Customer Success Management (CSM) is a field that has gained immense popularity in recent years, promising impressive salaries and a relatively stress-free work-life balance. But is it all as simple as it sounds? In this blog post, we dive into a discussion among seasoned Customer Success Managers (CSMs) who share their thoughts on newcomers trying to break into the industry and the true complexity of the role.

The Steeper Learning Curve – Breaking Into Customer Success

One of the first things experienced CSMs highlight is the often underestimated learning curve in this field. While the role may seem straightforward on the surface, mastering it takes time and effort.

“I’ve accepted that it’s going to take many more months still until I feel comfortable with the role,” says one CSM with four years of experience.

The reality is that many skills crucial for success in CSM roles take years to develop. Skills like reading and understanding API documentation, effectively context switching, being strategic in customer interactions, and confidently discussing technical terms like SQL, SDKs, webhooks, and data warehouses don’t come overnight.

A Flood of Misconceptions

The influx of newcomers into the field can often be attributed to a flood of misconceptions about the job’s ease and rewards. Social media platforms like TikTok have been awash with influencers painting CSM roles as effortless, high-paying jobs with minimal work hours.

“People on TikTok have been hyping it up over lockdowns as this WFH job that pays near 6 figures and you work like 2 hours a day… that’s the problem,” notes one CSM.

It seems that the allure of the CSM profession is being oversimplified, leading to unrealistic expectations among those looking to enter the field.

The Technical Side of CSM – Breaking Into Customer Success

Many CSMs, especially those dealing with technical products, emphasize the importance of technical skills in this role. Understanding and discussing complex technical aspects is often a requirement, and this is where newcomers might find themselves unprepared.

“I don’t have to know how to do all these things, just talk about them,” explains one CSM, highlighting the need for technical fluency in communication.

The role is not just about soft skills; it’s about bridging the gap between technical intricacies and customer understanding.

The Jaded Perspective

Experienced CSMs might sometimes come across as jaded or cynical when they see newcomers breezing into the field. It’s not about discouraging fresh talent but rather about setting realistic expectations.

“Now when I see someone on Tiktok talking about it, I’m really vocal about how they need to stop selling a dream,” says a CSM with nine months of experience.

It’s essential to acknowledge the hard work and dedication it takes to excel in the CSM field and to ensure that new entrants are aware of the depth of the role.

Embracing Change

Contrary to some apprehensions, an influx of newcomers can be a positive force for the CSM industry. It can lead to the evolution and maturation of the field. Additionally, it can help in standardizing processes and increasing the legitimacy of CSM as a profession.

Conclusion

In the end, Customer Success Management is a dynamic and multifaceted field that encompasses both technical and soft skills. It’s not a one-size-fits-all profession, and the journey to mastery is often longer and more challenging than it appears. While new entrants are always welcome, it’s essential to paint a realistic picture of the industry and the hard work required to thrive in it.

So, if you’re considering a career in CSM, embrace the learning curve, stay humble, and be ready to adapt. The journey may be tough, but the rewards, both personally and professionally, can be well worth it. And for experienced CSMs, don’t be cynical; instead, mentor and guide the next generation, helping them navigate the complexities of this ever-evolving field.

Author: Hakan Ozturk

Driving Customer Success – www.DrivingCustomerSuccess.com | Top CS News from Silicon Valley to Paris and beyond.

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In today’s competitive business landscape, customer success is not merely a buzzword, but the cornerstone of sustainable growth and prosperity.

It’s the magical element that transforms one-time buyers into loyal advocates, elevates businesses to new heights, and sets them apart from the rest.

But what does driving customer success really mean, and how can you achieve it?

In this blog post, we’ll delve into the core principles of customer success and explore the practical strategies to not only meet but exceed your customers’ expectations.

Understanding Customer Success

Customer success is not just about closing deals and moving on to the next prospect. It’s about taking a customer-centric approach to your business, placing the utmost importance on understanding and fulfilling your clients’ needs. To put it simply, driving customer success is all about making sure your customers succeed with your product or service.

Think of it like planting a seed and nurturing it to blossom into a thriving tree. Your customers are the seeds, and your excellent service is the nourishment they need to grow and flourish. When your customers succeed, your business succeeds.

The Impact of Customer Success

The consequences of driving customer success go far beyond mere financial gains. A happy and satisfied customer will become a brand ambassador, spreading positive word-of-mouth and attracting new clients organically. They will stick with you through thick and thin, even when competitors come knocking at their doors. Moreover, a strong focus on customer success fosters a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within your organization.

12 Key Strategies for Driving Customer Success

1. Know Your Customers Inside Out

To drive customer success, you must first deeply understand your customers. Research and analyze their needs, pain points, and expectations. Create buyer personas and build empathy maps to get into the minds and hearts of your customers. By doing so, you can tailor your products or services to meet their specific requirements.

2. Communicate Proactively

Clear and consistent communication is the backbone of a successful customer relationship. Be proactive in reaching out to your customers regularly. Offer them valuable insights, updates, and tips on how to make the most of your product or service. Timely communication not only builds trust but also provides an avenue for feedback, helping you address concerns before they escalate.

3. Provide Stellar Customer Support

Effective customer support can be a game-changer in driving customer success. Offer multiple channels for customer support, such as email, phone, and live chat, to make it convenient for customers to reach out to you. Train your support team to be knowledgeable, empathetic, and solution-oriented. A prompt and satisfactory resolution to an issue can turn a frustrated customer into a loyal fan.

4. Implement Customer Feedback Loops

Listening to your customers is essential for driving customer success. Implement customer feedback loops through surveys, questionnaires, or feedback forms. Analyze the feedback to identify areas for improvement and areas where you’re excelling. Use this valuable information to make data-driven decisions that benefit your customers.

5. Personalize the Customer Experience

Customers crave personalization. Tailor your interactions, recommendations, and marketing efforts to suit individual customer preferences. Use customer data wisely to create personalized experiences that make your customers feel valued and appreciated. Remember, personalization is not just about addressing customers by their names, but about offering tailored solutions that address their unique needs.

6. Offer Educational Resources and Training

Empower your customers with knowledge and skills to make the most of your product or service. Provide comprehensive educational resources, tutorials, and training sessions. An informed customer is more likely to achieve their desired outcomes and perceive your business as a valuable partner.

7. Foster a Customer Community

Create a space where your customers can interact, share their experiences, and learn from each other. A customer community fosters a sense of belonging and encourages customers to engage more deeply with your brand. It also provides an opportunity for peer-to-peer support and enhances customer loyalty.

8. Set Realistic Expectations

Be transparent about what your product or service can and cannot achieve. Set realistic expectations from the beginning to avoid disappointments later on. This builds trust and credibility, as customers appreciate honesty and straightforwardness.

9. Monitor Customer Health Metrics

Establish customer health metrics specific to your business to gauge customer satisfaction and identify potential churn risks. These metrics could include product usage, customer engagement, and feedback scores. Regularly analyze the data and proactively address any issues to retain satisfied customers.

10. Implement a Customer Loyalty Program

Reward and acknowledge loyal customers with a customer loyalty program. Offer exclusive perks, discounts, or early access to new features. A well-designed loyalty program incentivizes repeat business and encourages customers to stay committed to your brand.

11. Continuously Innovate and Improve

Stay ahead of the competition by continuously innovating and improving your products or services. Keep an eye on industry trends, customer feedback, and emerging technologies. Strive to provide cutting-edge solutions that exceed customer expectations.

12. Celebrate Customer Success Stories

Highlight and celebrate your customers’ success stories to inspire others. Use case studies, testimonials, or spotlight features to showcase how your product or service made a positive impact on their lives or businesses. Celebrating customer success reinforces the value of your offerings and builds credibility.

Driving customer success is all about taking a well-rounded approach that focuses on understanding your customers, communicating effectively, and genuinely meeting their needs.

Provide educational resources, build a community, set realistic expectations, track customer feedback, offer loyalty programs, be innovative, and celebrate customer achievements.

That way, you create an environment where your customers thrive and your business flourishes.

Customer success is an ongoing journey that requires dedication, adaptability, and keeping your customers’ happiness a top priority.

Embrace these strategies to build strong, long-lasting relationships with your customers.

In today’s competitive world, customer success isn’t optional; it’s essential for your business to thrive. Understand its significance and put these strategies into action to cultivate a loyal customer base, propelling your business to new heights.

When you place your customers at the core of everything you do, success will naturally follow.

Keep in mind that customer success isn’t a destination you reach and forget about; it’s an ongoing effort that demands continuous commitment.

Exceeding customer expectations is critical.

It will help you flourish with a thriving, successful, and sustainable business in return.

The post Driving Customer Success: 12 Proven Strategies To Exceed Customer Expectations appeared first on Customer Success Insights: Driving Success Worldwide.

First things first, let’s talk about understanding your customers. You can’t expect to give them the support and communication they need if you don’t know who they are and what they want. This means taking a deep dive into your customer data to identify different segments and their specific needs. And don’t just stop at the surface level, make sure to dig deep and consider things like cultural backgrounds, communication preferences, and even disabilities. The more you know about your customers, the better equipped you’ll be to tailor your strategy to their needs.

Now, let’s talk about tailoring your strategy. It’s all well and good to know your customers, but if you’re not putting that knowledge into action, it’s not going to do much good. This means making sure your communication and support channels are accessible and inclusive to all customer segments. It could mean offering language support for non-English speakers, or providing alternative forms of communication for customers with hearing or visual impairments.

But wait, there’s more! It’s also important to ensure that your team is equipped to provide this tailored support. This means providing diversity and inclusion training to ensure that your team members are able to understand and effectively communicate with customers from diverse backgrounds. It also means creating a team that is diverse in terms of race, gender, sexual orientation, and other identity markers. This way, you’ll have team members who can relate to and effectively communicate with a wide range of customers.

Creating a customer success strategy that takes into account the unique needs of diverse customer segments may seem daunting, but it’s worth it. Not only will it result in happier, more satisfied customers, but it will also create a more inclusive and equitable workplace for your team members. And who doesn’t love a win-win situation? So, let’s get to it, and put your customer success strategy on the fashion runway of success!

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First, let’s talk about the importance of open communication. Open communication is crucial for creating an inclusive culture, as it allows team members to express themselves freely and share their ideas and opinions. This can be achieved by creating a safe space where team members feel comfortable speaking up and by actively listening to everyone’s input.

Encouraging diverse perspectives is also key to establishing an inclusive culture. Diversity brings different ideas, experiences, and perspectives to the table, which can lead to more creative and innovative solutions. It’s important to actively seek out and value diverse perspectives, and to create an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their unique perspectives.

Fostering a sense of belonging is another important aspect of creating an inclusive culture. When team members feel like they belong, they are more engaged, motivated, and productive. This can be achieved by building a sense of community and connection within the team, and by making sure that everyone feels seen and heard.

So, how can we promote open communication, encourage diverse perspectives, and foster a sense of belonging within our customer success team? Here are a few ideas:

1. Encourage open communication by holding regular team meetings where everyone has an opportunity to speak up and share their ideas and opinions.
2. Create a diverse team by actively recruiting individuals with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.
3. Encourage diverse perspectives by actively seeking out and valuing different ideas and opinions.
4. Fostering a sense of belonging by hosting team-building activities and events, and by creating a positive and supportive work environment.
5. Encourage them to have regular one-on-one with the team members to understand their issues and help them to grow and feel supported.

Creating an inclusive culture within a customer success team takes time and effort, but the rewards are well worth it. By promoting open communication, encouraging diverse perspectives, and fostering a sense of belonging, we can build a team that is more engaged, motivated, and productive. So let’s start building an inclusive culture within our customer success team today!

In conclusion, an inclusive culture is vital for any team, especially the customer success team. It helps the team members to feel valued and respected, fostering a sense of belonging and promoting open communication, encouraging diverse perspectives, which in turn results in better performance, higher employee satisfaction, and ultimately a better customer experience. So, let’s strive to make our customer success team an inclusive one!

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Gone are the days of spammy, impersonal mass emails. The customer success approach to email marketing is all about building long-term relationships with your customers through personalized, value-added communication. Here are some examples of how to put this approach into action:

1. Personalize emails to provide value to the customer: Imagine you run an online shoe store, and one of your customers just bought a new pair of hiking boots. You could send them an email with a list of the best local hiking trails, as well as some tips on how to break in their new boots. Not only are you providing value to the customer, but you’re also positioning yourself as a helpful and knowledgeable resource.
2. Use emails to gather feedback and measure customer satisfaction: It’s important to regularly check in with your customers and see how they’re doing. Send them a quick survey after a purchase, or simply ask for their thoughts on your product or service. This not only helps you measure customer satisfaction, but it also gives you valuable insights into areas for improvement.
3. Identify areas for improvement in the customer journey through email communication: Let’s say a customer reports a problem through email – perhaps they received the wrong item in their order. Instead of just fixing the issue, use this opportunity to identify any pain points in your customer journey and work on improving them. This could involve streamlining your return process, or offering more detailed product descriptions on your website.
4. Build long-term relationships with customers through email: A monthly newsletter is a great way to keep in touch with your customers and provide them with updates, industry insights, and exclusive offers. You could even include a personal message from the founder or CEO, to give your newsletter a personal touch.
5. Drive retention and loyalty through a customer success-focused email marketing strategy: Show your customers some love by sending them personalized emails on special occasions, such as their birthday or anniversary. Thank them for their loyalty and offer them a special discount or promotion as a token of your appreciation.

So go ahead – give the customer success approach to email marketing a try! Your customers (and your bottom line) will thank you.

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Automate customer onboarding

A playbook automation system can help you create a smooth and efficient process for welcoming customers into your business. This will ensure that every bit of information they need is quickly shared and help to speed up their journey and your overall customer success.

Simplify engagement processes

By automating the customer engagement process, you can save you time and energy. By making sure your customers are always connected to the right resources at the right time they will not be left out in the cold or forgotten as soon as they sign up with you.

Monitor usage data

Track how often customers are using your product or service so that you can identify areas for improvement, such as increasing usage of specific features. It can help you understand what’s working and what isn’t so that you can make changes as needed.

Encourage customer feedback

Use a playbook automation system to create a streamlined process for gathering customer feedback and responding quickly. This way, customers will feel appreciated, and their ideas will be considered when decisions are made.

Implement automated scheduling

By automating the appointment-making process, customers can easily arrange meetings with relevant personnel without waiting in line or spending time on the phone. It ensures better efficiency and more satisfied customers in the long run.

Streamline customer support

Use a playbook automation system to handle customer support requests quickly and efficiently. Don’t leave your customers waiting for an answer or make them call back multiple times before getting the help they need.

Track customer progress

Use your automation system to track how customers progress along their journey towards success with your product or service. You will gain a better understanding of what is working and what adjustments need to be made to push them further. This is very valuable insight necessary for customer success.

Take advantage of self-service options

By allowing your customers to access helpful resources on their own time (i.e., FAQs, articles, etc.), you can save time and energy while still providing quality service at the same time.

Create personalized experiences

Use a Playbook Automation System to build custom profiles for each customer and tailor the experience to their needs and preferences. It helps to make customers feel understood and appreciated. This leads to better loyalty and overall customer success in the long run.

Provide real-time insights

Leverage your automation system to gain access to real-time data about customer interactions and usage patterns so that you can quickly spot any issues or opportunities before they become serious problems.

Measure customer satisfaction

Set up automated surveys or feedback forms within your Playbook Automation System to gauge how satisfied customers are with your product or service. It will give you an idea of what areas need improvement and which areas are performing well. 

Connect customers to experts

With the help of your automation system, you can quickly connect customers to the right expert for their needs. It will save time and energy for both them and you!

Leverage customer success stories

Use a Playbook Automation System to showcase successful customer experiences with your product or service on your website or social media accounts. It can attract new customers by demonstrating that success is achievable with your business.

Use AI technology

By integrating AI capabilities into your Playbook Automation System, you can speed up processes and make them more efficient while simultaneously providing better results.

Develop automated marketing campaigns

Use automation to create targeted and personalized marketing campaigns that will ensure customers receive relevant messages. It will help to increase engagement and conversions while saving time and energy in the process.

Integrations with CRM, PM & retention software

You can use the playbook automation system to integrate with existing customer relationship management (CRM) software like Hubspot or project management (PM) software like Monday.com or retention software like SubscriptionFlow. This will ensure that customer information is up-to-date and accessible in one place, streamlining processes for better efficiency.

Generate reports

Using automation, you can generate reports that provide insights into customer behaviours, trends, and preferences. It will help you make more informed decisions and understand how customers interact with your product or service.

How playbook automation helps SaaS billing 

Software-as-a-service (SaaS) billing is integral to any business’s financial transactions. With the right software solution, businesses can quickly and accurately manage their invoices, payment plans, customer accounts, and more. Playbook Automation simplifies operations by automating those processes that are repetitive or time-consuming.

 The platform provides an intuitive yet comprehensive experience to streamline SaaS billing from end to end. It supports multiple pricing models, such as per-user/per-month subscriptions, on-demand payments, refunds and credits, usage charges, and hybrid models for maximum flexibility. It also offers insights into the business’s health with clear financial reports so companies can take advantage of growth opportunities.

 Playbook Automation’s software solution offers various features to streamline the SaaS billing process. It helps businesses create and manage customer accounts quickly and easily with its automated onboarding, signup, and management tools. Companies can customize their customer experience with customizable customer portals, tailored invoices and receipts, subscription plans (including free trials), discounts, and more leading to increase in customer success.

 To ensure that companies get paid on time every time, PlayBook Automation provides a range of payment options, including online credit/debit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay and ACH payments. It also sends automatic reminders when payments are due or past due so companies can take action as needed.

Summing up

Its worth taking the time to implement a playbook automation system. You can ensure that every customer interaction is efficient, effective, and enjoyable. It will help build better relationships while also boosting your bottom line and overall customer success in the long run.

Original post here.

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In this article, we hear from Bishu Solomon Girma, Customer Success Director for Access Legal, who argues that firms should continue to invest in their people if they want to weather the economic turbulence and emerge stronger.

It is no secret that top talent is hard to come by in the legal sector – and now the challenging economic climate is heaping even more pressure on firms.

The start of Q3 brought a spike in the number of firms facing financial difficulties, and many are bracing themselves for a tough winter and a recession that could be the longest we have ever known. In this climate, it will certainly be difficult for many to offer the sky-high salaries and other rewards that some candidates now expect.

Faced with economic uncertainty, more firms will be looking to reduce their costs as much as possible, whether it be personnel, business support services, or property. They might also avoid making investments in the very things that could help them to respond quickly to changes in the market and not just survive but achieve growth, such as technology.

Non-billing teams, like HR, are sometimes areas that are looked at first for savings, yet this is invariably short-sighted. Talent acquisition and retention are critical to the success and survival of any firm because their expertise will help to steer the ship at the very highest level and deliver exceptional client experiences. When talent is in such short supply, firms need to invest in every aspect of the employee experience – helping them to develop their skills, progress their career and achieve a good work-life balance.

Non-billing teams, like HR, are sometimes areas that are looked at first for savings, yet this is invariably short-sighted.

It is easy to see IT projects as an area to cut back, and we are already seeing firms exercise caution when it comes to buying legal tech. Some are opting for essential software over the ‘nice to have’, or only purchasing it when it is absolutely necessary rather than seeing it as a vehicle for growth and innovation. But a reluctance to harness technology can be just as damaging as failing to invest in people. In fact, the two go hand-in-hand.

Driving Efficiencies

That is not to say that there is no room for greater efficiency in law firms in both billing and non-billing departments. Those who are still paper-heavy and reliant on legacy software can streamline their processes, helping people to be more productive so they avoid clocking up long hours outside the working day and feeling burnt out.

Often, you only have to ask your teams to find out where the biggest inefficiencies lie. Having to log into different systems, or access various spreadsheets, eats up valuable billable time and is frustrating for users, especially if they have to remember multiple passwords or the technology is outdated and clunky.

Working in a highly regulated and complex sector means that compliance training and client casework requires a high level of expertise and concentration. The last thing fee-earners need is for their working day to be disrupted by poor processes.

Then there are the hidden inefficiencies that staff might not be aware of but are nevertheless making it difficult for them to do their job well. Lack of visibility across different departments, for instance, means they might not easily spot the potential up-sell and cross-sell opportunities that would bring in much-needed revenue during these challenging times.

Small and mid-sized firms in particular worry that they will never be able to compete with the bigger ones on salaries and other benefits. That may be true, but they can still create attractive places to work – and importantly, empower fee-earners to grow their own client base and generate more revenue to support higher salaries.

The last thing fee-earners need is for their working day to be disrupted by poor processes.

This is why choosing a platform that allows your team to be more efficient in every aspect of their work is an investment in people as much as it is in technology.

Flexible Working

Flexible working patterns are also critical in talent management. The COVID-19 pandemic paved the way for a new era of hybrid working, signaling a sea-change in workplace cultures and expectations. Last year, Cherie Blair KC said that the presenteeism endemic in the industry was a ‘curse’, adding that “we are not going back to the way things were.”

While talent is in short supply, my colleague Claire Jamieson, talent partner at The Access Group, pointed out during a recent Access webinar that it can be framed as an opportunity, not a threat.

She said: “People started to say, ‘this is the harmony that I wanted to have in life, having that ability to work from home and work from the office’. Having that balance is really what a lot of people are looking for.”

Hybrid working has become something that many people expect as standard, in the legal profession and beyond. Cloud-based legal software that can be accessed at home, in the office, and in court gives people the freedom to manage their day in a way that works for them, so they can be productive. It can take the pressure off having to commute to the office every day, without losing those vital connections with colleagues and clients.

Hybrid working has become something that many people expect as standard, in the legal profession and beyond.

Legal tech is now increasingly available via subscription-style SaaS (‘software as a service’) packages so do not demand the same upfront costs, nor long implementation times associated with on-premise systems. This is important given that research by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) shows that lack of financial capital is the reason why firms are unwilling to invest in technology. In fact, around 58% of respondents said that it was a significant or very significant obstacle.

Updates, security, and servers are all managed by the provider too, allowing both fee-earners and internal IT teams to work more efficiently and keeping running costs down.

Choosing a single provider, who can offer not just legal tech but a wider suite of business software such as finance management and HR and compliance solutions, can also be more cost-effective. We know many firms value having a ‘one-stop-shop’ for technology, but they also want to partner with a provider who is continually adding new features and increasing the functionality of the system so it grows with them.

Firms that migrate their operations to the cloud can confidently implement hybrid working models to attract the best and brightest talent, while also reducing financial and security risks (such as insecure VPNs). Regardless of business size, employees benefit from intuitive technology that allows them to deliver a high standard of service and make a valuable contribution to the firm’s success.

Data is Key

It has been said many times that data is key to commercial success – and never is that truer than during a recession. The pandemic brought a surge in demand for conveyancing services, and now firms have to be ready for what might come next, such as a rise in insolvencies. Trawling through the data and proactively spotting opportunities is an impossible task for busy professionals, so they will need a good dashboard, with up-to-date analytics showing changes in demand and revenue as they happen.

It is not just commercial data that is valuable, but staff data too. By combining your HR and financial data, you can see who the top fee-earners are and nurture their talent and drive, and support underperformers with training or mentoring. Personnel data also provides early warning signs that people are dissatisfied or planning to leave, which gives firms time to implement changes and hold onto their top talent.

Looking Ahead

It is clear that cutting back on key areas of technology and talent is costly mistake that firms cannot afford to make.

As we have seen, far from being a cost burden, the best legal tech can make firms more efficient, more productive, and ultimately more attractive to the talent and energy they will need to get them through the uncertain times ahead.

Bishu Solomon Girma, Customer Success Director

SOURCE: Access Legal

Bishu Solomon Girma is Customer Success Director at Access Legal. With over a decade of experience in the legal industry across both the UK and Canada, she works with software developers, expert consultants and support staff to better enable customers’ ability to navigate their legal cases.

Access Legal is a division of business software specialists The Access Group. Serving thousands of customers, Access Legal’s software solutions enable firms and in-house teams to become more efficient, accurate, productive, and communicative. Over 35% of UK law firms utilize tailored Access Legal solutions as part of their business.

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Top-performing customer success teams are laser-focused on retention and expansion. There’s a good reason for that: acquiring a new customer is anywhere from 5 to 25 times more expensive than retaining an existing customer.

But it’s very hard—maybe impossible—to retain customers who aren’t actively using your product.

Customers who are “fully engaged” represent an average 23% premium in terms of share of wallet, profitability, revenue, and relationship growth when compared to an average customer, according to Gallup.

Product adoption is a prime indicator of an engaged customer. Here’s how you influence it.

The product adoption process

Product adoption is the process wherein users learn the value of your product and begin using it to accomplish their goals.

Adoption looks slightly different for every product, but it’s vital to your customers’ journey.

Understanding the high-level stages of the customer journey—and where product adoption fits in—can help you be strategic about where your customer success team gets involved and how they influence product adoption.

Here are the typical stages of a customer journey:

1. Awareness: A user becomes aware of your product while researching solutions to their problem.
2. Conversion: They sign up for a free trial or start a subscription. This is when they move from a prospect to a customer.
3. Onboarding: They start to use your product. This stage involves a lot of learning and testing to confirm if your product will meet their needs.
4. Retention: They’re paying customers, and they’re using your product. This is the longest period of the customer journey and is typically the ‘default’ stage most customers are in
5. Expansion and Advocacy: Assuming your customer is successful, you’ll aim to grow their account. You’ll also harness their positive experience to power more growth through referrals and advocacy.

Product adoption starts the moment a prospect converts to a customer, whether they’re on a free trial or a paid subscription. It continues throughout the retention, expansion, and advocacy stages because the more your customers adopt your product, the more successful they ought to be.

Many people think about product adoption during the onboarding stage, but adoption doesn’t stop with onboarding. While an account might move from the onboarding to the retention stage, that account likely contains users at various levels of adoption. Even a tenured account likely contains some users you can influence toward greater product adoption. As your product changes and evolves, you’ll have never-ending opportunities to move users toward increased adoption.

Product adoption metrics

There’s no sense in trying to improve product adoption if you can’t measure the impact of your efforts. You can use many metrics to measure product adoption because the right metric depends on your product’s specifics. The most commonly used metrics are:

• Active users: The total users actively using your product within a given timeframe. Every company will have its own definition of “active.”
• Activation: The proportion of customers who perform a key action that allows them to experience the value of your product. Some refer to this as achieving the “Aha!” moment.
• Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): The monetary value of a customer over their entire relationship with your company.
• Feature adoption rate: The proportion of total active users who use a specific feature.
• Time To Value (TTV): The amount of time it takes for a customer to see the value of your product after signing up. You’ll need to define—or work with your customers to understand—when “value” has been achieved.
• Net Promoter Score (NPS): A customer’s likelihood of recommending your product to others.

Likely, you’re already working with some of these. As your customer success team zeroes in on driving product adoption, keep an eye on them as measures of success.

You’ll also notice that each of these metrics matches up with different points in the customer journey. For example, CLV focuses on the overall customer value to your organization. On the other hand, TTV and activation focus narrowly on the onboarding stage.

Guide customers through the product adoption lifecycle

There are six key ways customer success teams can drive production adoption:

1. Collaborate with product teams
2. Capture the right data
3. Evaluate how customer actions translate to product adoption
4. Maximize the onboarding experience
5. Personalize customer communication
6. Solicit and share customer feedback

Collaborate with product teams

Close collaboration with your product teams is one of the first things you should establish when hoping to improve product adoption. It’s hard to dramatically improve any aspect of customer experience if you’re focusing on an area that isn’t a priority for your product team.

If you align with your product team’s goals, your efforts will be more effective. Creating a shared understanding of success means that you can build on each others’ work, increasing the likelihood you’ll achieve those goals.

What should that collaboration look like?

That depends on your company’s maturity and what works for you. A few good places to start include:

• Creating shared OKRs
• Establishing a channel for regularly exchanging feedback
• Having customer success managers participate in feature design and user experience

Building healthy relationships with open two-way communication should be the priority, whatever method you use.

Capture the right data

Understanding the customer journey is fundamental for customer success. But you can’t influence product adoption without the correct data. That means a priority should be measuring and tracking the usage of your product and its different features.

Every team member should deeply understand your product features, how customers can make the most of them, what your ideal customer looks like, and what helps them succeed.

The key to understanding the data you need to capture is asking the right questions. Start with these:

Why do people sign up for your product? Is there an “Aha!” moment where they see the value and get hooked? What are common blockers during onboarding, and what are possible workarounds? When do they churn, and why?

Once you understand the answers to these questions, you can use this information while working with customers. You’ll be able to anticipate needs and obstacles. You’ll better position yourself to provide maximum value as early as possible.

Evaluate how customer actions translate to product adoption

Which features of your product are your best customers engaging with? Do you understand how and why they influence product adoption?

Looking at the actions of your best customers helps you understand where to build out your customer success processes. For example, suppose the churn rate is significantly lower among customers that use single sign-on (SSO). In that case, it’s probably a good idea to get as many customers as possible using SSO. You should work SSO into your onboarding checklist and bring it up early in the customer lifecycle. Make it easy for customers to use your stickiest features.

A related approach is to work on understanding why other features aren’t leading to customer success. If it’s due to a lack of awareness—your customers don’t know that feature exists—your success team can improve your customer education. If it’s because customers don’t see the value or need for the feature, you may need to change how you present or sell it (or sunset the feature altogether).

A proactive approach is more powerful than a reactive one:

• Look for ways to provide actionable tips for your customers—in the product, via email, and during calls. Share feature tours, relevant stats, interactive guides, or case studies to help them understand how to use your product better.
• Capture product usage data to identify when a customer gets stuck or doesn’t complete a specific milestone. You can then reach out and try to help them.

Avoid forcing a new feature on your customers. Give them options by first announcing the feature and why they might be interested instead of pushing them right into a tour. Then, ask them what they’d like to do next. Example options could include:

• Tell me more
• Show me how to set it up
• Show me a tour
• Remind me later

Maximize the onboarding experience

Onboarding is your best opportunity to set customers up for success. Designing an onboarding process that’s easy, smooth, and provides maximum value to your customers can drive product adoption like nothing else.

This is your chance to capitalize on the learnings you’ve gathered from the earlier steps. It’s far easier to design the perfect onboarding experience when you’re working closely with your product teams, when you understand the customer journey, and when you know which customer actions drive product adoption.

Onboarding is also a great time to use interactive guides tailored to each customer’s needs and where they are in the customer journey. You can figure out the best time to introduce each feature rather than overwhelm new users with everything. You can highlight and celebrate when customers complete certain milestones. You could also use guided tours to educate your customers about the value of different features.

You might also want to investigate options like gamification, checklists, community recognition, or milestone achievement. These could be good ways to incentivize onboarding completion.

Personalize customer communication

Personalization can be so powerful because it meets every customer at the individual level.

Working with customer personas is also a great way to understand what each type of customer needs from your product—and your customer success team—and tailor your message to them. Personas allow you to drill down and focus on one specific target persona, testing to see if you can drive product adoption based on their unique needs.

Pushing features or upgrades at your customers without personalization can lead to blowback. Customers sometimes feel that the feature isn’t valuable, and the product communication is a blatant attempt to upsell.

If you’re very clear about the value proposition of that feature and you only present it to them based on actions they’ve completed, you’re more likely to succeed. In practice, that means:

• Knowing which set of features every customer benefits from the most.
• Defining a set of actions customers need to take in a particular order.
• Unlocking in-product or advertising new features for them based on those actions.

Solicit and share customer feedback

Customer success can drive product adoption by collecting and presenting customer feedback.

Customer success teams often have the best understanding of what prevents customers from engaging. You can solicit feedback from churning customers. You can also reach out to loyal customers and understand what keeps them engaged. Whenever you identify a place where customers commonly get stuck or experience friction, you’ve found an opportunity to help out.

In an ideal scenario, you could even design a clever survey that can act on your customers’ feedback based on how they respond.

These are all great sources of information that you can use to provide actionable insights to your product teams.

Customer success can drive product adoption

Driving product adoption is one of the most meaningful ways customer success can contribute to your business.

Some of the recommendations above make the most of your CSMs’ time with customers. Others are more focused on how to build and automate the processes that support product adoption and customer success with a solution like Stonly. The combination of these elements enables your customer success team to have a massive impact.

SOURCE: Stonly

The post How Customer Success Can Help Drive Product Adoption appeared first on Customer Success Insights: Driving Success Worldwide.

When teams are asked to do more with less, they often turn to SaaS startups and companies to help them automate and streamline their business processes.

That means big opportunities for B2B customer success teams to shine, says Natasha Evans, Salesloft’s VP of Global Enterprise Customer Success.

“Our customers are sales teams, and they are feeling the pressure right now more than a lot of other functions within technology companies,” Evan told Hypepotamus. “They are coming to us and asking: How do I touch more accounts? How do I touch more contacts using the technology that I’ve got at my disposal? How do I get more efficient? And, most importantly, how do I deliver an exceptional buyer experience at the same time.” 

Atlanta-based Salesloft is now a giant in the sales automation space over the last decade, having reached a $2.3 billion valuation during its most recent funding round. 

Evans, a “self-confessed success plan superfan,” leads a team of more than 50 Saleslofters across Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas. She’s seen the world of B2B customer experience and customer success change over the years, particularly as businesses tightened their belts and look for ways to do more with less. 

She talked with Hypepotamus about how Salesloft built out its customer success playbook and offered some tangible advice to B2B teams looking to better engage their clients.  

Her big takeaway: customer success teams have to focus on building relationships and driving home the value of their product to customers.  Here are her tips: 

1. Open Up Doors And Talk To Customers Directly

“[My team] is really focused on helping our customers navigate through this current turbulent market,” she added. 

During times of economic uncertainty, Evans said her team has ensured their phones and webcams are on. it is all about being as accessible as they can be to their customers. 

Tangibly, that means putting on multiple “office hours” each day should customers have specific questions they need answered immediately and directly. Evans said this is a tangible way to drive home the value of the sales automation and CRM products they offer. 

2. Create High Value, High Impact Touch Points

“I think there is nothing better than building out a success plan with your customer and then showing them how you’re going to get to the value that they care about,” Evans told Hypepotamus. 

Evans said that on top of talking directly to customers about their potential problems and specific software needs, Salesloft has added additional layers of value, such as writing quarterly executive business reviews to keep their customers informed of the changing market landscape. 

3. Expand Your Definition of Memorable Experiences 

In-person events have roared back over the course of 2022, as businesses and individuals emerged from lockdown ready to connect. 

But the pandemic’s lasting legacy is certainly in the rise of hybrid event experiences. Salesloft’s customer success team now relies on both in-person and remote options to connect with their clients. 

For Salesloft, that recently looked like putting on a “Women In Revenue Leadership” Event in person to create more meaningful networking opportunities. 

What This Means For You
So what if you aren’t running a customer success team as large as the one Salesloft has in place? These are still valuable and tangible practices, says Evans.

“Most companies that are super small think about scale later,” she added. “They think really early on that [they’ve] got a small base of customers, so how can I show them tons of love and lots of high-touch activities? But I think that if you can build to scale from Day One, you are going to make your life an awful lot easier. If you don’t yet have a full customer success team, I would be investing in some of the most scalable things like putting on webinars, running workshops, or delivering office hours. Those add a lot of value to multiple customers all at the same time.” 

Original post here

The post Want To Build A Stellar Customer Success Team? Salesloft’s VP Natasha Evans Has Some Tips appeared first on Customer Success Insights: Driving Success Worldwide.

1/ They consistently achieve their desired outcomes:

If your customers are successful, they should be able to use your products or services to achieve their specific goals or objectives.

This could include increased sales, higher productivity, or improved customer satisfaction, depending on the nature of your business.

2/ They provide positive feedback and testimonials:

Successful customers are often happy to share their positive experiences with others and may provide positive feedback or testimonials that you can use to promote your business.

3/ They continue to use and invest in your products or services:

Successful customers are often willing to continue using and investing in your products or services over the long term.

This could involve upgrading to new versions or purchasing additional licenses or services.

4/ They refer others to your business:

Successful customers are often happy to refer others to your business, as they know that your products or services have helped them achieve their goals.

This can be a powerful source of new business and revenue.

5/ They have low churn rates:

If your customers are successful, they are less likely to churn or cancel their subscriptions or contract.

This means that you can retain a higher percentage of your customer base and generate more recurring revenue.

6/ They are engaged and active users:

Successful customers are often engaged and active users of your products or services.

They may participate in user forums, attend webinars or training sessions, or provide feedback and suggestions to help improve your offerings.

7/ They are loyal and have a positive relationship with your business:

Successful customers often have a positive relationship with your business and may be willing to go above and beyond to help you succeed.

This could include providing valuable feedback, referrals, or testimonials, or simply expressing their appreciation for the value you provide.

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Overall,

if your customers are achieving their desired outcomes, providing positive feedback, continuing to invest in your products or services, and demonstrating loyalty and engagement,

then it is likely that they are successful.

This is a good sign that you are providing value and helping them achieve their goals, which can ultimately lead to increased customer satisfaction and revenue for your business.

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