Lihong Hicken’s Post

The secret to turning boring surveys into actionable insights (...it's all about context) Surveys are great for gathering feedback, but without context, they can lead you down the wrong path. A customer might rate your product 2/5, but that doesn't tell the full story. Is it a product issue? Lack of education? Poor marketing? Following up later is tricky because people forget the details. The key is to capture context in real-time, like a conversation. Imagine if your surveys were interactive, with back-and-forth questions that uncovered the "why" behind the rating. That's how you get the juiciest insights to drive real improvement. Micro-surveys with built-in closed loop follow up are a game-changer. They let you dig deeper in the moment, when the context is fresh. No more guessing games or finger-pointing between teams. Just clear, actionable insights straight from the source. Ready to improve your feedback process? Let's chat about how to turn your surveys into engaging conversations that get to the heart of what customers really need. Do you agree conversations are better than one way surveys?

The ONE question that predicts churn 3-6 months in advance (...and turns risks into opportunities) Want to catch customer churn before it happens? We ask clients this: "How are you going to manage the XYZ company relationship in the next 6-12 months?" This indirect question reveals critical insights like: ✅ Champion is leaving the company ✅ Company is going through M&A ✅ Champion is being replaced Knowing this info 3-6 months ahead of time is a game-changer. It gives you a head start to: 1️⃣ Engage the new champion early 2️⃣ Mitigate potential risks 3️⃣ Prevent the dreaded surprise churn The key is to ask proactively. Don't wait for the churn bomb to drop. By identifying risks early, you have plenty of runway to turn things around. What seems like a churn threat can become an opportunity to expand the relationship. But if you don't ask, churn will catch you off guard every time. Don't leave retention to chance. Add this question to your customer journey today. It could be the difference between surprise churn and smooth sailing. Your future self will thank you! Curious how this simple question can predict & prevent churn? Watch this 1min video for the full breakdown:

The truth about survey fatigue (...it's not what you think) People ask me all the time: "Why are our survey response rates so low?" There's a common myth that customers suffer from "survey fatigue" and don't respond because the surveys are too long or frequent. But that's not the real reason. The truth is, customers stop giving feedback when they think you're not going to take action on it. If they feel their feedback is going to a place where dreams die, of course they're not going to engage! To keep response rates high, you MUST have a closed-loop program that: 1. Responds to the customer 2. Lets them know they were heard 3. Takes action to address their needs Without this, your response rates will start around 10% and inevitably decline to the industry average of 1-4%. Don't pollute your customer trust and engagement by failing to close the loop on surveys. If you want to learn how to implement a simple closed-loop process that keeps customers coming back to give feedback... Watch this quick video where I break it all down. By showing customers you're listening AND acting on their feedback, you'll build trust and keep them engaged for the long haul.

How to avoid missing upsell opportunities with your customers (...and stop paying expensive lawyer fees) A couple of weeks ago, I received an email from my Carta AM about an additional service they provided. I clicked on the email and booked a call, only to realize the opportunity had sailed. I had already paid expensive lawyer fees to do the same service. This was the second time in the last three months that Carta reached out to me two weeks after I finished a project. Why does this keep happening? It turns out, Carta relies on internal signals like product usage to identify upsell opportunities. But by the time they reach out, it's always too late. I asked my AM, "Why don't you just ask me what I need?" He said, "I have hundreds of customers. I don't have time to ask everyone." But here's the thing - if Carta sent me a quick message once a month asking what I'm working on, I would happily answer. It would keep them top of mind, so I remember their services before going to an expensive lawyer. It's a win-win. I get the services I need at a better price, and Carta gets the upsell. Don't let perfect timing slip away. Start proactively asking customers what they need. A simple question can unlock big opportunities!

The key to unlocking deep customer insights? AI-powered conversations. I was talking to a friend about how AI can benefit deep understanding of customer feedback. If you ask people "How satisfied are you with XYZ feature?" and get a low rating, the knee-jerk reaction is to blame the product team. But if you dive deep with AI, you might discover the real issue from the customer: "Oh, I just never heard about this feature. Is it included in my plan? How do I use it?" Using Gen AI to chat with customers in real-time can uncover the WHY behind ratings and even surface upsell opportunities. The end result is diagnosing the right reason (like an awareness problem) and taking smarter action. Rather than guessing why something is happening, AI helps us elevate how deep our customer feedback can be. It's the difference between shallow data and transformative insights. By deeply understanding customer conversations, we can make better decisions that drive real results. I think AI will be a game-changer for businesses looking to understand their customers on a whole new level. Imagine the impact of always knowing the right actions to take! What's your experience using AI for customer feedback? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

The secret to driving more revenue through marketing? Stop talking AT your customers and start engaging WITH them. Most marketing campaigns blast irrelevant emails that customers just ignore or delete. Without listening to your customers, you can't: ✅ Understand their needs ✅ Provide better service ✅ Deliver more value ✅ Sell them relevant solutions Conversations and engagement require BOTH talking and listening. When marketers take the time to ask questions and deliver content based on the responses... Customers are much more willing to share their challenges and goals. This opens the door to stronger relationships and revenue growth. But most companies get this wrong: ❌ Sending generic mass emails ❌ Failing to gather customer insights ❌ Missing opportunities to provide relevant solutions If you want to create marketing campaigns that customers actually engage with: 1️⃣ Proactively ask for their input 2️⃣ Listen to their responses 3️⃣ Tailor content to their needs It's a simple shift that yields massive results. Ready to have REAL conversations with your customers? Watch this video to discover the keys to engagement-driven marketing:

Most CS teams miss these 3 questions to uncover hidden upsell opportunities Want to find more expansion revenue in your existing accounts? Listen to your sales team! The key is to identify major events that change a company's needs: 1️⃣ Funding events - New funding rounds often lead to growth initiatives that require more of your product. Stay on top of customer fundraising news. 2️⃣ Key hires - Especially in product, sales, legal or finance roles that relate to your offering. New leaders bring new priorities and bigger budgets. 3️⃣ Audits or big internal changes - Major events shift a company's focus and open up opportunities to provide more value. Proactively monitor for these signals and engage customers to uncover expansion potential. The best upsell questions come straight from your sales reps' discovery calls. Pay attention to how they qualify deals and replicate that at scale across your base. By systematically looking for growth triggers, you'll spot way more opportunities to grow customer relationships. And you'll do it BEFORE your competitors even know those needs exist. I break down exactly how to implement this in your CS organization in this video. Drop a comment if you have any other great upsell discovery questions to share!

Introducing the Chief NRR Officer (...the role that can double your company valuation): Most businesses have a CRO focused on new revenue. But who's accountable for efficiently growing your existing customers? Meet the Chief Net Revenue Retention (NRR) Officer — the cross-functional leader laser-focused on maximizing this critical metric. Here's why you need one: ✅ NRR shows you're growing efficiently and expanding customers. It's the metric investors obsess over in today's environment. ✅ Yet, despite its importance, NRR isn't directly owned by anyone. Multiple execs influence it, meaning no one is accountable. ✅ Studies show increasing NRR by just 3% can DOUBLE your company valuation. You can't afford to let such a lucrative opportunity run by chance. The Chief NRR Officer would be responsible for the entire customer journey across all teams — from expansion to retention. This unified ownership is key to optimizing touchpoints and improving the metric holistically. No more fragmented efforts. One leader driving NRR mastery. If you want to elevate this vital number and unlock exponential value... It's time to appoint a Chief NRR Officer. Who should this strategic role report to? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

The customers who complain are your biggest growth opportunity (...embrace them) Here's why you should LOVE customers who complain: They're invested in you. The fact that customers spend time and energy telling you what you did wrong and what you should do better means they're invested in you. Ignoring you is the highest form of not caring. Complaints mean they want you to improve. Embrace it. Show them you're listening and solving their problems. You'll build deep trust. If you respond with, 'I'm listening. I'm trying to solve your problem,' you close a loop with them. What you are doing is you're building trust with the customers. And here's the kicker: The customers who actually respond negatively to you initially, if you resolve their problems for them, you build trust. You actually have 15% and 20% more likely to sell them more. Complainers are your best upsell opportunities! So next time a customer shares a problem, don't shy away. Engage them. Fix the issue. Strengthen the relationship. They'll thank you with their wallet. Think about the customers who are complaining and spending time complaining and tell you, 'You should do better.' They are your cross-sale and up-sale pipeline. Embrace the hidden gems in customer complaints. Watch this video to learn how: