There's a common belief in CS that executive engagement is something you unlock by being senior enough, or by having a big enough account, or by being at the right company. That it's a privilege conferred by circumstance rather than a skill you develop.
This is wrong. And it keeps CSMs stuck in mid-level conversations where they can do good work but can never move the needle commercially.
Executives talk to people who make their problems easier or their opportunities bigger. That's it. That's the only criterion for getting in the room and staying there.
If a CSM is coming to an executive with product updates, usage reports, and escalations, they're not adding executive-level value. They're adding coordinator-level value, and the executive will treat them accordingly — delegating them back down to someone who can "handle the day-to-day."
Executive engagement is about coming in with business-level insight. What is this executive trying to accomplish this quarter? What's blocking them? Where does your product intersect with what they're actually measured on? What would a conversation look like that makes them feel like their time was well spent?
The preparation required for executive engagement is different from the preparation for a regular CS call. You need to understand the business beyond the product. You need to know the executive's priorities, their language, and what a meaningful outcome looks like for them specifically.
You need to come in with a point of view, not a report. Executives don't want to be read data at. They want to be challenged, advised, and given perspective they couldn't get from their own team.
And you need to know when to stop talking. Executive time is expensive. The CSM who shows up with a clear agenda, makes their point quickly, and asks the right one or two questions is the one who gets invited back.
Develop the skill. Get in the room. The commercial impact of a single strong executive relationship vastly exceeds what you can accomplish through every regular touchpoint combined.
Lincoln Murphy formally named and popularized Customer Success starting in 2010 and has spent 15 years connecting it to expansion revenue and commercial outcomes. Read The Premise.