5 controversial secrets of customer success

5 Controversial “Secrets”

Customer Success for StartupsSeed|Series A|BVenk Chandran

@venkchandran

The “5” (+ Bonus)

1. Are you asking the right question?2. Scale First3. 1:1 Relationships are Overrated4. Dog Food is Delicious5. It’s Not Free6. Bonus: You’re Not Measuring Enough7. Bonus: Customer Success is a Product

1. Are you asking the right question

Stop Asking : ‘How’s it going’

It has little meaning

Ask Transformational Questions!

What Do You Want Your Customers To Become?

Rypple/Work.com

Data.com

Analytics

How do you create a culture of coaching and feedback?

What If you could find your ideal customer?

What if everyone could ask questions and get insights into your business?

They help you define the ‘End State’

First Launch

Small Cohort of power users

Behaviors defined

Behaviors embedded into

Business

Organizational Momentum

Organizational DNA

Example: Work.com

Recognition

Coaching with managers

Behaviors defined

Embed into Onboarding/P

erformance Management

Introduce into other

divisions

DNA: Metrics based

Coaching/Performance

2. Scale Early

Programs at Scale

• Your Customer Community• Automated Email Campaigns• Webinars / Office Hours• Inspiring Assets– Tear sheets– Playbooks– Explainer Videos

Why Scale Early?

• Fast(er) / Broader Feedback cycles• Save time on outreach & onboarding• Increase customer engagement• Reduce Escalations

4 Tips for Scale

• Auto-enroll whenever possible• Market the Experience in the Sales Process• Customers should be clear on:– Cadence– Responsibilities– Outcomes

3. Relationships are Overrated

Precision Engagement

Month 1

Month 2

Month 3

Month 4

Month 5

Month 6

Month 7

Month 8

Month 9

Month 10

Month 11

Month 12

New Customer Onboarding

Assessment [FA+4]

Renewal Conversation [T-4]Adoption Program 2

Contract End Date

Mobile Adoption

*Yes you can do all of this in Salesforce

Account Coverage:

Segment Contract Value Customers Delivery Model

Ratio (Ideal)

VIP/Flagship/Red Account $1M+ 4 1:1 1:5

Enterprise $500K-$1M 10 Pooled / 1:1 1:10Mid-Market $200K-$500K 50 Pooled

SMB $50K-$200K 100 Scale programs N/AESMB $0-$50K 200 Scale Programs N/A

1:1 is an Exception. Not the rule!

Properly Rated

4. Your Dog Food is Delicious

Share how you use your own product with customers

Salesforce on Salesforce

5. It’s not Free

Package and Price Early

• Package customer success:– Bundle hours– Key activities– Scale programs

• Use it to qualify value/ economics• Easily ‘negotiated’ line item

Contracts Matter

• Auto-Renew • Cancellations = Engagement• Drive Trust

Recap

1. Are you asking the right question?2. Scale First3. 1:1 Relationships are Overrated4. Dog Food is Delicious5. It’s Not Free6. Bonus: You’re Not Measuring Enough7. Bonus: Customer Success is a Product

6. Bonus: You’re probably Not Measuring Enough

Metrics: Properly Rated

• Understand your ‘Product’• Reduce Churn• Increase Revenue opportunities• Understand Customer Happiness

Metrics that Matter

Leading• Deal Score/ Revenue at Risk• Account Coverage Ratios• Scale Programs

– Webinar attendance– Email Open Rates– Community Engagement

• Product Usage– Customer Happiness: Cohort

Analysis

Lagging• Reference-able Customers• Renewals (Churn)

– $Contracts– # Customers

• Secondary Revenue– + Licences– + Services

• Reference-able Customers

Cohort Analysis for Customer Success

Source: Forentrepeneurs

Tip: Instrument Everything. Focus on “1”

• You don’t know what you need tomorrow• Product/Engineering metrics

6. Bonus: Customer Success is a Product

Customer Success as a Product Team

Current Experiment Observations:

• Program/Product Development• Better Internal Alignment• VIP Customers are Epics• Increased team engagement

KANBAN + SPRINTS

Thanks.@venkchandran