Hi there, welcome to the ship of knowledge, where we’ll sail through the wavy seas of customer success teams and how to create one for your business. But first of all, let’s understand what customer success is. So, brace yourself for some mind-blowing revelations and read on!
What is Customer Success?
Imagine you walk into a coffee shop, order a latte, and the barista asks, “Would you like a free cookie with that?” You’re already satisfied with your purchase, but the free cookie made your day! That, my friend, is customer success – It’s the extra mile you go to make your customer’s day and leave a lasting impression they’ll tell their friends about. But it’s much more than just offering a free cookie!
Customer success is not a destination; it’s a journey. It is the art and science of helping customers achieve their desired outcomes with your product or service. It’s about building relationships and ensuring that your customers are happy and successful in their endeavors. To thrive in today’s competitive landscape, it’s a necessity that each business must adopt a customer success mindset and strategy.
In a customer success journey, the customer remains at the center. A customer success team will be there every step of the way, from onboarding to ongoing support, to ensure the customer achieves success. This could include personalized training sessions, check-ins to ensure customers meet their goals and additional resources to help them succeed.
Now that you are familiar with the term customer success, let’s jump on to the crux of our discussion i.e. Customer Success Team. Read further!
What Does A Customer Success Team Do?
Customer success teams are the unsung heroes who are the driving force behind creating happy customers! A customer success team is the backbone of any successful business, and they are dedicated to ensuring that customers not only achieve their goals but surpass them.
Imagine them being the superheroes of the business world, always ready to leap into action and solve any problem that may come their way. They act as a bridge between customers and the company, drive business growth and monitor customer feedback.
The responsibilities of a customer success team can vary from company to company, but here are a few key activities they typically engage in:
1. Onboarding
One of the primary responsibilities of a customer success team is to help new customers get started with a product or service. They ensure that the customer understands the product’s features and how to use them effectively. For instance, the customer success team at Canva, a graphic design platform, offers tutorials and video courses to help new customers get started.
2. Proactive Support
A customer success team doesn’t just wait for customers to reach out with issues. Instead, they take a proactive approach and reach out to customers to ensure their satisfaction with the product or service. This can include providing tips and tricks to help customers get more value out of the product.
But it’s not just about solving problems – building strong customer relationships is equally important. By doing so, they increase the chances of retention. So don’t stop here; scroll down to check out other critical responsibilities given below.
3. Relationship Building
Relationship building goes beyond providing excellent customer service; it’s about creating a partnership that benefits both parties. Not only do a customer success team work with its customers to identify their needs and goals, but they also help them find the best ways to achieve them. And just like building a sandcastle, building a strong relationship with your customer takes time, effort, and communication. But trust me, the end result is worth it – a successful business and a happy customer.
4. Retention
A customer success team ensures that customers are happy with their products and is key to boosting a company’s profits.
Take this statistic – according to a study by Harvard Business Review, acquiring a new customer can cost up to five times more than retaining an existing one. That’s where a customer success team comes in, working tirelessly to address any issues or concerns that customers may have and ultimately keeping them coming back for more.
And here’s another fun fact: a 2% increase in customer retention can have the same effect as cutting costs by 10%. That’s right, simply by keeping your customers happy and returning for more, you can save big bucks. That means having a top-notch customer success team is important for keeping your customers happy and crucial for your business’s bottom line.
In fact, according to a survey by Hubspot, 93% of customers are more likely to make repeat purchases with 1companies that provide exceptional customer service. That’s why a customer success team is necessary for any business that wants to succeed in today’s competitive market.
So, if you want to ensure your customers are happy and your business is thriving, ensure you have a stellar customer success team. And now that we have a better understanding of the responsibilities of a customer success team let’s explore the pillars that support their success. Get ready to discover the key elements – in the next section – that make up a thriving customer success team and how they work together to create exceptional customer experiences.
The Pillars of the Customer Success Team
Are you ready to learn about the pillars of customer success? These are the foundational principles businesses follow to keep their customers happy, satisfied, and loyal. Think of them as the sturdy legs of a table that support everything else. Without them, everything falls apart!
When businesses follow these pillars, they can create a culture of success that benefits everyone involved. And when customers feel involved and secure, they return for more. It’s like a magical cycle of happiness! So, here are the pillars of the customer success team:
1. Operationalize Customer Lifecycle
Operationalizing the customer lifecycle means understanding the stages a customer goes through, from onboarding to retention and renewal, and having processes to address their needs at each stage. Your team needs to be able to guide the customer through each stage, anticipate their needs, and help them overcome any obstacles that may arise.
For example, if a customer has trouble using a product, the customer success team can provide training or support resources to help them overcome obstacles.
2. Manage Customer Risk
The second pillar is managing customer risk. Let’s face it; life is full of risks. A customer success team needs to identify potential issues that may cause a customer to churn and address them proactively so that the customer feels safe and secure when using your product. Think about it like driving a car – you want your customers to feel like they’re in a sturdy, reliable vehicle that will get them where they need to go without any trouble.
Managing customer risk is just the beginning when it comes to the pillars of the customer success team. In the next paragraphs, we’ll look at how demonstrating value, driving explanation, and enabling cross-functional visibility can take your team to the next level. Keep reading to uncover these amazing elements.
3. Demonstrate Value
Customers need to know they’re getting their money’s worth, right? Your customer success team needs to be able to clearly articulate the value that your product provides and show customers how it can make their lives better. The team must continuously prove to the customer that the product or service is worth the investment.
This could involve sharing case studies, testimonials, and success stories with the customer and showing them the impact the product has/had on similar businesses. For instance, if you sell a productivity tool, you might show customers how much time they can save using it.
4. Drive Explanation and Advocacy
The fourth crucial pillar of a customer success team is driving explanation and advocacy. Your customer success team needs to be able to explain your product and advocate for it. This means communicating the benefits of your product to potential customers and turning them into loyal advocates.
The team needs to encourage satisfied customers to share their positive experiences with others, whether it be through reviews, referrals, or social media. This can help attract new customers and increase revenue.
5. Enable Cross-functional Visibility
To enable cross-functional visibility, the customer success team needs to be able to collaborate with other departments within your organization, such as sales, marketing, and product development. By working together, these departments can ensure that customers have the best experience possible and that their needs are met at every stage of the customer lifecycle. It’s like a symphony orchestra – everyone must play their part to create a beautiful melody.
Software tools like bit.ai can prove to be a great help in establishing cross-functional visibility. With Bit.ai, customer success teams can collaborate on documents, share information, and provide real-time updates to other teams, such as design, marketing, and technical support.
There you have it, the pillars of a customer success team. But you may be wondering, why go through the trouble of building one in the first place? The next paragraph will explore the numerous benefits of establishing a customer success team and how it can drive your business to new heights. So stick around, and let’s dive in!
Why Build A Customer Success Team?
You probably understand the importance of keeping your customers happy and successful if you’re here. And let me tell you, you’re not alone. Businesses all over the world are prioritizing customer success now more than ever.
As Jason Lemkin, founder of SaaStr, once said, “Customer Success is where 90% of the revenue is.” And with over 72% of businesses making it their top priority, it’s no wonder why everyone’s trying to get a piece of the pie. So, sit back, relax, and let’s talk about the importance of building a customer success team:
- Customer success helps to increase revenue by enabling customers to obtain more value from products and services. This makes happy customers likelier to refer new customers to the business.
- By focusing on the success of current customers, you can reduce the churn rate and increase customer loyalty. This, in turn, can lead to long-term growth for your business.
- Retaining existing customers is more cost-effective than acquiring new ones. It costs 6-7 times more to acquire a new customer than to keep a current one.
- The longer customers stay with your business, the more they will pay you. Customer success increases Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV) and earns you more revenue from each individual customer.
- Customer success increases the probability of cross-selling and upselling to current customers, increasing revenue.
- A dedicated customer success team ensures your customers receive the attention and support they need to succeed. This leads to greater customer satisfaction and, ultimately, more revenue for your business.
We’ve now established the vital role a customer success team can play in any business. But how can a customer success team make a tangible impact on a company’s success? it’s time to explore some inspiring examples of how companies have implemented successful customer success initiatives.
From the tech industry to retail and beyond, these examples will leave you eager to see what new strategies you can implement in your own business to prioritize your customers’ satisfaction:
- Amazon’s customer success team uses data to personalize the customer experience and recommend relevant products, leading to increased sales and customer satisfaction.
- Salesforce’s customer success team provides ongoing support and training to customers, helping them fully utilize the company’s software and driving customer loyalty.
- Airbnb’s customer success team offers 24/7 support to guests and hosts, resolving issues quickly and ensuring a positive user experience.
- HubSpot’s customer success team offers personalized onboarding and training to customers, helping them get the most out of the company’s marketing and sales software.
- Zappos’ customer success team goes above and beyond to provide exceptional customer service, leading to a loyal customer base and increased sales.
By now, you must have a good idea about the importance of a customer success team. But have you ever wondered what roles make up this team? Stay tuned to delve into customer success roles and discover the key players you need to know about.
Customer Success Roles You Need To Know About
Think of a customer success team as a well-oiled machine with different cogs working together to create a seamless customer experience. Each role is critical to the team’s success, from understanding the customer’s needs to ensuring their satisfaction. Let’s understand the key roles of a customer success team, shall we?
1. Customer Success Manager
The customer success manager is the driving force behind a customer’s success. They’re responsible for building strong relationships with customers, understanding their needs and requirements, and ensuring they’re satisfied with the products or services. For example, a customer success manager in a SaaS company may work closely with customers to help them understand the platform’s features and how they can be used to achieve their business goals.
2. Onboarding Specialist
They are responsible for getting new customers up and running with a product or service. Onboarding specialists ensure a smooth transition from the sales process to using the product or service. For instance, an onboarding specialist in a CRM company may help the new customer set up their account, import their data, and guide them through the platform’s first steps.
3. Technical Support Specialist
Technical support specialists may help customers with any technical issues they encounter while using a product or service. They troubleshoot and resolve issues, escalating them to the relevant team if needed. They assist customers with software installation, configuration, and compatibility issues.
As we wrap up our discussion on the role of Technical Support Specialists, we move forward to discuss other crucial roles in a customer success team. Keep reading to discover more about the key customer success roles you need to know about and how they can help your business thrive.
4. Renewals Specialist
The focus of renewals specialists is ensuring that customers continue using a product or service after their initial contract has expired. They work closely with customers to understand their needs and provide customized solutions that meet their requirements. Like, a renewals specialist in an IT company may work with customers to upgrade their hardware and software licenses to ensure they have the latest technology.
5. Customer Success Operations
Customer success operations are critical in streamlining and optimizing the customer success process. They create and implement processes to improve the customer experience, measure the effectiveness of customer success efforts, and provide insights to the team. For example, a customer success operations specialist in a marketing automation company may analyze customer data to identify trends and make recommendations for improving customer engagement.
6. Data Analyst
The main task of a data analyst is to help customer success teams make data-driven decisions by analyzing customer data and providing insights. They’re responsible for identifying trends, patterns, and anomalies in customer data and providing recommendations for improvement.
7. Customer Success Trainer
As the name suggests, customer success trainers train new and existing customers on effectively using a product or service. They create training materials, conduct training sessions, and provide ongoing support to teach customers to use the product or service best.
Each role plays a vital part in the customer success journey, and their contributions are essential to creating a positive customer experience. So, whether you’re interested in building strong customer relationships, troubleshooting technical issues, or analyzing customer data, there’s a role for you in the world of customer success.
With all this knowledge, you might wonder how to bring all these things together to build an effective customer success team. Well, your wait is over, and the exciting part is building your own customer success team! Move to the next section to unlock the excitement!
How To Build A Customer Success Team?
Building a customer success team is crucial for any business looking to retain and grow its customer base. Here’s a step-by-step process to create a winning customer success team:
1. Understand The Target Customer
The first step in creating a customer success team is understanding your target customer. Identifying their needs, preferences, and pain points will allow you to develop solutions that address their issues. This includes identifying the key metrics for customer success and the team’s goals.
2. Hire Skilled People
Once you’ve identified your target customer, it’s time to hire skilled people. The customer success team should have a mix of technical, communication, and problem-solving skills. They should be able to handle customer queries, identify their needs, and provide the right solutions. Ensure the candidates have the necessary skills and fit your company culture well.
3. Create an Onboarding Process
The Customer onboarding process is also critical to ensure the new hires know your company’s mission, values, and customer success goals. This involves training them on your product or service, understanding your customer’s pain points and preferences, and the best practices for customer communication. This step will enable your team to provide better customer service, leading to happier customers and increased retention rates.
4. Be the Voice of the Customer
To build a successful customer success team, you should always be the voice of the customer. This means collecting customer feedback, analyzing it, and identifying areas for improvement. In doing so, you can develop scalable customer success features that can be implemented across your entire customer base. You can also use this feedback to create better customer support strategies and provide better service.
5. Develop Scalable Customer Success Features
Scalable customer success features are crucial for the long-term success of a business. Developing self-service resources includes providing chatbots or virtual assistants and creating customer service support tickets.
As you continue to build your customer success team, remember the importance of providing self-service resources. But don’t stop there! Join us as we go on to have a detailed analysis of each step involved in creating a great customer success team. And trust me; you’ll thank yourself for this. So, read on.
6. Provide Self-Service Resources
Providing self-service resources is another important step in building a successful customer success team. For this step, you can create comprehensive knowledge bases, video tutorials, and FAQs that your customers can access anytime. This empowers your customers to troubleshoot issues independently, reducing the burden on your customer success team.
7. Customer Success Report
Sending a customer success report card is a great way to keep your customers informed about the progress of their accounts. A customer success report contains key metrics, such as engagement rates, response times, and overall satisfaction levels. Not only does this provide transparency, but it also allows your team to identify areas for improvement.
8. Collaborate With Other Departments
The last step is collaborating with other departments, such as marketing and product development. This can help you create a customer-centric approach to business and ensures that your customer success team has access to the latest product updates and can communicate new features and benefits to your customers.
Wrapping Up
Congratulations, guys! You’ve made it to the end of our guide on how to build a customer success team. You’ve learned about the importance of customer success and how to hire the right people, set goals, and measure success. And now, it’s time to wrap it up with a bang.
To build a successful customer success team, you must create a culture of empathy, creativity, and problem-solving. That secret sauce will help your team go above and beyond for your customers.
And when it comes to keeping your team on the same page, collaborating on projects, and staying organized, there’s no better tool than bit.ai. With its intuitive features, real-time collaboration, and endless customization options, your team can create and share documents, wikis, and project plans like never before.
Building a customer success team is not just about metrics and KPIs. It’s about making people happy and creating meaningful relationships. So, keep that in mind, and always put your customers first.
So, what are you waiting for? Build your dream team and make your customers scream with joy. Let bit.ai be your wingman on this mission!
Further Reads:
Customer Marketing: Definition, Benefits & Strategies!
Customer Journey vs Buyer Journey: The Key Differences!
Customer Segmentation: Definition, Importance, Types & Process
Customer Experience: What is it & How to Deliver it?
Customer Profile: What is it & How to Create it?
