Custify

Yesterday evening, we had the pleasure of hosting a fantastic event – our first Customer Success reunion in Bucharest. Thank you, Saahil Karkera and CS Connect, for giving us the opportunity to contribute, and to Alexandra Sagaydak - our chapter lead. Here are some things that stuck with us in no particular order ( ... more to come in a dedicated blog article): 💡Empathy Among CS Professionals: It was evident that nobody understands a CS person better than another CS person. Many of us struggle to prove the value of CS to leadership because our work goes beyond what numbers can show. 💡Enhancing Efficiency: Discussions centered around optimizing workloads, such as determining the ideal number of customers per CSM and improving productivity without sacrificing quality customer interactions. 💡Proactive vs. Reactive: For those in startups, the split between support and CS remains a challenge. 💡Sales and CS Relationship: The importance of a strong Sales-to-CS relationship was highlighted. Prioritizing sales to CS handoff processes is crucial. 🔊Alexandra Sagaydak - we are looking forward to the second edition. A huge thank you to all the amazing people who participated. Your insights and energy made the event a breath of fresh air for everyone involved. Anastasia Ceban Christiana Vajda Cristina Moise (Rotari) Daniela Roman Diana Gogolan Ina Gladii Noa Lupu Olivia Dragnea Rami Kasasbeh Victor Enea Tetiana Sviridova Hiba Mohammad Valentin Dobrota Pierre de Bozzi 🇫🇷🇷🇴

Love this 😂 What’s in a CSM Daily Serving? Happy Friday everyone! (photo credit: TeePublic)

What can 2,500 SaaS companies tell you about growth in 2024 and beyond? → Focus on your existing customers. We collaborated on ChartMogul’s latest SaaS Retention Report. The message is clear: → ‘New business’ is slowing down across SaaS. More than ever, growth is about: - Retention. - Expansion. - Sustainability. 6 insights you need to know from the report: 1. New business is slowing down. ↳ Shift focus to existing customers. 2. Retention is critical. ↳ In 2024, 40% of growth for $15M-30M+ ARR companies is from expansion. 3. Achieving 100%+ NRR is harder. ↳ Balance new business and retention for 100% NRR. 4. Companies with ≥100% NRR grow at 48% year-over-year. ↳ This is DOUBLE the speed of lower NRR companies. 5. NRR depends on ARR, ARPA, ‘AND’ subscriber count. ↳ More subscribers make 100% NRR harder. 6. Growth rates are similar regardless of subscriber base size. ↳ Focus on retention as you scale. Retention strategies are more important than ever. They drive growth. They ensure sustainability. NRR is now the most vital metric for sustaining growth in 2024 and beyond. Dive into the report to learn more 👇

What to Look for When Hiring a CSM (To build a strong customer success team) Hiring the right CSM = Key to customer satisfaction and retention. Which of course leads to revenue growth. It has never been more important to hire the right people. Break the cycle of bad hires. Look for these 3 things in the best CSMs: 1. Engagement is vital. A good CSM shows up prepared. They do their homework. This means they research the company and understand its data. If they prepare for the interview, they'll prepare for customer meetings too. 2. Being data-driven is non-negotiable. Customer Success is not just about soft skills. It's about understanding and using data. Data tells the real story of customer behaviour and success. A CSM must live and breathe data. 3. Experience with ambiguity and customer-facing roles is important. This could be experience in a related industry or a similar role. They should understand complex and ambiguous situations. This helps them relate to customers better. Love this from Parul Bhandari 👇

Customer Success is the silent architect. It turns good products into great ones. Here are 5 reasons why: 1. Feedback-Driven Development: CS teams collect customer insights. These insights guide product decisions. This makes products more aligned with what customers want. It’s a shift from the old ways where the product team sat in a silo. 2. Challenges and Solutions: As CS grows in influence, communication gaps can appear. To fix this, companies need better collaboration between CS and product teams. Regular meetings and shared goals help. This ensures customer feedback is effectively used in product planning. 3. Customer-Centric Development: CS teams push for a customer-first approach. They create a seamless feedback system. This system channels customer input directly to product teams. It ensures that products meet customer needs. 4. Case Studies and Recommendations: Some companies do this well. They assign CS managers to product teams. They create Customer Advisory Boards. They maintain regular communication. This way, customer insights are continuously integrated into the product roadmap. 5. Automated Insights Integration: Some companies use automated systems. These systems streamline feedback integration. They ensure valuable insights aren’t missed. This enhances collaboration and creates a responsive feedback loop. Customer Success is vital in product development. It leverages customer insights. This leads to user-centred products. It improves customer satisfaction. It drives better business outcomes. Learn how CS teams can better influence the product roadmap 👇

How important do you think employee satisfaction is to a company's success? - 59% of employees are more likely to stay if satisfied - Attrition affects morale and customer engagement If you want a better impact on revenue, De'Edra's recommendation is to focus on the three Cs: 1) Clear path to success 2) Clear understanding of employee motivations 3) Clear communication of metrics and expectations Find out how focusing on these elements can transform your team's performance and drive revenue growth 👇

Customer Success isn’t just important; it's where 90% of the revenue is. Maximizing customer success requires specific, actionable traits. But what's the blueprint? Here's the top 13 pillars to boost customer success: → Proactive Engagement: Anticipate customer needs before they ask. → Personalized Support: Tailor solutions to individual clients. → Consistent Communication: Keep customers informed at all times. → Data-Driven Insights: Use data to understand and predict behaviour. → Seamless Onboarding: Make the first experience smooth and easy. → Continuous Education: Provide ongoing training and resources. → Feedback Loops: Listen and act on customer feedback. → Value Reinforcement: Regularly show the value of your product. → Problem Resolution: Quickly address and solve issues. → Relationship Building: Build strong, trust-based relationships. → Customer Advocacy: Turn satisfied customers into advocates. → Usage Monitoring: Track and encourage product usage. → Success Metrics: Measure and celebrate customer success. These are the non-negotiables for those who not only aim to retain customers - But to turn them into lifelong partnerships. #CustomerSuccess

What’s one of the most important skills in customer success? Curiosity. But what does this really mean? A CSM’s role is to: - understand customer needs - build strong relationships - solve problems All by digging deeper and asking the right questions. Curiosity is essential. It drives a deeper understanding of customer needs, Which is crucial for building consultative relationships. CSMs achieve this by: 1. Inquisitive Mindset: ↳ CSMs constantly seek to understand why customers use a product and what problems it solves. ↳ This mindset goes beyond basic "know your clients" and helps in offering tailored solutions. 2. Active Listening: ↳ Instead of just hearing, CSMs actively listen to customers to grasp their true requirements. ↳ This builds trust and shows customers that their needs are genuinely valued. 3. Storytelling: ↳ CSMs use storytelling to connect with customers, making interactions more engaging and relatable. ↳ This approach helps in creating a narrative that aligns with the customer's journey and needs. Lacking curiosity is a CSMs downfall. → A CSM who lacks curiosity often misses the deeper needs of customers. → This can lead to superficial interactions and missed opportunities for deeper engagement. This includes: → Surface-Level Questions: ↳ When CSMs ask only basic questions, they fail to uncover the real issues customers face. ↳ This leads to generic solutions that may not fully address customer pain points. → Reactive Approach: ↳ A CSM who only reacts to issues as they arise, rather than proactively seeking to understand customer needs, misses the chance to provide exceptional service. ↳ This can result in customer dissatisfaction and churn. → Lack of Engagement: ↳ Minimal curiosity can lead to disengaged interactions, making customers feel undervalued and unheard. ↳ This decreases customer satisfaction and weakens the relationship. Understanding what curiosity means in CS can transform customer relationships. Want a deep dive on curiosity? Hear more from our conversation with Ellie Yates 👇 #CustomerSuccess

Unresponsive customers are a major churn risk. But the right customer engagement strategy will keep you on track. Here’s why customers might not respond: → They are too busy with their own tasks. → Their contact person left the company. → They are waiting for internal approvals. → They might be avoiding you due to dissatisfaction. But this lack of engagement negatively impacts retention: - It creates communication gaps. - It delays project timelines. - It leads to customer churn. So, how do you re-engage customers the right way? We cover everything you need to know 👉 https://lnkd.in/dGv_VNWa #CustomerSuccess

A customer exit interview is a process. It’s more than just a goodbye. It’s a chance to learn and improve. → Understand why clients leave. Exit interviews reveal the reasons why a customer leaves. This feedback highlights areas for improvement. → Gather valuable feedback. Detailed feedback helps you improve products and services. It addresses issues that may have caused dissatisfaction. → Prevent negative reviews. Proactively addressing concerns can protect your reputation. It stops negative word-of-mouth. → Improve customer retention. Insights from exit interviews refine retention strategies. It reduces the cost of acquiring new customers. → Choose the right channel. Select the best method for the interview: in-person, video call, phone, email, or live chat. Match the channel to the customer relationship. → Conduct interviews promptly. Interview customers soon after they decide to leave. Fresh feedback is more relevant and actionable. → Design effective questions. Tailor questions to gather specific insights. Ask about communication, product satisfaction, and suggestions for improvement. → Practice active listening. Listen to the customer’s feedback without interrupting. Focus on understanding, not convincing them to stay. → Show appreciation. Thank customers for their participation. Convey the importance of their feedback. → Analyse the data. Combine feedback with other business data. Identify actionable insights and areas for improvement. → Manage negative feedback. Address issues raised during the interview. Mitigate negative word-of-mouth and improve the company's reputation. Exit interviews can turn losses into opportunities. Learn how to do them effectively 👇 #CustomerSuccess