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Stories of Customer Success

STORY 1 — Multi-Year Renewal: Hospitality Powerhouse

Hospitality Industry (Aimbridge) • $500K ARR

Table 1

Table 1

Column 1

Column 2

Column 3

Column 4

$500K

ARR Retained

2-Year

Early Renewal

6 Months

Ahead of Renewal Date

#1 CSM

Most Multi-Year Renewals

⁠

S — SITUATION

$500K ARR hospitality client had been neglected — relationships were frayed and trust was deteriorating

Power user Susan was highly vocal, surfacing every product flaw and amplifying frustration internally

Decision-maker Kymberly was visibly losing patience and confidence in the partnership

Within my first 2 months on the account, it was clear: churn was not hypothetical — it was imminent

T — TASK

Stabilize a $500K account on the verge of churning within a critical 2-month window

Rebuild executive-level trust and re-establish Litmos as a strategic partner — not just a vendor

A — ACTIONS TAKEN

Monthly Global Cadence Meetings

Established a consistent monthly meeting rhythm spanning their EMEA operations — created cross-regional collaboration and surfaced untapped adoption opportunities across geographies

Direct Stakeholder Engagement

Met Susan's criticisms head-on rather than deflecting — addressed concerns in real time through live demos and transparent product dialogue, converting a vocal detractor into an engaged stakeholder

Roadmap Transparency & Strategic Dialogue

Opened honest conversations around the product roadmap, positioning Litmos as a genuine partner in their guest-experience mission — not just a software provider

Relentless Consistency

Showed up with the same energy and preparation every month — the cadence itself rebuilt confidence that the account was being actively managed and invested in

R — RESULTS

$500K ARR retained in full — zero revenue at risk

2-year early renewal closed 6 months ahead of the actual renewal date

Risk eliminated and revenue locked in well before competitive threats could materialize

Earned company-wide recognition: "CSM with the Most Multi-Year Renewals"

• Part of 14-quarter run at 118%–172% NRR attainment at Litmos, outperforming the company baseline by ~25% — multi-year renewals were a core driver

💡 KEY TALKING POINTS

"I inherited an account where the loudest voice in the room was pointing out every flaw. My job was to make her my biggest advocate."

I stress the early renewal timing — 6 months early signals the client chose to commit, not just comply at deadline.

The global EMEA cadence shows I can manage complexity across regions and time zones — an asset for enterprise roles.

Susan's transformation is a powerful story beat: a vocal critic becomes a collaborator when I engage authentically instead of defensively.

The company recognition angle is a strong close: "This wasn't a one-off — it became my signature. Multi-year renewals from accounts others had written off."

• Deploy the NRR number early: "Over 14 quarters I maintained 118%–172% NRR at Litmos, outperforming company baseline by ~25%. This account was part of that story."

STORY 2 — Churn Prevention: Acquisition Threat

Manufacturing Industry • $100K ARR + 3-Year Renewal + $21K Expansion

Table 3

Table 3

Column 1

Column 2

Column 3

Column 4

$100K

ARR Retained

3-Year

Renewal Secured

$21K

Expansion Revenue

3 Months

From Threat to Close

⁠

S — SITUATION

A $100K ARR manufacturing client acquired a rival company already deeply embedded in a competing LMS platform

Overnight, Litmos became the outsider — the client's newly acquired teams were comfortable in the old system and skeptical of switching

Internal momentum was quietly building toward consolidating onto the competitor's platform, threatening full churn of a six-figure account

The challenge was not just retention — it was winning a platform war that started with the other side already holding ground

T — TASK

Prevent churn of a $100K account facing a direct competitive threat from an entrenched rival LMS embedded in the acquired company

Reposition Litmos as the strategic platform of choice for the newly expanded organization — and lock in a long-term commitment

A — ACTIONS TAKEN

Competitive Differentiation Strategy

Leveraged deep knowledge of the competitor landscape to craft a clear, no-nonsense differentiation narrative — Litmos's superior adoption metrics, cleaner compliance reporting for manufacturing workflows, and enterprise-scale value vs. the rival platform

Multi-Channel Campaign Execution

Developed polished comparison documents, tailored email narratives addressing specific pain points, and high-stakes virtual presentations framed as strategic consultations — not vendor pitches

Executive Relationship: Abby

Leaned on the established relationship with Abby, the decisive executive, to ensure messaging was data-driven and aligned to her priorities — she was the key to internal approval

Internal Champion Activation: Matt

Partnered with Matt, the passionate internal advocate, to refine messaging and align on long-term priorities — his behind-the-scenes advocacy was critical to shifting internal sentiment

Strategic Partner Positioning

Consistently framed Litmos not as a vendor but as a long-term strategic partner for the client's post-acquisition growth — a narrative that resonated with both Abby and Matt

R — RESULTS

$100K ARR fully retained — churn threat eliminated within 3 months

Three-year renewal secured — the longest commitment from this account

$21K in expansion revenue layered on top of the base renewal

Near-loss converted into a strengthened, future-proof partnership

• Part of $650K+ in at-risk revenue saved at Litmos through proactive success strategies

💡 KEY TALKING POINTS

"Their acquisition didn't just bring a new team — it brought a rival LMS already embedded in their culture. I had to win a platform war."

The 3-year renewal is my headline — it signals the client didn't just stay, they committed. I frame it as a vote of confidence, not just a contract.

I name Abby and Matt by role archetype: the data-driven executive and the internal champion — these are recognizable stakeholder types every interviewer knows.

The multi-channel campaign shows my strategic creativity: I didn't just make a case, I built a campaign.

Close with the inversion: "We went from being the outsider in their own account to their platform of record for the next three years — plus expansion."

• Anchor with scale: "This was one of many — I protected $650K+ in at-risk ARR at Litmos. I know how to read the signals and act before the window closes."

STORY 3 — Exit Threat to Enthusiastic Advocate

Non-Profit Industry • Cross-Sell & Full Turnaround

Table 4

Table 4

Column 1

Column 2

Column 3

Column 4

$45K

Cross-Sell Closed

9 Months

Exit Threat to Advocate

Glowing Recommendation

Churn

⁠

S — SITUATION

Inherited a neglected non-profit account — the opening meeting opened with: "If we had time to shop, we'd leave Litmos"

Poor adoption, deep frustration, and lost faith had taken hold in a resource-strapped organization with little capacity to self-serve

The client felt unsupported and underserved — neglect and unmet expectations had eroded the relationship entirely

A funding crisis later threatened to eliminate their internal training staffing capacity, adding urgent operational pressure on top of existing dissatisfaction

T — TASK

Rescue an account actively signaling intent to leave — with no budget slack and a client team already emotionally checked out

Transform the relationship from exit threat to genuine advocacy over a 9-month period

A — ACTIONS TAKEN

Radical Humility as the Opening Move

Started with a blank page — asked the client to list every pain point without interruption or defense. This single act of listening visibly shifted the dynamic from adversarial to collaborative

Thorough Gap Analysis & Roadmap Validation

Researched every concern raised — confirmed Litmos met their core needs, and identified that key gaps were already roadmap-bound, giving the team a credible, evidence-based case for staying

Urgent Executive Session

Convened a dedicated executive-level meeting to demonstrate product fit with full transparency — no spin, no oversell — paired with a clear vision for where the platform was heading

Monthly Deep-Dive Engagement Program

Replaced surface-level check-ins with substantive monthly sessions: feature explorations, Litmos University training, bespoke tutorial videos, and tailored documentation built around their specific workflows

Creative Cross-Sell to Solve a Funding Crisis

When funding evaporated and threatened internal staffing, pivoted to position Managed Admin Professional Services as a direct replacement for a part-time hire — delivering $45K in cross-sell value while solving their real operational gap

Goal-Oriented QBR Close

Structured a QBR that documented progress, surfaced wins, and gave leadership a clear view of value delivered — the VP and Head of Learning expressed genuine delight; one gifted a glowing LinkedIn recommendation

R — RESULTS

$45K Managed Admin cross-sell closed — solved a real staffing gap while expanding ARR

Account transformed from active exit threat to enthusiastic advocate in 9 months

VP and Head of Learning publicly praised the turnaround — one provided a LinkedIn recommendation

Proved that proactive creativity can resurrect even the most at-risk, resource-constrained relationships

• Contributed to $650K+ in at-risk revenue saved at Litmos — and $250K+ saved at ClickDimensions using the same proactive, relationship-first methodology

💡 KEY TALKING POINTS

Open with the exact quote: "If we had time to shop, we'd leave Litmos" — it's arresting and sets the stakes immediately.

The humility move (asking them to list every pain point) is my differentiator: most CSMs show up with a deck; I showed up with a notepad.

The cross-sell pivot is the creative highlight — I didn't just retain the account, I spotted an internal crisis and solved it with my product.

The LinkedIn recommendation is rare, concrete social proof — mention it naturally: "The Head of Learning reached out afterward with a LinkedIn recommendation."

Close with: "Nine months earlier they were planning to leave. They ended up being some of our most vocal champions."

STORY 4 — Cross-Functional Rescue: Silent Account

EdTech & Higher Education • Prevented Churn Through Collaboration

Table 5

Table 5

Column 1

Column 2

Column 3

Column 4

2 Months

Radio Silence Broken

100%

ARR Retained (Flat Renewal)

Churn

4 Teams

Mobilized Internally

⁠

S — SITUATION

EdTech enterprise client had gone completely silent for 2 months — emails unanswered, outreach ignored

Adoption had flatlined, and renewal conversations had quietly shifted to churn warnings internally

A candid phone call finally broke through — and revealed the full picture: sales promises had been overhyped and left unfulfilled at implementation

A rocky onboarding had damaged confidence, and a backlog of unresolved support tickets was creating daily frustration for the client's team

T — TASK

Re-establish contact, surface the root causes of disengagement, and prevent churn on an account that had effectively checked out

Restore trust through cross-functional action — not just words — and secure renewal despite a deeply damaged relationship

A — ACTIONS TAKEN

Broke Through the Silence Directly

Picked up the phone when emails failed — initiated a candid, judgment-free conversation that surfaced root issues the client had stopped trying to communicate through normal channels

AE Partnership: Expectation Reset

Partnered shoulder-to-shoulder with the Account Executive to co-deliver a structured expectation reset — acknowledged what had been overpromised and reframed what success could realistically look like going forward

Product Roadmap Alignment

Worked with the Product team to spotlight roadmap items that directly addressed the client's specific feature gaps — gave them a credible, evidence-based reason to stay invested in the platform

Personal Support Ticket Escalation

Took personal ownership of outstanding support tickets, escalating directly to ensure rapid resolution — turned a backlog of frustration into visible, tangible proof of responsiveness

Goodwill Gesture: Complimentary Package

Negotiated a thoughtful complimentary package to acknowledge past shortfalls — a small but meaningful gesture that signaled accountability and restored emotional confidence in the partnership

R — RESULTS

Churn prevented — full ARR retained at flat renewal (a win given the depth of damage)

Dormant account re-engaged after 2+ months of total silence

Client relationship rebuilt through cross-functional collaboration across AE, Product, and Support

Demonstrated that persistence, empathy, and internal mobilization can rescue accounts others would write off

• Retention like this contributed to 118%–172% NRR over 14 quarters at Litmos, outperforming company baseline by ~25%

💡 KEY TALKING POINTS

"The account had gone dark for two months. Instead of waiting for a cancellation notice, I picked up the phone."

A flat renewal in this context is a victory — I frame it that way: "Given where we started, keeping this account was the win."

The cross-functional angle is the story's backbone — I name the teams (AE, Product, Support) and describe how I coordinated them, not just that I did.

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