Your Customer Data Isn't Actionable Yet: Here's Why

How should Customer Success Managers actually use data?

In this episode, Denny Burda, Chief Customer Officer at River Consultancy Group, to break down a simple framework for turning customer data into insights, conversations, and actions that drive retention and expansion.

Many Customer Success Managers have access to dashboards, metrics, and usage reports but struggle with what to do with the data. Instead of getting lost in spreadsheets or overwhelming QBR slides, Denny explains how CSMs can move from raw data to meaningful customer conversations using a practical appoach:Signals → Insights → Conversation → ActionTogether, we explore the three key phases of working with data in Customer Success:

1. Data AnalysisLearn how to identify meaningful signals in customer data and avoid the classic “garbage in, garbage out” problem.

2. Turning Data Into InsightsData alone doesn’t create impact. Denny explains how to interpret signals to uncover early warnings for churn, identify expansion opportunities, and prioritize the right customers.

3. Data Presentation & StorytellingMany CSMs rely too heavily on dashboards or QBR slides.This framework helps Customer Success Managers turn numbers into strategic conversations that build trust with customers and executives. Listen now to learn how to transform customer data into clear insights, stronger conversations, and better outcomes.