Scaling customer success isn’t just about automating digital touchpoints with customers.
Anybody can do that today with a marketing automation tool or a customer success platform.
My vision of scaling customer success involves working differently with customers. Fully embracing and adopting a one-to-many mindset.
Why?
Your customers want it. They want access to more than just a CSM. They want access to the help and enablement they need in a variety of formats and channels. It’s more efficient for your internal teams. Rather than constant one-by-one customer calls, CSMs (and other customer-facing team members) can guide customers to high-quality programs that will meet their needs. The company has more access to customers and advocates. Customer success teams are blocking customer marketing from talking to customers in many organizations. This is unacceptable. Execs, product management, product marketing, customer marketing, engineering, and others need a window in to the customer’s world.
This is about meeting customers where they are, and giving them what they need in ways they value…
They value content and resources that help them use your product in the best ways. That could be knowledge base articles or blogs. It could be webinars put on by your team or co-hosted with customers. Videos. In-person meetups.
They value access to industry peers. CSMs are great, but they often don’t have the experience of sitting in the seats of their users. Customers want to engage with other customers like them who are solving the same problems they are.
They value self-service access. One quarter into the 21st Century, why should I have to “hop on a quick call” for everything? (although that should be an option, see below).
They value benchmarks. The ability to compare themselves against peers is critical to help customers prove value internally to their sponsors and stakeholders.
They value the ability to provide feedback and have two-way conversations with the company, its leadership, and other customers.
They value one-on-one human touch in times of need. They want access to an individuals who can help them solve acute issues that arise.
They value praise for their achievements. Who doesn’t like their name in the spotlight?
Here’s the best part: If we facilitate the engagement that delivers on all these desires, we get the credit. Our companies become more connected with the zeitgeist of the industries we serve. Learning becomes part of the company culture. Retention goes up naturally.
I call it Scaled Customer Success, the most underdeveloped function of the SaaS industry. It’s not “digital customer success” where we spew outbound one-way communication, emails, and fill up a queue of action items (“calls to action”) that CSMs never complete.
It’s about true engagement. Embracing the ecosystem of users, business sponsors, partners, and industry experts we serve.
Where are you on your journey to embracing scaled customer success?
🤘
