Customer Success teams continually strive to advocate for their significance, often finding themselves undervalued by other departments.
Heads of Customer Success are no strangers to this feeling, and while the importance of their roles is crystal clear to them, they sometimes feel isolated in this perspective.
This sentiment isn’t a reflection of their desire to be recognized, but rather stems from a lack of knowing how to communicate the value they bring. After all, how can you start a conversation if you don’t even know where to begin?
Customer Success is more than just retention; it’s a driving force behind an organization’s growth, operational efficiency, and long-term vision.
Yet, despite its pivotal role, why is it that its impact often remains unseen by others? Johan and I recently delved into this topic on Episode 44 of the Impact Weekly podcast, and if you’ve ever felt your efforts in customer success go unnoticed, read on for some insights and solutions.
Customer Success Podcast: Impact Weekly Episode 44
If you want to go deep on this topic, listen to this episode of our Customer Success podcast, Impact Weekly, that comes out every Wednesday. You can listen below or on your favorite podcast app:
Sales: A Parallel Universe for Customer Success
Sales teams possess a natural knack for highlighting their importance. They’re front and center, often the face of revenue generation.
But isn’t Customer Success equally vital? While Sales is dependent on factors like the product, marketing, and other business elements, they never shy away from addressing any issues those other departments are responsible for that would hinder attaining their goals, whether it’s approaching the product team for improvements or nudging marketing for better leads.
For Customer Success to truly shine, it needs to embrace this proactive approach.
Take charge, set the narrative, and ensure everyone comprehends its significance. It’s about assuming the helm, just as sales does.
Advocacy: The Power Tool for Change
When it comes to getting people – and the leaders of the other departments in your company are actually people, too – I cannot overstate the importance of positive advocacy.
Instead of starting conversations highlighting issues or challenges, it’s pivotal to lead with positivity.
As with products, where it’s encouraged to discuss the latest features or functionalities, customer success can and should highlight its latest successes and achievements.
Engage with the recent, resonate with the present, and establish a dialogue. By doing so, you not only position your team at the forefront but also pave the way for constructive communication.
The Role of Finance in Understanding Customer Success
At first glance, finance might seem disconnected from the world of Customer Success.
Yet, they’re more intertwined than you’d think. A very basic idea is that a successful customer is often a timely paying customer, making cash flow smoother.
It’s a domino effect. When customers perceive value, they commit, and this commitment directly impacts the financial health of the company.
Sharing these insights with the finance department can bolster the interdependency between the two.
The Undeniable Link Between Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success
While Customer Success contributes immensely to acquisition, modern Sales and marketing teams need to acknowledge this dynamic.
By providing Sales with detailed insights about thriving customers, their characteristics, and their product usage patterns, Customer Success can drastically change the sales narrative.
It’s not just about providing feedback; it’s about fostering a partnership where each team amplifies the other.
Leadership: Crafting the Future Narrative
The C-suite or leadership team operates on a different wavelength.
Their concerns revolve around overarching business goals, often summed up as metrics or KPIs.
For Customer Success to resonate with them, we suggest a bold approach: set a target, craft a robust plan, and communicate it.
Just as sales would do.
By setting tangible goals and showcasing a roadmap to achieve them, customer success can firmly establish its place at the executive table.
Make an Impact… Weekly
Don’t miss out on the insights that could revolutionize your partner relationships. Ensure you’re at the forefront of customer success management by subscribing to our Impact Weekly podcast.
Every Wednesday, we delve into a new aspect of customer and partner success, equipping you with the knowledge you need to thrive in the multi-channel landscape. Subscribe now, and let’s keep learning together.
About Lincoln Murphy