Lauren Turner

#general - July 02, 2025 at 08:40 PM

Sorry, I misspoke. By "back to basics" it was more about taking the conference to the former, more intimate location, fewer "tracks" per se and more Ted-talk like presentations, networking and group discussions. The agenda is still being worked on, so I don't know yet if there's anything specific to references, but I'll let you know when I find out! Alternately, feel free to reach out to Dana Alvarenga at SlapFive directly--she will know more than anyone!

#general - July 01, 2025 at 05:53 PM

This year’s CustomerXCon is going to be focused more on “back to basics”, so it may not be as useful to the team unless there’s a specific reference program track.

#general - June 30, 2025 at 05:10 PM

Hi! 👋

#general - June 20, 2025 at 12:56 AM

Did y’all see HG Insights acquired TrustRadius?

#general - June 18, 2025 at 08:04 PM

Please tell me you didn’t give them an hour of your advice for free!

#general - June 12, 2025 at 08:44 PM

There isn’t really a one size fits all approach here; a lot depends on what your company’s priorities are and what data you have to divide into segments. You could look at things like industry, deal size, tenure, product used, role, engagement, where they are in the customer journey, etc. If you really have no guidelines for what attributes to segment on, you can use chatgpt to analyze the data and have it identify patterns as a starting point.

#general - June 10, 2025 at 03:43 PM

Hey Bay Area folks! I’m going to be in SF and Oakland most of next week—anyone up for a meetup?

#jobs - June 04, 2025 at 04:11 PM

@Jennifer Lyons Have you tried the Tasks menu in ChatGPT? You can set up a daily search based on your parameters and it will email you the results.

#open-share - May 13, 2025 at 07:11 PM

New article about why it's important to let community managers be themselves (rather than a parroted brand rep)

#open-share - May 05, 2025 at 02:49 PM

Fun little post aimed at leadership about addressing the summer customer engagement lull:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/laurenturnermba_marketing-cs-leaders-activity-73251682[…]m=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAABtx5gBj3Qoa9oI9IpiVWBFA7jJe_VT6Kg

#general - May 02, 2025 at 06:17 PM

Hey, I totally get why you want to surface the G2 review request — it’s super important social proof. But one thing to think about is the timing and context. When users log in, they’re usually trying to get something done, so that might not be the best moment to ask them for a favor like this (could come across as pushy, desperate, or at the very least company-centric rather than customer centric)
Also, if you ask too broadly — especially in moments that aren’t emotionally positive — you risk losing impact when you do ask at the right time, like after solving a support issue or getting a great NPS score.
It might work short-term, but for long-term success I’d go with more targeted asks. I know that's not what you asked for, just adding my 2 cents for what it's worth. 🙂

#general - April 14, 2025 at 01:44 PM

It's definitely clunky if you're just dropping stuff in, but I found it to be really good if you're clear on what you want on each slide.

#general - April 12, 2025 at 05:57 PM

Gamma. It’s a game changer for PowerPoint decks!

#jobs - April 11, 2025 at 06:26 PM

Who do I have to kill to get that role? I mean, like, I have my preferred list and everything but I’m open to suggestions 😂

#general - April 03, 2025 at 02:09 PM

Sounds like you may be better off with a content management system that’s compatible with an advocacy program or community, rather than something that does it all, but SlapFive might be worth looking at if you can only get one software product. Just note it’s a back-end solution so you’ll need your own customer interface.

#open-share - March 24, 2025 at 05:33 PM

Count me in!

#general - March 24, 2025 at 04:00 PM

That’s great!

#jobs - March 24, 2025 at 04:00 PM

I also built this bot. Upload (or paste) the JD and your resume, and it will conduct a mock interview for you as well as evaluate and coach your answers
https://chatgpt.com/g/g-pQlTcnMfN-interview-prep-pro

#general - March 22, 2025 at 10:47 PM

<@U08JFFT9Q6A> Do you have someone who can create custom fields? You’ll need them to really connect the dots between advocacy activities and revenue influence.

#general - March 22, 2025 at 10:45 PM

Deeto also has a points system for acts of advocacy.

#general - March 19, 2025 at 02:04 PM

Add me please if I’m not already there

#general - March 14, 2025 at 01:43 PM

What is the core goal of the community? Ticket deflection, advocacy, networking, etc? They all have different core competencies.

#jobs - March 10, 2025 at 01:38 PM

Does the report break it down by level/title?

#general - March 06, 2025 at 10:01 PM

+1 on @Daniel Palay’s suggestion! Donations to a favorite charity in the customer’s name may potentially be accepted, since nothing is being handed to the customer personally.

Though I’d say with what’s going on with DOGE, be sensitive to folks in the public sector right now—they may likely be stressed about their job security. Connect with them as humans first.

#general - March 05, 2025 at 12:32 AM

Unless being a reference specifically comes up in conversation as part of the interview, you’re unlikely to find indicators of the customer’s willingness to be one just doing a keyword search for “reference”. I think your best bet is to either make sure your vendor asks about references/referrals in the interview, or have AI analyze the interview transcript for context clues on the customer’s sentiment.

#jobs - March 03, 2025 at 02:21 PM

Way to go viral! Great job, Mary!

#general - February 24, 2025 at 11:17 PM

Sending you a DM

#general - February 13, 2025 at 02:03 PM

Yes, happy to chat.

#random - February 13, 2025 at 02:12 AM

This snippet of conversation about "Was the Hootsuite owl jealous of the Duolingo owl?" had me on the floor. I'm DEAD.

#discussions - February 12, 2025 at 10:24 PM

@Cara Peterson send me a calendar link and we’ll chat

#discussions - February 12, 2025 at 10:21 PM

Oh, you’ve come to the right place. Happy to talk through this.

#general - February 12, 2025 at 09:09 PM

:stares in “Turner”:

#general - February 11, 2025 at 09:58 PM

Yep, usually late October

#general - February 11, 2025 at 08:36 PM

CustomerXCon, CMA Summit, CMX

#discussions - February 06, 2025 at 10:45 PM

@Amy I currently don’t have a free webinar on customer journey mapping to share, but I’d be happy to explore ways I can support your team in applying these frameworks. Since customer journey mapping is such a foundational element of success, we could discuss tailored workshops or consulting sessions to provide practical insights and strategies specific to your organization.
Let me know if that’s something you’d like to explore!

#discussions - February 06, 2025 at 02:08 PM

Hi @Natalie Gullatt . I have used buyer personas for presale campaigns and customer personas for upsell campaigns (the decision maker IS the customer persona)—it’s pretty pushy to try to upsell someone who hasn’t bought for the first time yet!

#jobs - February 05, 2025 at 09:25 PM

I'd call that more expected than ironic. Most marketing leaders came out of either product or demand gen, and don't really "get" CM (which is why so many JDs are all over the place--they don't really know what they need). The upside is that as the SME, you can tell them what the best practices are!

#cabs - February 05, 2025 at 09:22 PM

What @Jeanne Talbot said. You can make it fun like a photo booth with some cheeky accessories (hats, boas, etc.) and starter cue cards like "What I love most about [company] is..."

"If I didn't have [product], I'd..."
"If you're thinking about buying [product], I'd say..."
etc.

#discussions - February 05, 2025 at 09:15 PM

I don't see it as being particularly new, but it's very helpful to be able to map out the different buyer journeys, especially since those purchasing decisions are now often done by committees spanning several departments, each with their own priorities and pain points.

#jobs - February 05, 2025 at 09:12 PM

@Emily Coleman I'm seeing that too. Just yesterday I saw one that encompassed ownership of product marketing, customer marketing, and lifecycle marketing (and even asked for SEO knowledge) with a title and salary that matched what former company used to pay an entry to mid-level manager in 2019.

#general - January 31, 2025 at 11:45 PM

As your sales team what they think a reasonable percentage would be that needs a reference, and use your best judgment to validate what they say (or use historical precedent as a baseline). You can also give parameters to them like “we should only use references if the deal is worth more than X, or is a marquee brand, new industry/use case, etc” to guide them towards what they think a reasonable percent is. I just came up with 30% as an example number to plug in.

#general - January 31, 2025 at 09:38 PM

This is what I use:
TR=(L×CW×PR)
Where:
• TR = Total reference calls needed per quarter
• L = Number of new leads or opportunities per quarter
• CW = Expected close-won percentage (conversion rate from lead to customer)
• PR = Percentage of deals that require a reference
So, for example:
• L = 100 new opportunities per quarter
• CW = 20% close-won rate (20 deals expected to close)
• PR = 30% of deals need a reference
Calculation:
TR=100×0.20×0.30=6 reference calls needed per quarter

#random - January 31, 2025 at 03:47 PM

Ok, try this Prompt:

You are a marketing expert skilled in writing personalized, high-converting outbound email campaigns. Please write an outbound email that achieves the following objectives:

Objective & Strategy:
a. Goal of the email: (E.g., book a demo, schedule a consultation, download a free guide, sign up for a webinar, purchase a product, etc.)
b. Target audience: Describe the recipient persona, including job title, industry, company size, pain points, and key motivations.
c. Call-to-action (CTA): What specific action do we want the recipient to take? (e.g., “Schedule a meeting,” “Download a report,” “Reply to this email”)
Email Content Requirements:
a. Personalization details:
• Recipient name: (Required? Optional?)
• Company name: (Required? Optional?)
• Mention specific events, achievements, or business challenges relevant to the recipient’s company or industry.
a. Problem statement: Outline the common pain points or challenges the recipient faces that your product or service solves.
b. Value proposition: Explain clearly how your solution helps the recipient achieve their goals or solve their problems. Highlight unique benefits, features, and differentiators.
c. Credibility elements: Include relevant social proof such as:
• Testimonials, case studies, or success stories
• Specific data, statistics, or results from similar clients
• Awards, partnerships, or recognitions
a. Tone of voice:
• Friendly and conversational, but professional
• Adaptable to the industry: (e.g., more formal for finance or legal, more casual for tech startups)

Email Structure:
a. Subject line: A compelling, concise subject line that captures attention. (Max ~50 characters; personalization encouraged)
b. Opening line: A personalized and engaging hook to immediately connect with the recipient (e.g., referencing a recent success or challenge relevant to them).
c. Body content:
• Start with empathy or acknowledgement of their challenges.
• Present the solution and benefits (be concise and compelling).
• Provide a strong reason to act now (urgency, a limited-time offer, or a critical business opportunity).
a. CTA: Clearly state the desired action (e.g., “Click here to book your demo” or “Reply to this email to get started”). Keep it action-oriented and direct.
b. Closing: End with a warm and professional sign-off. Optionally, include a P.S. section to reinforce the CTA or add an extra benefit.
Additional Details:
• Word count preference: (Short and snappy? Detailed and informative?)
• Style preferences: (e.g., bullet points vs. paragraphs, humor vs. straight-to-the-point, etc.)
• Use of links or images: (Yes/No, placement preferences)

Example Input for GPT:

“Create an outbound email campaign for a B2B SaaS company targeting marketing managers at mid-size e-commerce brands. The goal is to schedule a demo for our AI-powered personalization software, which helps increase conversion rates by up to 30%. The email should include references to recent e-commerce trends, use a conversational but professional tone, and feature a testimonial from a client in a similar industry. CTA: ‘Book your free demo today!’”

You can plug in your campaign details, and GPT will generate emails that fit your goals.

#random - January 30, 2025 at 05:28 PM

(Also I have no idea why Merlin looks like James Van Der Beek with a beard)

#random - January 30, 2025 at 05:27 PM

Oh! I built a bot for that: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-KyMtDhZBj-merlin

Just type “start” and it’ll walk you through everything. Ping me if you have questions!

#random - January 29, 2025 at 12:49 AM

@Amanda Peacock I don’t have a database, but I’m a pretty solid prompt engineer. What specifically are you looking for?

#general - January 27, 2025 at 09:23 PM

Have customers write (or submit a video) a brief “why [your company/product] has captured my heart.” Post them all and have customers vote on favorites. Give prizes to the top 3, and a guaranteed donation to the American Heart Foundation if a certain threshold of entries is reached.

#discussions - January 25, 2025 at 06:04 PM

@Aylin Siu

#jobs - January 24, 2025 at 10:49 PM

All of this. Being a functional expert and being a good people manager are different skillsets. Sometimes a company gets lucky with a handful of leaders who are both!

#discussions - January 24, 2025 at 07:07 PM

I have one in my Customer Lifecycle Program playbook. I charge a fee for this (I'm a consultant), but the basic rundown is you put together a detailed customer journey map from both a LAER and a PIMO model (including all your major milestones and touchpoints) and then you layer your KPIs over it.