London Calling, Customer Success 5.0

Hello, Customer Success Universe!??

This is a special travel edition titled London Calling: Customer Success 5.0. I did a post and I could not fit everything in, so here is what you missed.

Recently, I traveled to London for the Customer Conference, hoping to present my topic: Customer Success 5.0 – The Fab 5 for 2025. Unfortunately, my session wasn’t selected.

But something remarkable happened while I was in London—@Matik highlighted Customer Success 5.0 as one of the Top 5 LinkedIn posts of the week! That post received over 8K impressions, my highest ever. Clearly, this topic resonates with the Customer Success community!

Find the original post in the comments below.

Matik Post

Since I didn’t attend the conference, I decided to share my own Fab 5 for 2025 through the lens of my adventures in London.

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Fab 1: Customer-Led Revenue Growth

1??Adventure 1: Marriott’s Recognition of Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)

For over ten years, I’ve stayed at the London Marriott County Hall, and on this trip, they elevated Customer Lifetime Value Realization to the next level—just like the best Customer Success teams do!

? We were greeted with champagne at check-in ??

? They offered an upsell to a “stay longer” package, including a room with a view of the London Eye.

? A cross-sell added breakfast at Gillray's restaurant to our stay.

? As an Elite customer, they ensured my experience was seamless and personalized.

Special thanks to Justin, Sarah, Jay, Sanda, and the rest of the Marriott County Hall London staff!

?? Takeaway: How to Calculate Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)

CLV is the total revenue a company can expect from a customer over the entire business relationship.

Basic CLV Formula:

?? CLV = Average Revenue Per Customer (ARPC) × Customer Lifetime (years)

Success Plays:

?? Customer Success Qualified Leads (CSQLs) → Upsells → Cross-sells = Expansion Revenue

?? CSQLs have 60-70% conversion rates, compared to just 5-20% for new prospects.

Source: Invesp

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Fab 2: Data Analytics & AI-Driven Personalization

2??Adventure 2: The Borough Market Experience

On our first full day, we took a private tour of Borough Market. Our guide, like the best CSMs, expertly personalized our journey to ensure maximum value:

? A private visit to Southwark Cathedral to see the Shakespeare statue

? Fish & chips for one friend, gluten-free desserts for another

? An impromptu stop at George’s Pub for a Welsh whisky tasting

The result? A memorable, highly tailored experience that ensures we’ll return!

?? Takeaway: Using AI for Personalization

?? AI-driven customer journeys enhance retention and engagement.

?? Recommended AI tools & onboarding best practices:

Resources:

Top AI Tools

Claude

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Fab 3: Elevating the Employee Experience (EX)

3??Adventure 3: The Customer Success Community Happy Hour

On our first night, I hosted a Customer Success happy hour at Dishroom. It was incredible to connect with CS leaders from across London, sharing insights, wine, and a love for all things CS. Many of us had never met in person before, but our shared passion made us feel like old friends.

Shoutout to: Greg Wesson Minna Vaisanen Stefanie Howell (honorary CS) Sophie Essien Emma McRedmond !

?? Takeaway: A Strong Employee Experience (EX) Boosts Retention

?? Employees with a positive EX are 68% less likely to leave (Source: SHRM)

?? Success Plays:

?? Optimizing ARR per CSM Resource

?? ARR Per CSM

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Fab 4: Cross-Functional Collaboration for Go-To-Market (GTM) Success

4??Adventure 4: Brick Lane Market – Winning as a Team

At Brick Lane Market, we took a team-based approach—dividing up sections, regrouping to compare finds, and even getting two competitors to partner on a purchase.

This mirrors how cross-functional GTM teams operate:

? Divide & conquer for efficiency

? Collaborate to optimize outcomes

? Leverage partnerships for customer success

?? Takeaway: GTM Team Best Practices

?? Successful teams align Sales, CS, and Marketing to drive customer outcomes.

?? Cross-functional collaboration insights:

?? Link

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Fab 5: Revenue-Centric Metrics for C-Suite Engagement

5??Adventure 5: Elevating the Experience at The Shard

A highlight of our trip was dining (twice!) at Ting at The Shard. Just as this experience took our trip to the next level, CS leaders must elevate their approach to revenue metrics for C-suite buy-in.

In CS, our “fine dining” equivalent is:

?? Expansion strategies that accelerate revenue growth

?? Renewals that drive Net Revenue Retention (NRR)

?? Customer experience enhancements that boost loyalty

?? Takeaway: Calculating Time to Value (TTV) for SaaS Customers

TTV measures how quickly a customer realizes value. Shorter TTV = Higher satisfaction, retention, and expansion.

?? Success Plays:

?? Optimizing Cost to Serve (CTS) for CS teams

?? ARPU per CSM best practices

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Final Thoughts

London was an incredible backdrop for exploring Customer Success 5.0 in action. While my session wasn’t on the official conference agenda, the community’s overwhelming engagement proves that this conversation is just getting started!

Let’s keep the dialogue going—what are your predictions for Customer Success in 2025? ?? - De'Edra