In this episode, I sit down with Matt Sterenberg, Senior Director of Customer Success at Modern Campus and a 12+ year EdTech leader with experience across customer success, sales, and customer advocacy, to unpack what customer success teams wish every AE understood. We get into how the higher ed ROI debate is changing buying behavior, why “time saved” isn’t a strong value prop unless you can tie it to outcomes, and what it really takes to build trust that turns customers into long-term champions.

We also break down the churn equation: the metrics that actually matter (implementation, time-to-value, usage, sentiment), the hidden risk of “hostage” customers, and the simple pre-close habits that make CS infinitely easier on day one. We close with Matt’s rapid-fire sales advice on why listening is the real superpower, and how a few well-timed questions can save you months of wasted deal cycles.

TOPICS WE COVER

• Why higher ed is more ROI-driven and how that’s changing buying behavior
• Selling value in higher ed: going beyond “time saved” to “to what end?” outcomes
• What creates customer champions, and the fastest ways to lose advocates
• Early warning signs of churn: implementation, time-to-value, usage, sentiment, and champion risk
• The “hostage customer” problem: high usage, low satisfaction
• What AEs should document before close: key stakeholders + pain + success metrics

ABOUT THE GUEST

Matt Sterenberg is the Senior Director of Customer Success at Modern Campus. He’s spent 12+ years in EdTech across customer success, sales, and customer advocacy, including leadership roles at Parchment and Instructure.

LINKS

Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carter-armendarez/
Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.techsaleswithcarter.com/newsletter/
Learn more about Modern Campus: https://moderncampus.com/