMs are thinking about champions the wrong way, and how to turn your internal advocates into the people opening doors, influencing teams, and helping you protect revenue. You’ll walk away knowing how to sound more strategic, create more momentum in your accounts, and stop feeling like you have to do everything yourself. If you’re ready to become the kind of CSM that companies cannot afford to lose, hit play, and let’s dive in. 1:10 – Why most CSMs aren’t set up to leverage champions (and it’s not your fault) 3:22 – The three must-haves that make someone a true champion, not just a coach 6:47 – Turning your champion into a community builder with a simple Slack channel 10:55 – Upleveling adoption by helping champions create a resource hub or wiki 14:38 – Making your product stickier by baking it into new hire onboarding 16:30 – Driving expansion with champion-led value stories that actually land 21:44 – Teaching champions to talk ROI to crush renewal conversations FREEBIES & RESOURCES: 🛎️ Actively looking for a job in Customer Success or plan to in the near future? Apply for 1:1 Coaching with me HERE 🛎️ Optimize your resume for Customer Success jobs to land consistent interviews with my FREE Training: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/resume 🛎️ Learn how to sell yourself as the best candidate & walk into your next Customer Success job intervi…