Customer Success is an Ideal Growth Engine for the Modern Selling Environment
For even the most mature companies, new customer acquisition remains a critical driver of revenue growth. However, given the increasingly challenging outbound selling environment and buyers’ decreased desire to interact with salespeople, most companies can no longer afford to have Customer Success teams focus solely on customer onboarding and retention. While acting as the voice of the customer to Account and Product Management teams remains important, Customer Success Reps need to take a more proactive role in generating revenue. Fortunately, those who are granted proper resources and training are well-positioned to do so.
When Done the Proper Way, Customer Success and Sales Go Hand-in-Hand
Customers are naturally inclined to be skeptical of the motives of even the most well-intentioned Account Managers whose roles involve (and should involve) both retaining and growing business across their customer accounts. While Accounts Managers should adopt a customer-centric approach and take an active part in the successful implementation of existing services, few will be viewed in the same light by customers as a knowledgeable and responsive Customer Success Manager who solves day-to-day issues and takes a lead role in value realization.
What many companies and Customer Success leaders don’t fully comprehend is that the most valuable Customer Success Representative-both to their company and its customers-is one that takes a proactive approach to introducing customers to additional ways in which their company can serve them. Because customers already view Customer Success Reps as problem solvers, they are ideally positioned to present creative solutions to solving additional problems that customers may or may not fully realize they have.
Customer Success Need Not Abandon Its Core Mandate to Serve Customers
Whether it’s a fear of being perceived as too “salesy”, a lack of confidence in their abilities, or a combination thereof, Customer Success Reps often have an aversion to selling. Many chose Customer Success as a career path because they enjoy working directly with customers but explicitly do not want to be in sales and freely accept lower earning potential to avoid it. However, they need not fear being more actively involved in helping their colleagues sell.
While focusing on a customer’s immediate concerns should be the focus of interactions, when new opportunities to address customer goals or challenges arise, Customer Success Reps should use what they learn from said interactions to present new ideas. Using customer input as a direct vehicle to make recommendations is important. Language such as “Because you mentioned that you are seeking to address X and I’ve been involved in helping other customers successfully do so, you may want to learn more about Y (product/service). Would it be helpful if we scheduled a call with your Account Manager to determine if it makes sense for you to evaluate it?” represents a customer-centric way to generate initial interest.
Adequate Training-and Compensation-Can Help CS Reps Reach Their Full Potential
As someone who delivers sales training and coaching for a living, I have seen first-hand how programs tailored to the needs of Customer Success Reps can help arm them with the confidence, commercial awareness, and skills required to be more impactful in generating revenue. Chief Revenue Officers and Vice Presidents of both Sales and Customer Success should acknowledge the potential inherent in Customer Success teams and invest accordingly.
In order for Customer Success Reps to avoid damaging the natural advantage they have relative to Account Managers in terms of customer perception, it’s critical that they don’t get involved in pricing discussions or processing of transactions. At the same time, tying their variable compensation not only to metrics such as retention rates and net promoter scores, but also account revenue growth, can be a powerful means of motivating them to adopt a more proactive role in selling. Just remind them that “selling done right” is about what they are already supposed to be doing-serving customers.
