Customer success is a hot job right now. And for good reason: it’s an exciting, challenging role with the potential for significant impact on business outcomes. If you’re looking to land this position, or if you’re already working in customer success and want to take your career to the next level, here are five tips to help you get there.
Own the relationship
While it may seem like a simple thing, many customer success teams don’t take ownership of their role in the customer relationship. They think of themselves as agents of change, or they see themselves as “just” answering questions. But this doesn’t do any favors for your customers or yourself. Your job is to cultivate relationships with your customers and understand what it means for them to succeed.
Become masterful at listening
The second tip is to become masterful at listening. This might sound obvious, but it’s a skill that many of you neglect to hone. Listening is not a talent; it’s a learned habit that you can practice over time.The best way to improve your ability to listen is by having a healthy self-awareness of your own biases and preconceived notions about customers (and people in general), and then recognizing when those mental models are getting in the way of understanding what someone else is trying to say or feeling.
Go above and beyond for your customers
Your customer is the person who counts the most in your role as a customer success manager (CSM). If they are not satisfied, then they will not be willing to recommend your product or service to others. The key to being a great CSM is going above and beyond for the customer by providing them with everything that they need to grow and succeed with your product or service.
Your customers want updates about their experience with your company, whether it’s through emails or phone calls. They need reassurance that their needs are being met and that you’re there to help them if something goes wrong; so CSMs need to communicate regularly with customers about what’s happening on both sides of the relationship – this fosters trust between CSMs and their clients which leads directly into loyalty from those clients.
Drive to overcome challenges and solve problems quickly
No matter what role you have, or what challenges you face in your job, it’s important to be able to solve problems. If you can’t solve a problem for yourself or others, then no one can get anywhere. You may think this is obvious—but if not handled appropriately and quickly, even the smallest hiccup can turn into an avalanche of issues that takes down the entire company.
Take pride in what you do
Pride is a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one’s achievements, the esteem of others, and/or from characteristics or possessions that are widely admired. Take pride in what you do. When you feel satisfied with your work, it makes the job more enjoyable and meaningful. This leads to better results for yourself and your company. Your customers will appreciate it as well.
Conclusion
Customer success can be a fulfilling career, but it’s not for everyone. If you’re looking for a challenging and rewarding career that allows you to help other people, customer success may be just what you need. Customer success is an exciting field with room for growth; there’s always something new to learn and improve upon.