Talkdesk
Celebrating inspirational Talkdesk women breaking barriers in CX
By Amy Payne
0 min read
As we close our International Women’s Day blog series, we’ve been through the inspiring stories and invaluable insights of women shaping the customer experience (CX) industry. We started with personal advice for growth, then explored AI’s role in leadership, shared the strategies and insights of women in leadership roles, and will finish celebrating the remarkable women at Talkdesk!
Now, we focus on the crucial balance: advocating for customers while achieving business goals. ‘Customer success is business success’—this isn’t just a tagline, but the driving force behind their work, highlighting the balance between advocating for customers and achieving organizational goals.
I can’t think of a better way to close this series than by recognizing the dedication and expertise of the women at Talkdesk, who exemplify the power of a customer-centric approach in driving sustainable success.
"By focusing on building strong, transparent relationships with prospects and customers alike, I have found that creating value for them often translates into achieving business goals, like retention, upsell opportunities and brand loyalty. It has been all about finding the sweet spot where customer success and business success intersect—when you get that right, everyone wins."
Megan Messuri Bligh Enterprise select account executive, Talkdesk
"These things should not be out of sync with one another—and if they are—your business is not destined for success. That said, compromises are a frequent reality. Sometimes it’s about looking three steps ahead to see what better customer outcomes can be enabled by sacrificing instant gratification. Then it’s about communicating openly and honestly with the customers about what the future holds, and ensuring the shared path forward is one of shared value realization."
Crystal Miceli Vice president product & industry marketing, Talkdesk
"Balancing customer advocacy with business goals at Talkdesk requires aligning customer needs with company objectives through data-driven insights, realistic expectations, and high-impact solutions. By leveraging my customer's feedback, collaborating across internal teams, and communicating the business value of customer advocacy, I'm able to drive retention, efficiency, and long-term success while ensuring sustainable growth."
Alana Newton Account executive, FSI, Talkdesk
"I believe this is easy to do overall if we understand our customer's industry and their business goals and challenges. As an example, most organizations are trying to keep costs flat as they grow and we are naturally a great fit. If we lead with the right value metrics and can easily articulate the real value in the form of FTE savings, and revenue increase these customers will want to buy more. We run into trouble when the value of our solutions is not real."
Jen McDonald Senior vice president Americas, Talkdesk
"I believe advocating for the customer and achieving business goals are not mutually exclusive but, in fact, go hand in hand and one has a direct correlation/impact on the other. By advocating for customers and helping them achieve their business goals, we are creating brand loyalty and increasing our growth/sales revenue as well as our customer retention goals. Our customers' success is our success."
Kathy Krucek Vice president of product, Talkdesk
"Advocating for the customer and achieving business goals are not mutually exclusive—they fuel each other. A strong CX strategy ensures that customer needs align with business objectives, driving retention, loyalty, and revenue. I approach it by focusing on data-driven insights, proactive engagement, and positioning CX as a strategic growth driver rather than just a support function."
Maria Serra Customer success manager, Talkdesk
"It's essential to understand both customer needs and business objectives, finding win-win solutions while maintaining a balance between the two. At Talkdesk, we ensure that customer feedback and insights, combined with our focus on innovation, are at the heart of decision-making. This ensures our company’s objectives are always rooted in delivering value to our customers. I tend to apply this same mindset in my day-to-day work, ensuring we create meaningful impact and deliver real value."
Adriana Carvalho Product marketing manager, Talkdesk
"A great leader recognizes that long-term success comes from aligning customer needs with strategic objectives. This means fostering a culture where teams are empowered to listen to customers, anticipate challenges, and proactively provide solutions that drive both satisfaction and business results. Growth-oriented leaders leverage data and insights to make informed decisions, ensuring that customer feedback translates into meaningful improvements without compromising financial or operational priorities. They also build cross-functional collaboration, working with teams across sales, product, and operations to create win-win outcomes. By championing transparency, innovation, and adaptability, a leader can ensure that advocating for the customer does not come at the expense of business goals but rather fuels sustainable growth and competitive advantage."
Samantha Shafran Senior global procurement specialist, Talkdesk
"Building strong partnerships and customer loyalty is key to balancing advocacy and business goals. When we prioritize the customer, it often leads to better outcomes for the business in the long run. I focus on finding common ground, making strategic trade-offs, and recognizing when short-term impacts can drive long-term value for both the customer and the company."
Ericka Madden Director professional services - North America, Talkdesk
"I firmly believe that when customers succeed, so does the business. By focusing on improving operational KPIs and delivering value through efficient products, we not only enhance the customer experience but also drive revenue and expansion to their company. This strategic alignment ensures that advocating for the customer and achieving business goals go hand in hand."
Carolina Simony Customer success manager, Talkdesk
"Advocating for customers is driving business success. The key is aligning our goals—ensuring customers meet their objectives while we achieve ours. Sometimes, that means making short-term investments for long-term impact, a balance that requires strategic partnership. CX leaders must think beyond immediate transactions and focus on sustainable growth, adoption, and retention."
Casie Archuleta Global director customer experience, Talkdesk
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