Practical Customer Success Management
Practical Customer Success Management (Practical CSM) is a private UK-based training company that sells the proprietary CCSMP certification program, CSM Essentials, team licensing, and a published framework to individual Customer Success Managers, jobseekers, and enterprise CS teams worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Practical Customer Success Management does
Practical Customer Success Management (Practical CSM) is a privately held Customer Success training and certification company founded around 2019 by Rick Adams, a former SaaS founder with 25+ years in IT who previously built and sold a software business in 2012. The company sells the proprietary 'Practical CSM Framework' methodology through its flagship Certified CSM Professional (CCSMP) program, which spans 10 modules, 4 certification levels, and over 300 hours of CPD resources, delivered as a tiered offering: CCSMP Full (subscription with ongoing CPD), CCSMP Scholar (perpetual license), and CCSMP Basic (entry-level). It complements this with CSM Essentials for jobseekers, CPD All-Access for recertification support, Team Training Solutions for organizational licensing, and a Routledge-published book.
The underlying technology is an online learning management system built on WordPress that delivers interactive course modules, downloadable resources, real-world scenario-based training, certification tracking, and a manager-facing 'Team Leader Tools' reporting layer. The platform supports both self-serve individual purchases and invoiced enterprise team licenses with automatic volume discounts and role-based tier mixing. Five registered trademarks protect the brand assets (Practical CSM, Practical CSM Framework, Practical CSM Academy, CCSMP, CSME).
Revenue is generated across four streams: individual certification subscriptions and one-time licenses, team/corporate volume licensing with recurring elements, CPD All-Access memberships, and book sales through Amazon and book retailers. Go-to-market combines a self-serve PLG website, free membership lead capture, content marketing through blog and YouTube, the founder's LinkedIn Learning course as a top-of-funnel channel, and direct sales to enterprise CS teams. The company operates globally from the UK with no disclosed external institutional investment.
Practical Customer Success Management firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Practical Customer Success Management
- Legal name
- Practical CSM
- Website
- https://practicalcsm.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Practical Customer Success Management (Practical CSM) is a private UK-based training company that sells the proprietary CCSMP certification program, CSM Essentials, team licensing, and a published framework to individual Customer Success Managers, jobseekers, and enterprise CS teams worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Practical Customer Success Management industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Training and Certification
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (611430)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Customer Success (Adoption, Retention & Expansion) (EDABABAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Customer Onboarding, Education & Adoption (CS Enablement) (EDABACAI), Sales, Marketing & Digital Marketing Certifications (EDAAANAF)
Keywords
Where Practical Customer Success Management is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Practical Customer Success Management business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Individual Certification Programs: One-time purchase or subscription-based access to certification courses (CCSMP Full, Scholar, Basic) for individual learners seeking Customer Success professional certification and career advancement.
- Team/Corporate Training Licenses: Volume licensing for organizations with automatic team discounts, mix-and-match Basic/Scholar/Full access by role, and manager reporting capabilities.
- CSM Essentials: Entry-level certification program for jobseekers and career changers with dedicated jobseeker support track.
- CPD All-Access Membership: Ongoing professional development subscription providing continuous access to continuing education resources for certified professionals.
- Book Sales: Sale of 'Practical Customer Success Management: A best practice framework for managers and professionals' published by Routledge, available from Amazon and all other book retailers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | CCSMP Full - Complete certification with ongoing CPD support |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | CCSMP Scholar - Complete training without ongoing CPD |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | CCSMP Basic - Entry-level certification |
| Subscription | Annual | CSM Essentials - Career entry program |
| Subscription | Annual | CPD All-Access - Continuing professional development |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Practical Customer Success Management product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Practical CSM sells structured Customer Success Management training and certification programs delivered through an online learning platform. Its core offerings include the multi-level Certified CSM Professional (CCSMP) certification, the entry-level CSM Essentials program for jobseekers, a CPD All-Access continuing professional development membership, and enterprise team training solutions with manager reporting and volume licensing. All programs are built around the proprietary Practical CSM Framework.
Product overview
Practical CSM offers a unified training and certification platform for Customer Success professionals. The core portfolio centers on the Certified CSM Professional (CCSMP) program with three certification tiers (Full, Scholar, Basic) spanning 10 modules and 4 certification levels, alongside the entry-level CSM Essentials for jobseekers. The Practical CSM Framework serves as the underlying methodology across all programs. Additional offerings include CPD All-Access for continuing professional development, Team Training Solutions for organizational deployments with volume licensing and manager reporting, and a published book. The ecosystem is complemented by free membership with access to learning resources and events.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CCSMP (Certified CSM Professional): Professional certification program for Customer Success Managers with multiple levels and CPD resources.
- CSM Essentials (CSME)
- Practical CSM Framework
- Practical CSM Academy
Products and services
- Certified CSM Professional (CCSMP) Comprehensive certification program for Customer Success professionals with 10 modules and 4 certification levels (Levels 1-4), available as a tiered offering (Full, Scholar, Basic) covering structured training, practical tools, recognized certification, interactive learning, downloadable resources, real-world scenarios, and on-demand access.
- CSM Essentials (CSME) Entry-level foundational training program designed for jobseekers and career changers entering Customer Success, covering CS fundamentals and soft skills such as communication and stakeholder management. Includes a dedicated jobseeker support track and a certificate of completion.
- Team Training Solutions Organizational training program for Customer Success teams featuring role-based licensing, automatic team discounts, mix-and-match Basic/Scholar/Full access, manager reporting via Team Leader Tools, volume pricing, and online purchase or invoice/quote billing options. Targets the 'Scaling Gap' between strategic retention goals and execution capability.
- CPD All-Access Membership Subscription-based continuing professional development membership providing certified professionals with ongoing access to 300+ hours of CPD resources, learning updates, and professional development materials. Often bundled with CCSMP Full.
- Practical CSM Framework Structured, real-world proprietary methodology covering every phase of the customer journey, with downloadable framework guides available for both individual practitioners and team leaders to align CS teams under a shared strategy.
- Practical Customer Success Management Book Published book by Rick Adams titled 'Practical Customer Success Management: A best practice framework for managers and professionals', published by Routledge and available via Amazon and all major book retailers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Helped professional transition from zero to fulfilling career as CSM
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Practical Customer Success Management
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Practical Customer Success Management technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Practical Customer Success Management partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Cisco Systems Inc.coreRick Adams developed and delivered a global certification program on customer success management for Cisco Systems Inc., demonstrating expertise in enterprise-level CS training deployment.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Practical Customer Success Management competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SuccessCOACHING: SuccessCOACHING offers Customer Success coaching, training, and certification programs targeting CS leaders and individual practitioners. It overlaps directly with Practical CSM's audience and certification-led business model.
- CustomerSuccessBox: CustomerSuccessBox is a Customer Success training and certification provider offering courses and community for CS professionals. It directly competes with Practical CSM in the same niche, serving both individual practitioners and corporate CS teams with structured certification programs.
- Relationship Unleashed: Relationship Unleashed, founded by Lincoln Murphy, offers Customer Success consulting, training, and education targeting SaaS companies and CS teams. It competes in the same thought-leadership and training category as Practical CSM.
- CSM Practice: CSM Practice provides Customer Success consultancy, training, and resources for technology companies and CS teams. It is a closely comparable specialist peer in the European CS training and advisory market.
- The Customer Success Academy: The Customer Success Academy provides structured training, coaching, and certification for Customer Success professionals. It is a direct specialist peer competing for the same individual and enterprise training dollars.
Others
- LearnDash: LearnDash is a WordPress-based learning management system used by training providers to deliver online courses. Practical CSM itself runs on WordPress; LearnDash is an enabling infrastructure peer in the same LMS ecosystem.
- Skilljar: Skilljar is a customer education and training platform used by enterprises to deliver external and internal training. It is an enabling technology peer rather than a direct competitor, as Practical CSM operates its own LMS but targets the same organizational training buyer.
Broad incumbents
- ChurnZero: ChurnZero is a Customer Success software platform offering CS education, certification, and community resources. It is a broader incumbent adjacent to Practical CSM, with comparable end users but a software-led revenue model.
- Gainsight: Gainsight is the leading Customer Success software platform and operates Gainsight Education, a certification and training arm for CS professionals. It is a broader incumbent that overlaps with Practical CSM in certification content while competing as a software platform rather than a pure training provider.
- Totango: Totango is a Customer Success software platform that also publishes educational content and community resources for CS practitioners. As a broader incumbent in CS software, it overlaps with Practical CSM on training content while operating a fundamentally different business model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Practical Customer Success Management social profiles
Digital presencePractical Customer Success Management financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Practical Customer Success Management leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Practical Customer Success Management funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Practical Customer Success Management M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Practical Customer Success Management
What does Practical Customer Success Management do?
Practical CSM sells structured Customer Success Management training and certification programs delivered through an online learning platform. Its core offerings include the multi-level Certified CSM Professional (CCSMP) certification, the entry-level CSM Essentials program for jobseekers, a CPD All-Access continuing professional development membership, and enterprise team training solutions with manager reporting and volume licensing. All programs are built around the proprietary Practical CSM Framework.
Is Practical Customer Success Management a public or private company?
Practical Customer Success Management is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Practical Customer Success Management founded?
Practical Customer Success Management was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Practical Customer Success Management based?
Practical Customer Success Management is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Practical Customer Success Management make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Individual Certification Programs are the primary driver. The others are team/Corporate Training Licenses, CSM Essentials, CPD All-Access Membership and book Sales.
Who are Practical Customer Success Management's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SuccessCOACHING, CustomerSuccessBox, Relationship Unleashed, CSM Practice and The Customer Success Academy. Others are LearnDash and Skilljar. Broad incumbents are ChurnZero, Gainsight and Totango.
Does Practical Customer Success Management have an API?
No public API is recorded for Practical Customer Success Management.
What industry is Practical Customer Success Management in?
Practical Customer Success Management's product category is Professional Training and Certification. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDABABAG, Customer Success (Adoption, Retention & Expansion), with a secondary code of EDABACAI, Customer Onboarding, Education & Adoption (CS Enablement). Its NAICS code is 611430 and its SIC code is 8200.