0/10 rehearsed

Essential GuidePrepared for Laura Garcia Ruiz

Manager of Customer Success at Amenitiz

62/100

Fit for the role

Medium

How to use your guide

  1. 1Read your cheat sheet2 min
  2. 2Rehearse the questions out loud and tick them off10 min
  3. 3Go over your interview day plan3 min

Part 1 · 2 min

The essentials

If you only have two minutes, read this.

Your cheat sheet

What you need to keep in your head. It fits on one page.

Fit for the role · 62/100

5 strong3 partial1 gap9 requirements in the job post

You bring 8 years of directly relevant experience, strong NRR metrics and genuine process-building evidence. The key challenge in this interview is the leadership gap: you have never held a formal manager title, and the role treats 2 to 3 years of team leadership as a must-have.

Your 3 golden facts

107% NRRNet Revenue Retention in 2025. They are targeting 110%+.
9% to 6%Churn reduction in two years using data-driven methods.
8 monthsInterim team lead of 4 CSMs: 1:1s, KPI tracking, portfolio allocation.

Your 30-second introduction

"I have spent 8 years in Customer Success, 6 of them in B2B SaaS, managing SMB portfolios and building the processes that make teams run. At Nimbus I brought NRR to 107% and cut churn from 9% to 6%. I also led the CSM team as interim manager for 8 months and designed the onboarding playbook the team still uses. Now I want to build that function from the ground up, which is exactly what this role is."

If it comes up

No formal manager title, 8 months vs. 2-3 years required

You: I held the interim lead role for 8 months and owned the full management loop: 1:1s, KPI tracking and portfolio allocation for a team of 4. I also designed the onboarding playbook the team still uses and mentored 3 junior CSMs. I am aware this is not 2 to 3 years, and I am ready to speak to how I would accelerate that curve in this role.

No experience building a team from scratch

You: I have not hired a team from zero, but I have built the processes a team runs on. The 90-day onboarding playbook, the quarterly review cadence, the usage-alert system: all designed from scratch and adopted at team level. I have a concrete plan for how I would approach the first 90 days at Amenitiz and I am happy to walk through it.

In your folder

Part 2 · 10 min

Get ready

Know the ground and rehearse out loud.

The company and the role

Who interviews you

Your future manager, likely a VP of Revenue or Chief Revenue Officer, hiring to build the Account Management function from scratch inside a 300-person scale-up.

What they want

Someone who can define the AM strategy, hire and lead the team, design scalable processes and push NRR above 110% across 15,000+ independent hotel accounts across Europe.

How to connect your story

Your NRR track record, churn reduction work, playbook design and 8-month interim lead role map directly to what they need. Your hospitality background is a genuine differentiator in a company founded by hoteliers.

Homework to show interest

Sources Company website (amenitiz.com), read on 14 Oct 2026 · The job post you shared

Fit map

Each requirement in the job post against your CV.

5 strong3 partial1 gap9 requirements in the job post

Sensitive points

What could hold you back and the line that turns it around. Most to least important.

Alto

No formal manager title, 8 months vs. 2-3 years required

What the interviewer thinks

She has strong IC metrics but has never been accountable for a team's performance beyond a temporary cover.

What you say

I held the interim lead role for 8 months and owned the full management loop: 1:1s, KPI tracking and portfolio allocation for a team of 4. I also designed the onboarding playbook the team still uses and mentored 3 junior CSMs. I am aware this is not 2 to 3 years, and I am ready to speak to how I would accelerate that curve in this role.

PreparePrepare two or three concrete decisions you made during those 8 months and their outcomes.

Alto

No experience building a team from scratch

What the interviewer thinks

The role is greenfield. Has she ever actually designed a team, not just managed one that already existed?

What you say

I have not hired a team from zero, but I have built the processes a team runs on. The 90-day onboarding playbook, the quarterly review cadence, the usage-alert system: all designed from scratch and adopted at team level. I have a concrete plan for how I would approach the first 90 days at Amenitiz and I am happy to walk through it.

PreparePrepare a structured first-90-days plan: segmentation model, first hire profile, and key metrics from day one.

Medio

European market experience limited to Spain and Portugal

What the interviewer thinks

Amenitiz operates across Europe. Can she lead a pan-European AM function with only Iberian experience?

What you say

My direct portfolio experience is Spain and Portugal, two of Amenitiz's core markets. I understand the seasonality and thin-margin reality of independent hoteliers in those markets deeply. I would build the team with the language and geographic coverage the role needs, and I am already thinking about where the gaps are.

PrepareResearch independent hotel market dynamics in France, Italy and the UK before the interview.

Medio

No concrete cross-functional work with Sales or Marketing on record

What the interviewer thinks

She lists collaboration as a skill but I see no joint project with Sales or RevOps. Will she be able to hold her ground in those conversations?

What you say

add your detail: a specific example of working with Sales on expansion, upsell handoffs, or with Marketing on customer campaigns. The HubSpot migration also required coordinating across teams to align on data structure and workflows, which gave me a clear view of how to navigate competing priorities in a fast-moving environment.

PrepareIdentify one concrete cross-functional example and be ready to describe your role, the friction and the outcome.

Bajo

NRR of 104-107% below the 110%+ target

What the interviewer thinks

Her numbers are good but still below the target. Can she push above 110% at a larger scale with a less mature team?

What you say

My NRR has grown from 104% to 107% in one year on a portfolio of 120 SMB accounts. The levers I would add to push above 110% are structured expansion plays tied to upsell triggers and tighter coordination with Sales on account growth. I am also aware that at Amenitiz the scale is different, and I would want to understand the current baseline before committing to a ramp timeline.

PreparePrepare two or three concrete expansion levers beyond retention that you would use to push NRR above 110%.

Your 10 most likely questions

Ordered by likelihood. Don't memorise the text: keep the idea and the order, and say it in your own words.

01

Walk me through your 8-month interim team lead experience: what did you own, and what would you do differently with a formal mandate?

Almost certainThey will test the depth of your only leadership evidence, your highest-risk gap.

Say this

I led the CSM team of 4 for 8 months: portfolio allocation, weekly 1:1s and KPI tracking. With a formal mandate I would have owned hiring and formal performance reviews too.

Order your answer

  1. 1Start withwhat you owned: four people, 1:1s, KPI tracking, allocation
  2. 2Thena concrete result, like the churn drop to 6%
  3. 3Close withwhat a formal mandate would add: hiring, reviews, budget

AvoidDo not downplay it as 'just covering' or admit you avoided hard conversations with the team.

Show the full answerHide the full answerabout 35 s out loud

Full answer

For 8 months in 2024 I led the CSM team of 4 while a manager was hired. I owned portfolio allocation, weekly 1:1s and KPI tracking, and I kept the team's numbers steady, including the churn work that took us from 9% to 6%. What I could not formally own was hiring, performance reviews and budget, decisions that sat above me. With a full mandate I would have moved faster on add your detail: specific decision you felt blocked on, e.g. reassigning an underperforming account set.

02

Describe how you would approach the first 90 days building an Account Management team from scratch here.

Almost certainBuilding from scratch is required and is a real gap, so they want a concrete plan.

Say this

First I would map the current post-sale journey and NRR baseline, then segment the 15,000+ accounts, then define the team structure and first hire profile, likely a senior AM with European market coverage.

Order your answer

  1. 1Start withweeks 1 to 4: map the journey, data and NRR baseline
  2. 2Thensegment accounts and design the coverage model
  3. 3Close withthe first hire profile and 90-day KPIs

AvoidDo not give vague intent with no sequence, and do not ignore the segmentation or first hire.

Show the full answerHide the full answerabout 40 s out loud

Full answer

In the first month I would map the current post-sale journey, the NRR baseline and where retention sits today across the 15,000+ independent hotels. Next I would segment that base by value and risk, since seasonality and thin margins make a one-size model fail. Then I would design the coverage ratios and define my first hire: a senior Account Manager with French or Italian coverage, given the European footprint. I would bring the onboarding playbook and quarterly review cadence I already built at Nimbus as the starting operating system, then adapt them to Amenitiz.

03

Your NRR is 107%. The target here is 110%+. What levers would you pull, and what would you need from the business?

Almost certainThe 110%+ target is the central KPI, so they want your expansion playbook.

Say this

I would push expansion harder, not just retention: usage-based upsell triggers, tighter Sales handoffs on growth accounts, and the quarterly reviews that already cut my churn from 9% to 6%.

Order your answer

  1. 1Start withthe retention base: usage alerts and quarterly reviews that work
  2. 2Thenthe expansion levers: upsell triggers, cross-sell on AmenitizPay
  3. 3Close withwhat you need: clean data, RevOps support, clear upsell ownership

AvoidDo not promise 110% blindly or ask for nothing from the business to get there.

Show the full answerHide the full answerabout 35 s out loud

Full answer

I would protect the retention floor first, because my usage-alert system and quarterly reviews already moved churn from 9% to 6%. To get past 110% the lever is expansion: usage-based triggers that flag accounts ready for an upgrade, and clearer handoffs with Sales on growth accounts. At Amenitiz, AmenitizPay and added modules are natural expansion paths for independent hoteliers. To deliver it I would need clean usage data in add your detail: current reporting tool at Amenitiz, RevOps support and a clear rule on who owns the upsell conversation.

04

Tell me about a time you worked closely with Sales or Marketing to drive expansion or reduce churn.

Almost certainCross-functional work is required and has no concrete proof on your CV.

Say this

During the Zendesk to HubSpot migration I coordinated across teams, and on churn I worked from usage data to flag at-risk accounts, then looped in the right owners to act.

Order your answer

  1. 1The situationAt Nimbus churn was climbing in my SMB portfolio.
  2. 2Your taskI needed to catch at-risk accounts before renewal.
  3. 3What you didI built a usage-alert system and ran quarterly reviews, coordinating with add your detail: team you worked with, e.g. Sales on upsell handoffs.
  4. 4The resultChurn fell from 9% to 6% over two years.

AvoidDo not invent a joint campaign that is not real, and do not say you worked alone.

Show the full answerHide the full answerabout 40 s out loud

Full answer

At Nimbus churn was rising across my 120 SMB accounts and I needed to act before renewals slipped. I built a usage-alert system in Looker Studio to flag at-risk accounts early, then paired it with a quarterly review cadence. I coordinated with add your detail: specific team, e.g. Sales on upsell handoffs or Product on feature gaps to turn those signals into action. The main friction was add your detail: the friction you navigated, e.g. aligning priorities with a team that owned a different metric. The result was churn dropping from 9% to 6% over two years.

05

Amenitiz operates across Europe with different seasonality and profiles. How would you adapt your approach to markets you have not worked in?

LikelyEuropean breadth is required and your coverage is limited to Iberia.

Say this

My direct experience is Spain and Portugal, core Amenitiz markets. For new markets I would hire for local language and build the team's coverage around seasonality and regulatory differences.

Order your answer

  1. 1Start withyour real depth: Spain and Portugal, SMB hotel dynamics
  2. 2Thenwhat carries over: the data and review methods travel across markets
  3. 3Close withhow you close the gap: hire for French, Italian, local knowledge

AvoidDo not pretend to know markets you have not worked in or dismiss the differences as minor.

Show the full answerHide the full answerabout 40 s out loud

Full answer

My hands-on experience is Spain and Portugal, which are core Amenitiz markets, and I understand the seasonality and thin margins that independent hoteliers face there, partly from my own front desk years in a Barcelona hotel. The method travels: segmentation, usage alerts and quarterly reviews work regardless of country. Where I am honest is direct exposure to France, Italy or Germany; I do not have it yet. So I would prioritize hiring for those language and market gaps and lean on local AMs for the regulatory and booking-pattern nuances I have not lived myself.

06

Describe the process you designed that had the biggest impact on your team or portfolio. How did you identify the need, build it and measure success?

LikelyYou will prove you build repeatable systems, not one-off fixes, which this role demands.

Say this

I designed the 90-day onboarding playbook that the whole CSM team now uses, after seeing new accounts drift in their first weeks and tying that to churn.

Order your answer

  1. 1Start withthe 90-day onboarding playbook, now the team standard
  2. 2Thenhow I spotted weak early adoption and the churn link
  3. 3Close withadoption across the team and the 9% to 6% churn drop

AvoidDo not describe it as a personal task; stress adoption, repeatability and the measured result.

Show the full answerHide the full answerabout 35 s out loud

Full answer

The biggest one was the 90-day onboarding playbook. I noticed new accounts drifting in their first weeks and traced that early drop-off to our churn. I mapped the critical touchpoints, built a repeatable 90-day plan and paired it with usage alerts in Looker Studio and a quarterly review cadence. I rolled it out, trained the team and tracked adoption. The whole CSM team uses it today, and churn in my portfolio fell from 9% to 6% over two years. add your detail: % of accounts onboarded through the playbook.

07

Independent hoteliers have thin margins and high seasonality. How would that change the way you design your Account Management motion versus a typical SaaS SMB?

PossibleYou can turn your hospitality background into a real differentiator few candidates have.

Say this

I would build a high-touch but scalable motion timed around seasons, since a hotelier evaluates value in low season, not peak. My front desk years help me read that reality.

Order your answer

  1. 1Start withyour front desk experience in a Barcelona hotel
  2. 2Thensegmenting by season and tying reviews to their calendar
  3. 3Close withscalable usage alerts so I reach the right accounts first

AvoidDo not treat them like generic SaaS SMBs or ignore the seasonality and margin pressure.

Show the full answerHide the full answerabout 35 s out loud

Full answer

Independent hoteliers live and die by seasonality, so the AM motion has to follow their calendar, not ours. I would schedule reviews and expansion conversations around their low season, when they have time to evaluate value and plan, rather than at peak occupancy. My front desk years at a Barcelona hotel mean I understand how thin margins and daily operations feel on their side. I would keep it high-touch but scalable with usage alerts and segmentation, so the team focuses first on accounts showing seasonal risk signals.

08

Why Amenitiz, and why this role now, versus a senior individual or team lead role at a more mature company?

PossibleYou will show genuine pull toward the greenfield build, not just a title upgrade.

Say this

Amenitiz was founded by hoteliers and serves the exact customers I started my career with. Building the Account Management function from scratch is the step up I have been working toward.

Order your answer

  1. 1Start withyour hospitality roots matching Amenitiz's independent hoteliers
  2. 2Thenthe pull of building the AM function, not inheriting one
  3. 3Close withyour NRR and process work ready to scale here

AvoidDo not make it only about the manager title or generic praise like fast-growing and exciting.

Show the full answerHide the full answerabout 35 s out loud

Full answer

Two things pull me here. First, Amenitiz serves independent hoteliers, the exact customers I started my career with at a Barcelona hotel, so the mission is personal, not abstract. Second, I want to build, not inherit. I have carried NRR to 107%, cut churn and designed the playbook my team runs on, and I have led as interim lead. Building the AM function from scratch at a scale-up is the natural next step for me, and I would rather do that here than refine a mature team elsewhere.

09

You have never held a formal manager title. How do you know you are ready to lead, hire and own a team's performance, not just your own portfolio?

PossibleThis is the toughest version of your main gap; they test honesty and composure.

Say this

I ran the full management loop for 8 months as interim lead: 1:1s, KPI tracking and portfolio allocation for four people, plus mentoring three juniors. I am ready for the formal mandate.

Order your answer

  1. 1Start withowning the real work: 1:1s, KPIs, allocation for four
  2. 2Thenmentoring three juniors and designing the team's playbook
  3. 3Close withhonest on the title gap and how I would close it fast

AvoidDo not get defensive or oversell; never pretend the interim role equals years of formal management.

Show the full answerHide the full answerabout 35 s out loud

Full answer

I would be honest: I have not held the formal title, but I have done the work. For 8 months I was interim lead of a four-person team, owning 1:1s, KPI tracking and portfolio allocation, and I mentored three junior CSMs through onboarding. I also built the playbook the team still uses, which is leadership through systems. I know owning hiring and sustained performance is a bigger step, and I am ready for it. add your detail: any other informal leadership moments across my SaaS years.

10

If after six months NRR is flat and the team you hired is underperforming, what would you do? Walk me through diagnosis and actions.

PossibleThey test whether you own accountability and make hard calls without escalating everything.

Say this

I would diagnose with data first: segment NRR by cohort and market, then separate whether it is a process, product or people problem before acting on each.

Order your answer

  1. 1Start withsegmenting NRR data by cohort, market and account health
  2. 2Thensorting process, product and people root causes
  3. 3Close withfixing the system first, then coaching or hard people calls

AvoidDo not blame the team, panic or escalate everything upward without owning the diagnosis yourself.

Show the full answerHide the full answerabout 40 s out loud

Full answer

First I would resist the urge to blame the team. I would go to the data, segmenting NRR by cohort, market and account health in Looker Studio to find where it is really stalling. Then I would separate root causes: is it process, product gaps or individual performance. I would fix the system first, playbook, handoffs, alerts, since that lifts everyone. For people, I would use 1:1s and clear KPIs to coach, and if someone still underperforms, I would make the hard call. I would keep my manager informed, not hand them the problem.

With the Pro Guide you'd get 10 more questions, plus the closing, salary and thank-you email. See plans

Part 3 · 5 min

Interview day

What you need at hand before, during and after.

Questions to ask them

Pick two or three. Asking well also counts.

  1. What does the current post-sale customer journey look like today, and who owns retention before this role is filled?

    WhenEarly in the conversation, to understand the starting point.

  2. What is the current NRR baseline, and what is driving the gap to the 110%+ target?

    WhenWhen the discussion turns to metrics and targets.

  3. What is the expected team size and hiring budget for the AM function in the first 12 months?

    WhenWhen they describe the scope of the role.

  4. What does success look like at 6 months and at 12 months for the person in this role?

    WhenTowards the end, before closing the conversation.

How to close the interview

This section is included in the Pro Guide.

See plans

Salary

This section is included in the Pro Guide.

See plans

Your interview day plan

  1. 24 hours before

  2. 1 hour before

  3. 15 minutes before

If it's in person

  • Dress one level above what you think the office culture requires.
  • Arrive 10 minutes early and greet everyone you meet with your name.
  • Bring your printed documents in a folder, not loose.

Thank-you email

This section is included in the Pro Guide.

See plans

Extra: improve your CV for this role

2 quick changes

  1. Quantify the interim team lead bullet with outcomes, not just tasks.

    Interim CSM Team Lead (8 months, 2024): managed 4 CSMs through weekly 1:1s, KPI tracking and portfolio allocation; team NRR held at 104% during the transition period.

  2. Add a cross-functional bullet to make collaboration with Sales or Ops visible.

    Led Zendesk-to-HubSpot Service migration in coordination with Sales Ops and Product: defined data structure, ran team training and ensured zero disruption to active accounts during cutover.