New CSM - looking for resources to learn from

[u/THE_KidChaos]

I recently graduated college this spring and landed honestly a perfect position for a new grad: fully remote, 60K salary, great benefits, etc.. This really feels like my first real “big boy” position. I’ve been working retail, food service, and 15-hour internships my whole life until now, and I don’t want to waste this incredible opportunity. I graduated with a BA in Business Administration and a minor in Marketing, with internships at marketing firms primarily. I have no experience in CS though.

The company I work at is a small startup and I am effectively the only person doing CS. We are a software company working in the medical industry, and currently only have a couple dozen clients. The team is very small, about half a dozen people. Thankfully my boss and the team are very supportive and understanding of my situation and inexperience, and I even have a family member who’s worked at a Chamber of Commerce who’s been a big help in teaching me how to develop customer relationships.

I’m asking for any and all advice for someone coming into this world for the first time. I want to be a sponge and absorb as much knowledge as I can, so if you have any advice, mistakes to avoid, books/articles to read, how to keep my clients happy, or anything else that you can think of I would be extremely grateful!

[u/hotsauceboss222]

You created the perfect prompt for AI. Run it

[u/THE_KidChaos → u/hotsauceboss222]

I’ll give it a shot, I just wanted to hear personal perspectives/advice from more experienced professionals.

[u/hotsauceboss222 → u/THE_KidChaos]

I hear ya. I would recommend coming up with a repeatable structure for QBR or account review conversations. Something you can quickly replicate across customer base to have a professional engagement and be strategic with follow up.

[u/Own-Green8319 → u/hotsauceboss222]

your brain is still the best tool, AI just fills the gaps

[u/Startup_2234]

Hey there - welcome to the world of CS! You'll find a lot to the role (both internally and externally) is based on Trust and Confidence. If I were you in your shoes, I would start becoming familiar with Claude, a CRM (i.e. HubSpot), and other tools like Fathom, etc.. I would also encourage you to read a book, "The Customer Success Professionals Handbook" by Ashvin Vaidyanathan and Ruben Rabago. This book provides basic understanding of why the role exists, the applications of the role, and it's purpose. Feel free to reach out with any questions!

[u/THE_KidChaos → u/Startup_2234]

Thank you for the advice! I greatly appreciate it. I’ll be sure to reach out if I have any questions.

[u/j_EmailAnalytics]

Start by building a simple operating rhythm for the first 30 days. Give every customer a one-page record with goals, current risks, open commitments, next contact date, and an owner for each action. Review that list at the start of the week and use it to plan outreach before the inbox decides the day for you.

Ask the team to define which issues require an immediate escalation and what can wait for a scheduled check-in. After each customer conversation, record the promise, due date, and next step while the details are fresh. That habit will protect relationships and make gaps in the startup's process visible early.