The Customer Success Manager is the one assigned by Commercial management to the client after both parties have agreed to close the deal. This is when a CSM’s work begins. They are the ones who work with the client to help them understand and learn the product (or service) from inside out. Further, it can be said that this role acts as a bridge between the Technical Support and the Sales teams.
Note that the CSM’s job does not entail providing Technical Support in cases of bugs / system limitations or in terms of straight selling. It is to ensure that the customer has all their needs met about Confirmit products and / or services rendered.
A CSM must possess strong Project Management skills and should know the right people from the right groups (i.e., Sales, Services, Product, or Technical Support) to involve at the right times. CSM’s need to maintain a proactive approach with their client base and meet potential business risks head on. Above all else – it is imperative that a CSM have an extremely high Emotional Intelligence quotient. Emotional empathy and client understanding is what makes “success” a possibility. It should be the foundation of every interaction.
Below are eight key responsibilities that all Confirmit CSM’s should have in their arsenal.
Develops Healthy Customer Relationship
The CSM’s create engagement strategies with clients to develop a professional relationship through the provision of product and operational services, training, and customer services. It is the role of the CSMs to create and maintain long-lasting and healthy relationships with customers.
Enhances Customer Training
Customer Success Training involves visiting customers and scheduling webex’s / conference calls that give them customized training on how Confirmit’s products can be used to meet their needs.
Evaluates and Analyzes Customer Needs
The CSM promotes the success of a business by regularly checking on how Confirmit’s products and/or services are meeting the customers’ needs, and whether there are areas for possible improvement.
Builds Trust and Transparency with Clients
A CSM needs to build customer trust. Therefore, transparency is vital as this will invite customers to participate in more internal conversations, giving them insights for recommending a path to value, regardless of whether it includes additional revenue. Being responsible for an element of “Sales” prohibits a CSM from effectively building a solid level of trust.
Onboards New Clients
Customer Onboarding is the most important task and clearly defines a CSM’s success. This is because it is incredibly essential to educate customers on how to use our products and should focus on features they need to learn and on projects they aim to complete. This way, they can get up to speed as fast as possible and be one step closer to achieving their goals.
Acts as a Customer Advocate
A CSM is a customer’s advocate and is responsible for ensuring customer feedback is heard and acted upon. This involves regular and active communication channels to the Product Team so that client needs are appropriately heard and assessed.
Encourages Customers to Upgrade their Products
With an in-depth understanding of customer needs, CSM’s can identify opportunities for Confirmit to provide additional services. They are also able to bring these opportunities to customers’ attention and intersect with customers’ particular demands.
Effective Internal Communication
It is the CSM’s duty to effectively communicate back to the Sales Team on a regular basis to provide clear customer intent for the future. Cross-selling / upselling opportunities should be brought to Sales’ attention immediately for further action.
Promotes Customer Loyalty
It is the CSM’s job to create customer loyalty and retain them; hence renewals are vital for this position. They should be able to keep track of customer product expiration dates and follow up with customers to renew their contracts.