Most organizations understand the importance of having good salespeople who can cold call and close a deal. Many salespeople rely on the quote “When you have the sale - stop talking”. The idea is that if you stop talking you don’t give the prospect any more reason to doubt their yes.
While that is great in terms of getting that initial sale, most companies want to keep that customer or client long term. They also want that customer to buy additional products and services and to refer friends, family and colleagues. Acquiring a new customer is hard and requires a lot of time and effort. Arguably more attention should be paid to retaining that customer and even making them an advocate for your product or service.
Much like a marriage that fails when one spouse feels that their needs are no longer being met, customers who feel your product or service is no longer meeting their needs will be ripe for plucking by - you guessed it - a really good salesperson from a competitor. Not only may they leave, but they will very likely tell their friends and colleagues why they left to convince themselves they made the logical decision.
This situation can be predicted and avoided with good customer service. Most companies have a department to help ensure that they retain customers who have already expressed dissatisfaction. Sometimes this department is called customer happiness or customer retention. This is a last ditch effort by the company to salvage the relationship, much like going to a marriage counselor.
Many companies these days have instituted a role or department called Customer Success which is in charge of making sure that customers get the best use out of the product or software and stay satisfied. The Customer Success Manager unlike the salesperson, is tasked with continuing that conversation, staying in touch with current customers, making sure their needs are met, introducing them to additional features and benefits and basically keeping them satisfied. They pick up where the salesperson stops talking.
CSM’s can help customers grow along with the company and ensure that the customer is up to speed on any new products or solutions with additional training or demonstrations. CSM’s also have regular check-ins and get feedback from their customers which they then share with other internal teams to help guide company strategy by being the voice of the customer. The customer then feels that the company cares about their success not just the initial sale. Their needs are being met. There is a relationship. These successful customers do not need to go to the retention department, and they may actually become evangelists for the company. Just like in a successful marriage where the spouses grow together over the years, the combination of skills a Customer Success Manager brings can ensure a long and happy relationship!
Deb Kaminetzky is a former divorce attorney who pivoted to marketing in the tech industry in 2019.
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