We are living in exciting times. We buy a product, and we expect a whole experience in exchange. We embrace innovation while fearing letting go of the traditional. We are challenged at every step to keep up with the new, the disruptive, and the unknown.
In the Tech World, there are many promises of experiences that can create an impact and make a difference. But which of those promises can we trust to bring value? Which experience can be that kind of experience your customers will remember you for?
Nowadays, more than Customer Support or Customer Service is needed. Customers need more than just to be told how to use the product they bought. They want a return on their investment, and they want it fast and visible. They want to contact one person who can update them on what's happening with the product they bought, from a technical aspect to the desired business outcomes.
They want connection, empathy, and someone to listen to their complaints. They want quality, expertise, and confidence.
This is what Customer Success does. In any partnership, being there for your customers along the way is a form of respect and gratitude. Customer Success is not here to disrupt. It is here to emphasize how you treat your customers versus how you should treat them. Do you know their needs, their pain points, and their goals? Do you know their fears when it comes to them buying your product? Do you know what they hope to solve or achieve by buying your product? If you don't know the answer to those questions, you need to change how you relate to your customers.
Why do you need Customer Success in your organisation? Here are some reasons:
1. Product Development
Any customer using your product will provide feedback. That feedback, either positive or constructive, is a blessing. You get to receive industry expertise directly from the source. In this regard, the Customer Success Manager's goal is to receive and centralize that feedback and pass it over to the Product Team.
2. A single point of contact
A Customer Success Manager acts as a bridge between the customers and your internal teams, engaging all necessary resources to keep your customers updated on their requests' status and help with any inquiry they might have. This avoids friction and confusion about whom your customers need to contact for diverse inquiries, such as billing, technical, commercial or legal.
3. Customer Retention
Customer retention is a natural effect of a well-done Customer Success job. An extraordinary customer experience that will ensure your customers' loyalty can be accomplished by: creating long-term relationships with your customers, building trust by being proactive and walking the extra mile for them, and supporting your customers while helping them realize the value your product brings to their business (using metrics, KPIs.).
4. Customer Acquisition
Customer Acquisition Costs are high. And the budget needs to go in the right direction. But how can you ensure that, besides prospecting for leads and market research? Having a Customer Success Manager who can create Customer Success Stories, share them with the Marketing team, and ask your customers for referrals is one way of properly targeting your audience with Marketing Campaigns.
5. Growth - Upsell, cross-sell, expansions
Establishing a solid relationship with your customers can bring enough opportunities for upselling, cross-selling, and expanding the partnership. A happy customer will always seek solutions to his problems in the same place he already found solutions for other issues. Customer Success is not a Cost Center; it can bring you extra revenue if done correctly.
6. Partnership balance
Customer Success Managers focus not only on avoiding churn, upselling, or keeping your customers happy. One of the main focuses is to keep a successful partnership, meaning a win-win kind of relationship. Treat your customers as partners, and make sure you nurture every interaction with them.
7. Internal Alignment
Customer Success Managers will 'force' an internal alignment on every customer-related topic: they are Sherlock Holmes-es in disguise. They need to be aware of whatever happens related to the customer inside your company, and they will also inform your teams of customers' news. Having all groups aligned before a customer-facing meeting is mandatory - CS will take care of that.
Last but not least, they're cool. :)
Having someone who understands not only the value of your customers but the value of your product to your customers' businesses is priceless. Incredible opportunities can arise from a well-done Customer Success Management job.
Article written by Delia Visan, Head of Customer Success, Bright Spaces.
