How to Identify At-Risk Customers Before They Churn, From OrthoFi's SVP of Customer Success
Most account teams don't lose customers overnight. They lose them slowly, through signals nobody caught in time. Knowing how to identify at-risk customers before they churn is the difference between a controlled loss and a surprise that blindsides the whole business.
On Account Management Secrets, host Alex Raymond talks with Daniel Santiago, Senior Vice President of Customer Success at OrthoFi, about the net revenue retention strategy that took his team from 85% to 108% net revenue retention. Daniel explains the watch list system he built to catch what he calls "green-to-gone" accounts before they slip away.
Daniel walks through how OrthoFi worked to reduce customer churn in the first six months of a relationship, and how his team aims to keep churn forecasts within a plus-or-minus-five-percent tolerance. He also breaks down how quarterly business review best practices changed at OrthoFi, shifting QBRs from tactical fixes to conversations built on real data. Along the way, he unpacks net revenue retention vs gross revenue retention and what that fifteen-point spread reveals about a customer base.
Listen to hear how Daniel built a culture where flagging risk early gets rewarded instead of punished, and what it takes to run a customer success team on outcomes instead of instinct.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Welcome and Daniel Santiago's Path to OrthoFi
06:45 Splitting Customer Success From the Sales Org
11:48 Fixing the First Six Months to Cut Early Churn
18:35 How to Identify At-Risk Customers Before They Churn
21:00 The “Green-to-Gone” Problem and Building Psychological Safety
24:52 Minimizing Forecast Variance for Accurate Renewals
29:01 Turning QBRs Into Real Business Conversations
36:17 What Private Equity Expects From Customer Success
40:00 Net Revenue Retention Targets and Staying Power at OrthoFi
Connect with Daniel Santiago:
/ dsantiago30
Visit the OrthoFi website: https://orthofi.com/
Connect with Alex Raymond:
/ afraymond
Visit the AMplify website: https://amplifyam.com/
Account Management Secrets is the go-to podcast for Account Managers, the unsung heroes driving over 70% of your company’s revenue. Hosted by Alex Raymond, a leader in the field, this podcast delivers weekly insights, strategies, and tools to help you excel in your role. Whether navigating client relationships, preparing for Quarterly Business Reviews, or driving growth, each episode offers actionable advice you can use immediately.
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