Learn from Churn: 5 Hidden Triggers and How to Respond
Churn isn’t just a loss — it’s a signal.
In a joint webinar “Learn from Churn: Using Churn Intelligence to Improve Your Customer Success Strategy and Operations,” Natasha Narayan (CEO & Co-Founder, IcebergIQ) and Ross Fulton (Founder & CEO, Valuize) explored five root causes of churn revealed through in-depth customer interviews, and shared strategies to convert those insights into actionable improvements.
Here are the five hidden triggers to watch for — and how to turn them into drivers of stronger customer success.
1. Perceived Lack of ROI
A top driver of churn is when customers feel they’re not getting enough value. It’s not always about price — it’s about whether they see and understand the return.
“Honestly, it wasn't just about the cost … It's a powerful tool that I'm paying quite a bit of money for, that we just weren't utilizing.”
— Churned customer in an IcebergIQ interview
What to do:
Build a customer outcome framework at the start of the relationship, Ross advised. This gives your team a shared architecture for defining, measuring, and proving value. When customers can link your product to their business results, loyalty follows.
2. Weak Onboarding and Success Planning
If customers feel unsupported from the start, they’re unlikely to stick around. Poor onboarding creates confusion and slows down time to value.
“I think if our provider would've been more directive, we would've gotten to value much quicker. We wouldn't have wasted so much effort spinning our wheels.”
What to do:
Start with a collaborative success plan that begins pre-sale and transitions smoothly into onboarding. Understand your customer’s strategic goals, recommend target outcomes, and track progress visibly. Frame onboarding around achieving that first meaningful win.
3. High Customer Success Manager (CSM) Turnover
High CSM turnover can disrupt continuity and erode customer confidence. Multiple handoffs increase the risk of disengagement.
“We were passed off to a lot of different reps … As the years went on, we felt like we were an afterthought.”
What to do:
Retention matters, but so does resilience. Make customer context accessible across teams — democratize knowledge and documentation. Ross recommends establishing a cross-functional RACI, so everyone knows who is accountable for what, and also investing in digital touchpoints to maintain consistency across transitions.
4. Changes in Customer Leadership
New decision-makers bring new priorities. If your internal sponsor leaves, your product could be at risk.
“When the new CEO came in, he deemed the product no longer feasible.”
What to do:
Track and nurture executive relationships proactively. Prepare for change with a sponsor tracking system and change management playbooks that help you onboard new leaders quickly — and re-establish your product’s value.
5. Tool Consolidation Pressure
During economic shifts, customers often downsize their tech stack. Your product may be cut even if it performs well.
“We decided we could live with the other tools and live without yours.”
What to do:
Ensure your product is seen as essential. Continuously measure and communicate its unique business impact. Products linked directly to outcomes and efficiencies are more likely to survive consolidation.
Final Takeaway: Churn Is a Chance to Improve
Failing to analyze churn means missing a golden opportunity to learn from it. Every churn story contains signals that, if understood and addressed, can prevent future losses. As Natasha said in the webinar, “The voice of churned customers often tells you what your retained customers aren’t saying — yet.”
Understanding churn is the beginning of smarter customer engagement, stronger operations, and better outcomes. By turning churn intelligence into action, you can retain more customers and build a more resilient business.
Watch the full webinar here.