Being a great Customer Success Manager demands a skill set that’s equal parts art and science. It’s a highly nuanced relationship-building role that also requires a snappy, analytical mind for data-driven decision-making.
As evidenced by our comprehensive 6dimensional™ Success Model, 6sense takes its commitment to customers very seriously. Our Customer Success Managers guide users through onboarding, measurement, and the fastest paths to results. And they help customers navigate their revenue journeys, prioritize their efforts, and measure their success.
Annie Horigan and Melissa Holtzer are two members of our Customer Success leadership team. They proactively monitor customer performance, unlock new use cases, and orchestrate tailored support and resources.
The duo took different paths to become CSMs, and now leaders, but are thriving in their roles. They spared some time to share their story, tell us what makes 6sense such a unique customer-oriented organization, and how they’ve grown here professionally.
6sense: Tell us about the journey that brought you to 6sense.
Annie: I studied child and adolescent psychology. I found my way into account management and relationship management in tech after realizing I didn’t want to pursue a clinical degree; I really just loved working with people and solving problems. I’ve always worked in client facing roles and made my way into Account Management and Customer Success about 8 years ago. I learned about 6sense through a mutual connection in 2019 and fell in love with the people and the product – both of which are still two primary drivers of what keeps me going and excited here.
Melissa: My background is in sales, specifically in the martech space. I loved the direct impact I could see from my work. I found 6sense through a recruiter and came on initially to our enterprise sales team. I fell in love with using our product as a seller and recognized the impact this could have on how companies think about prospecting After about a year, I found an opportunity to join the Customer Success team where I thrived on being able to focus more of my effort on driving transformational change for customers.
What makes the Customer Success team at 6sense so unique?
Melissa: At 6sense, customers enjoy a dedicated CSM who is focused on our customer’s unique business goals. We anchor to their strategic objectives from the start of our journey, which is important for maintaining a partnership throughout the customer lifecycle. Our customers benefit from this continuity, and a structured account team that’s really focused on how the customer defines success.
Annie: The team here is the strongest one I’ve ever been a part of in terms of the caliber of CSMs that we hire, develop, and promote. Our CSMs aren’t just amazing people who are willing to drop anything to help a colleague as a friend; they also care a lot about making their customers successful.
How have you been able to grow your career while at 6sense? And what advice do you have for others trying to advance their careers?
Annie: I joined 6sense when we were just about 200 people. [Editor’s note: 6sense now has over 1,100 employees.] At that time, the CS team was very small. I was really energized by the opportunity to work closely with cross-functional counterparts and build out the team. I took my success into my own hands by having a strong first year from a customer retention and expansion perspective — while also seeking mentors across the business and cross functional initiatives to help drive the business forward and create more value for our customers.
Melissa: 6sense has been an incredible place to grow my career – from starting as an enterprise seller, then a CSM, and now leading a team of Enterprise CSMs. My philosophy is that if you’re seeking a promotion or new role, start taking on those responsibilities today, start showing up as that leader, and the rest will follow.
What excites you most about the journey ahead for both 6sense and your personal trajectory?
Melissa: When I think about how 6sense is now ingrained in a customer’s entire revenue creation process, I’m excited because it’s almost hard to imagine what the future holds knowing we’ve had such exponential growth. With the power of GenAI unlocking even more scalability for customers, I’m excited to help customers leverage this technology to drive next-level change.
Annie: I am so excited about the newer talent that’s come in and provided fresh perspectives. It’s going to help us scale out in a more data-driven way. I love the investments that we’ve made in talent over the last year — I truly believe that they are going to get us to the next level of maturity.
I’m personally excited about the growth that I’ve experienced in the last year or so as a manager. I really see every challenge as an opportunity, so I’m just excited to continue to grow here and for more opportunities ahead.
We’ve talked a lot about your work life; let’s get personal. What are you doing outside of the workplace that keeps you motivated and fresh?
Annie: Outside of work you can find me OUTSIDE (or doing anything but sitting still). Typically spend most of my spare time in the mountains or by the ocean. I live outside Boston, and I soak up the goodness that New England has to offer. I’m a big fan of staying active to maintain a healthy mindset and body (I’m actually a certified yoga instructor!), so I spend a fair amount of time running and at the gym, as well.
Melissa: Most of the time you can find me running around San Diego trying to keep up with my toddler who is 1.5 years old. We enjoy spending time in the backyard either working on our little garden or refilling one of the many bird feeders I have accumulated.
Join the Team
Interested in working for such a successful and results-oriented customer success team? We’re always looking for the next CS superstar!
