Are your customers quietly planning to churn?

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Hey CS Pro,

Let’s get straight to it. If your onboarding still looks like a bunch of training sessions and feature tours, it’s probably not working. The first 90 days decide whether your customer stays or leaves.

This week’s episode breaks down why most teams get this wrong, and how you can shift to an outcome-first strategy that actually sticks.

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Onboarding is not adoption

Let’s clear something up. Walking your customer through every feature isn’t what drives success.

Most CS teams still treat onboarding like a checklist. A welcome call here, a training webinar there. Then everyone crosses their fingers and hopes for the best. But customers start deciding whether to renew long before your first QBR.

They’re silently asking themselves:

• Was this the right product?

• Is my team actually using it?

• Was this worth the budget?

If those questions don’t get answered quickly, confidence drops. And once confidence is gone, it’s nearly impossible to win it back.

What actually works?

Start by asking this one question:

Then build your entire onboarding and adoption plan around that answer.

The biggest mistakes I see in early adoption

I’ve made all of these myself at one point or another. So if you’re guilty too, you’re not alone.

1️⃣ Too much training, not enough outcomes

Your customer doesn’t care about every button. They care about what results those buttons deliver.

2️⃣ Generic success plans

If your success plan looks the same for every customer, they will notice. And no, it’s not a compliment.

3️⃣ Overpromising before CS even starts

If your sales team promised the moon, onboarding becomes damage control. That’s not the role you want to be playing.

4️⃣ Forgetting the exec sponsor after kickoff

Just because they showed up once doesn’t mean they’re bought in. Execs need to see proof of progress along the way, or they’ll tune out.

5️⃣ Doing too much, too soon

Overwhelming your customer with emails, calls, and to-dos is a fast way to get ghosted.

What to do instead?

Start small. Deliver one meaningful quick win early. Keep execs in the loop with short, focused value updates. Tie everything back to what success means for them, not you.

My 90-Day Adoption Framework

This is the exact playbook I use when I work with RevUP clients and CS teams. It’s simple, actionable, and it works.

Step 1: Co-create a success plan around one clear outcome

Ask what would make this project a win, then build your whole adoption plan around that.

Step 2: Map out a 30-60-90 day plan

• 30 Days: One small win, product basics, initial adoption

• 60 Days: Broader rollout, measurable impact

• 90 Days: Executive check-in, ROI proof point, celebration

Step 3: Track and communicate progress

Don’t just say “your team logged in 300 times.” Say, “your team saved 40 hours this month by using automations.” Translate usage into value.

Step 4: Multi-thread like your AE did

Sales didn’t close the deal by talking to one person. Neither should you. Execs, champions, end users. They all need to be part of the journey.

Step 5: Celebrate small wins

Got a report automated? Share it. Cut a workflow from hours to minutes? Send a note to the sponsor. Those little wins build a case for renewal early on.

That’s it for this week!

Listen Now and Master the First 90 Days

This episode is a must-listen if you’re running onboarding, driving adoption, or trying to fix churn before it starts.

🎧 Listen on your favorite platform:

I hope you enjoyed this week’s newsletter.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact us.

Cheers to your CS success,

Anika

PS: RevUP Academy is now open. Doors close September 17, and this is your last chance to join in 2025. If you’re ready to become a revenue-driving CSM, now’s the time.