
"How's it going?" Why this one question is killing your role as a trusted advisor.
The Customer Success Manager role has exploded in edtech, but it has become largely reactive. We want to be consultative, but we're stuck on a hamster wheel of putting out fires, handling tech support, and answering "how-to" questions. It's time to move beyond button pushing.
This all starts by eliminating the one phrase that kills our agenda: "How's it going?" That simple question invites tension and stifles consultation.
This training is a three-act play designed to get you off that hamster wheel. I'll give you tactical things you can do today (Act 1), scripts for your next client meeting (Act 2), and a long-term strategy (Act 3) to transform your role from reactive support to proactive expert.
This training is for...
- Client Success Managers (CSMs) who are underwater with reactive requests and want to become proactive, strategic partners.
- Account Managers & Onboarding Specialists who need to manage client expectations and drive real adoption.
- CSM Leaders looking for a playbook to help their team scale their impact.
Key frameworks and takeaways
This session provides the tactical blueprint for taking control of your client relationships. You will learn:
- Act 1 (Tactics for Today): How to use a Pomodoro Timer to manage reactive work and the "Ikea Effect" script to get buy-in from your own manager.
- Act 2 (Your Next Meeting): How to use list headlines to drive the bus and control the agenda.
- The "Success Measurables" Script: The most important question and discussion you should be having with every client
- The "Researcher/Advisor" Role: How to use tools like Google Scholar to bring real insights that reframe the conversation.
- Act 3 (The Long-Term Play): How to build repeatable onboarding with mutual expectations and solidify your role as an expert.
Feedback from industry leaders.

John Kline

Allison Duquette

Tamara Bousquet
About your trainer.

