While B2B marketing teams are busy developing ways to optimize the customer experience for their B2C clients’ customers, it can be easy to forget about doing the same for the clients themselves.
That is where an enterprising Customer Success Manager comes in. This lynchpin performer speaks C-suite as well as tech. If they don’t know the answer, they know how to get it. They are a strategic possibility thinker who can easily travel from the cubicle to the conference room to the negotiating table.
1. Requirements gathering
“Clients want a reliable contact who will get in the trenches with them and act as an extension of their business,” says lighting industry sales leader Mara Racicot. You can only do this by listening to understand the client’s needs. Get to know them—and your team’s value—so well that you can anticipate their needs.
2. Establish trust
Getting to know a prospective client also means getting to know their network. People like to do business with people they know. Do your research, and mine networks—your own and those of your team—for mutual connections. Who will speak well of your company’s talented experts and previous work?
3. Account management
The formula for successful account management includes empathy, integrity, and problem solving. Take your understanding of the client’s needs and pair that with the expertise and service you offer. Also, keep meticulous notes, be proactive, and follow through to create plans that are virtually problem-free.
4. Identify new business
Keep learning new things, with energy and enthusiasm. Someone who does this is highly visible—attending (or presenting) at conferences, serving on committees and boards. This builds reputation, expands networks, and increases opportunities to provide value. “Striving to be the Beyoncé of your industry–both talented at your craft and well known–” writes Molly Beck in her book, Reach Out, “will help make you top of mind enough for decision makers and fans alike that you can achieve your own version of headlining the Super Bowl.”
5. Promote the value of your internal talent
Clients will be much more comfortable signing off on a lengthy list of technical jargon if someone they know can put it into language they can understand. This can take some time and effort, but it is a worthwhile investment. It is an opportunity to educate clients, and your tech team will grow professionally and gain a better understanding of how their talents benefit clients.
Stand out by employing a standout
A company that has created the Customer Success Manager position is accessible and builds business by listening and delivering results. Such a company keeps an eye on the future, evolves, and stands apart by combining superior services with relationship building and collaborating.
Sandy Lashin-Curewitz 