Beth Thornton Beth Thornton

Why Customer Journey Mapping is Essential for Pre-Revenue SaaS Startups

Customer journey mapping isn’t just a post-launch exercise—it’s a foundational strategy that should begin in the pre-revenue stage. By understanding and optimizing how potential customers engage with your SaaS product, you position your startup for better user adoption, higher retention, and ultimately, sustainable growth. Start early, iterate often, and let the customer journey guide your path to success."

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Beth Thornton Beth Thornton

Why Customer Success Coaching is Essential for Startups Raising Investment

Investors want more than just growth—they want retention. A strong customer success strategy proves your startup can retain and expand its customer base, making it more attractive to investors. Customer Success (CS) coaching helps you improve retention, optimize key metrics, and increase valuation.

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Beth Thornton Beth Thornton

How CSMs Can Use Learning & Development Budgets for Career Growth

Customer Success Managers (CSMs) play a vital role in managing customer relationships, yet many lack ongoing development opportunities. To secure Learning & Development (L&D) support for coaching programs, it's essential to align the coaching with business goals, such as reducing churn or enhancing upsell effectiveness. Highlighting the return on investment (ROI) by comparing program costs to potential revenue impacts can strengthen your case. Gaining support from leadership and peers further bolsters your request. Presenting a clear proposal and demonstrating the coaching's impact on performance metrics can facilitate approval and future L&D investments.

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Beth Thornton Beth Thornton

Why Trust Is the Key to Customer Success

Trust isn’t just built in the tough moments—it’s built before they even happen. Customers want to know their CSM is looking out for them, anticipating risks, and acting before issues arise. Instead of waiting for a customer to flag a problem, say: ‘I noticed a dip in engagement—let’s troubleshoot before it impacts your results.’ This kind of proactive support builds confidence and reinforces that you’re a true partner in their success.

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Beth Thornton Beth Thornton

Scalable Customer Success: Build a Framework for Growth

In today’s competitive business landscape, customer success (CS) is not just a department, it’s a strategic imperative. Companies that prioritize CS don’t just retain customers; they create advocates, drive revenue growth, and ensure long-term scalability. However, achieving this requires more than ad hoc efforts—it demands a well-structured, scalable customer success framework.

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Beth Thornton Beth Thornton

The Startup Advantage: How Fractional Consultants Drive Success

Why Startups Need Fractional Consultants

In the fast-paced world of startups, founders are constantly balancing priorities, managing limited resources, and striving for operational efficiency. As they scale, the need for strong operational leadership becomes evident. However, hiring a full-time operations professional may not always be the best solution. Instead, engaging a fractional consultant can provide the strategic expertise and flexibility startups need without the overhead costs of a full-time hire.

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Beth Thornton Beth Thornton

10 Ways to Improve Customer Retention

This guide outlines effective strategies for small businesses to improve customer retention. It emphasizes the importance of delivering outstanding service, building strong customer connections, and implementing loyalty programs. Key tactics include collecting and acting on feedback, personalizing customer experiences, leveraging social media, and offering value beyond sales. Additionally, it highlights the need for consistent communication, swift issue resolution, and effective email marketing. By focusing on these strategies, businesses can foster customer loyalty, enhance engagement, and drive long-term growth.

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Beth Thornton Beth Thornton

A Practical Guide to Creating SOPs

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are essential for maintaining consistency, efficiency, and clarity in business operations. Whether you're streamlining internal processes or optimizing workflows for clients, having a well-documented SOP saves time, reduces confusion, and enhances productivity. This guide walks you through the step-by-step process of creating effective SOPs, ensuring your team stays aligned and your business runs smoothly.

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Beth Thornton Beth Thornton

Project Management Trends for 2025

As project management continues to evolve, 2025 is shaping up to be a year of AI-driven automation, hybrid work models, and data-centric decision-making. With sustainability, cybersecurity, and soft skills also taking center stage, project managers must adapt to stay competitive. In this blog post, we explore the top project management trends for 2025 and actionable insights to help teams thrive in the ever-changing business landscape.

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