Why Your CSMs Need a Coach, Even When Budgets are Tight

By Kristen Hayer

When budgets tighten, coaching is often one of the first investments to go. Next to headcount and software, it can look like a nice-to-have, and its value doesn't show up on a dashboard. I understand the instinct, but I think it leads companies to cut the thing that would help them most. Leaders who ask whether they can afford coaching rarely ask what they're already paying because their CSMs aren't being coached.

What coaching changes

Most CSMs know what a good customer conversation looks like. What's harder is handling one well when a customer pushes back on price or a champion announces they're leaving the company. A good coach watches how a CSM handles those moments and points out patterns they can't see in themselves, like leaning on filler language when they're nervous or steering away from the renewal conversation because it feels uncomfortable.

Coaching also tells CSMs that their development matters. People who feel invested in tend to be more confident, and they're more likely to stay. The revenue case for coaching is real, but I'd give the people's case equal weight.

Why going it alone falls short

Many leaders assume experience will do the teaching. The problem with learning on the job is that customers become the practice ground, and every fumbled renewal conversation is a lesson paid for with a real relationship. Practicing alone doesn't solve this either. Self-assessment is unreliable, and without someone watching, repetition tends to reinforce whatever habits a CSM already has, good or bad.

What about AI?

AI tools are useful for practice. They're available at any hour and work well for rehearsing a talk track or warming up before a hard call. Where they fall short is judgment. An AI tool hasn't navigated a renewal where the economic buyer changed halfway through the contract, and it can't weigh what matters most for a particular CSM right now. A coach might watch a practice session and decide the talk track can wait, because the real issue is that the CSM never asks the customer what success looks like for them. AI tools also tend to be agreeable. Encouragement feels good, but a coach who cares whether you improve will tell you what you need to hear.

Run your own numbers

Evaluated as a standalone expense, coaching will almost always look expendable, so I'd suggest comparing it against your own costs instead. Start with the renewals you lost or saw downgraded last year because a conversation didn't go well, perhaps because a risk surfaced too late or a CSM wasn't sure how to respond when a customer questioned the value of the product. Multiply that number by your average annual contract value.

Then look at turnover. For each CSM who left, add up the recruiting costs, the time spent interviewing, and the salary paid while a new hire ramps up, and keep in mind that every departure means a book of business changes hands. Set the total of both figures next to what coaching your team would cost.

Coaching that fits different needs and budgets

Traditional one-on-one coaching remains one of the best investments you can make for leaders and CSMs working through bigger challenges like career growth or a difficult strategic account. We offer it, and I recommend it. CSM Edge is a more affordable way to build everyday skills across a whole team. A CSM records a practice customer engagement on their own schedule, and one of our coaches reviews it and gives targeted feedback.

Whitney Littlewood on our team recently used CSM Edge with one of her client teams, and what she learned went well beyond skill building. The recordings made it clear that two people weren't a good fit for their roles, and they transitioned out of customer success. The same process surfaced a CSM with strong leadership ability, who was later promoted into a new role on the team. The CSMs themselves said the most valuable part was getting to practice before walking into a customer conversation with real stakes.

Many teams use both formats, and CSM Edge can also be a practical first step for companies that haven't invested in coaching before.

Coaching is an investment in people

When CSMs get honest feedback and a safe place to practice, the business results tend to follow. The companies that treat coaching as a perk are usually the ones most likely to cut it, and they often pay for that decision in lost renewals and lost people.

The Success League is a customer success training and consulting firm that offers CSM Edge, a coaching brand-new experience focused on helping CSMs become who leaders trust with their most strategic customers. For more information, click here.

Kristen Hayer - Kristen Hayer is the Founder & CEO of The Success League, a global, customer-focused consulting and training firm. Kristen’s background includes leading award-winning sales, marketing, and customer success teams in early and growth-stage tech companies. She is the host of several podcasts on CS and leadership, and has written over 100 articles on the field of customer success. The book she recently co-authored with 5 other CS thought leaders - The Customer Success Talent Playbook - hit #1 on Amazon in 5 categories. Kristen received her MBA from the University of Washington and splits her time between San Diego and San Felipe, Mexico.