Johan Nilsson, CEO & Founder of Startdeliver and Founder of Jecta AI, and
Lincoln Murphy, Thought Leader & Growth Architect at Sixteen Ventures and VP of Customer Success at Listkit, are on a mission to redefine what Customer Success looks like at its best.
Every week, live and on video, they bring the conversations that matter most — cutting through the noise to explore the ideas, strategies, and mindset shifts that separate good Customer Success from truly transformational ones.
This is Impact Show.
The Impact Show: Live Pod - The NRR Battle of 2026
Johan Nilsson and Lincoln Murphy explore the implications of AI advancements on SaaS valuations, discussing how easily replicable software impacts investor confidence in an interview.
27 Jun 2024TRANSCRIPT
Variable Comp for CSMs: Motivation or Misstep?
ON TODAY'S EPISODE:
Setting up a variable compensation plan for Customer Success Managers (CSMs) is fraught with challenges. In this week's episode of Impact Weekly, Johan and Lincoln dive deep into the intricacies of variable comp plans. They discuss the potential pitfalls, share effective strategies, and emphasize the irreplaceable role of leadership in motivating CSMs.
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: "What's the best approach for a variable comp plan for a Customer Success Manager?"
TOPICS BEING ADDRESSED:
The challenges and pitfalls of variable compensation plans in Customer Success.
Effective ways to structure incentives for Customer Success Managers.
The importance of leadership and management in motivating and guiding Customer Success teams.
QUOTES:
Johan Nilsson (00:01:22): "Anyone out there who's been trying to set this up knows it is and can be a challenge. And there's many ins and outs to this one."
Lincoln Murphy (00:05:35): "In Customer Success Management, variable comp often means, 'I'm going to pay you 70 percent of your salary, and you better do your job or you're not going to get the other 30 percent.'"
Lincoln Murphy (00:07:1`): "In Customer Success, variable comp is generally positioned as a threat. It only has downside potential."
Johan Nilsson (00:10:42): "I've seen variable comp plans that incentivize CSMs to only work and maybe even push upgrades on customers that aren't ready, while ignoring those who need more attention."
Lincoln Murphy (00:15:12): "You pay them their market rate salary and you can bonus them on other stuff. That's called being a manager. That's called being a leader."
Do you want more of this? Check out Impact Academy for interactive Customer Success training programs. https://www.impactdemy.com/ (https://www.impactdemy.com/)
Do you have a question you want us to answer? Submit it here (https://c4jijwv4io4.typeform.com/to/SiG3vKMv).
12 Jun 2024TRANSCRIPT
Predicting Customer Churn: Essential Metrics and Strategies
Retention training starts June 17, 2024. Learn more and sign-up here:
https://www.impactdemy.com/courses/copy-of-the-retention-program-us-oct-24 (https://www.impactdemy.com/courses/copy-of-the-retention-program-us-oct-24)
ON TODAY'S EPISODE:
Customer churn is a critical issue that can impact a company's growth and stability. In this week’s episode of Impact Weekly, Johan and Lincoln dive into the essential metrics for predicting churn and discuss effective strategies to mitigate it. They share insights on understanding customer behavior, proactive engagement, and how to communicate potential churn risks to management.
THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
"Can you summarize the key indicators for predicting churn in advance?"
TOPICS BEING ADDRESSED:
The importance of understanding key indicators for predicting churn
Strategies for addressing and mitigating lagging churn
Effective communication with management about potential churn issues
QUOTES:
Lincoln Murphy (02:50): "Meaningful usage is the main thing to look at when predicting churn."
Johan Nilsson (04:32): "Stakeholder changes are a massive indicator that churn could be on the horizon."
Lincoln Murphy (06:45): "Proactive engagement with customers can significantly reduce the risk of churn."
Johan Nilsson (09:20): "The iceberg metaphor helps illustrate the hidden risks beneath the surface of current churn rates."
Lincoln Murphy (13:52): "Our daily work in Customer Success is crucial to ensuring long-term customer retention."
Do you want more of this? Check out Impact Academy for interactive Customer Success training programs. https://www.impactdemy.com/ (https://www.impactdemy.com/)
Do you have a question you want us to answer? Submit it here (https://c4jijwv4io4.typeform.com/to/SiG3vKMv).
Inside a recent episode
The Impact Show: Live Pod - The NRR Battle of 2026
Published 19 Feb 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] Yeah. And, and this is where you have to really figure out, like, what value do we provide? If, if, and then this is a, probably a bigger question than like if you're, if you're a CSM, your individual contributor, like this is going to be a much bigger question for your company than just what you need to be thinking about in your, your specific role. But even, you know, even if you're a CS lead, like this is going to be a bigger issue. But it's to think about like, why do we exist in, in the world in the first place? If, if we're just a set of features, and those features can be replicated easily, you know, with a weekend vibe code session, then, then we, we really never had much of a, of a place in the market to begin with. […]
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