It is no wonder that the new year is the time for setting personal goals. If you are running your own business, it is a great time to look for business goals you want to meet. Focusing your efforts in that direction will be helpful in determining the business value you can get. So, setting your expectations right for the next 12 months is great. One particular goal that all companies can strive for is to boost customer satisfaction. A list of resolutions for customer success managers is great to help them steer in that direction. This list of new year’s resolutions will help customer success managers handle their priorities well for a successful run at the customer front. With the Coronavirus pandemic that has shaken the world in 2020, it is important to look for improvements in customer retention in 2021. Here are 10 New Year’s resolutions for customer success managers in 2021.

Create a customer-centric culture

Customer success needs to have a centric company approach. It is not the job of a single department. It is important for customer success managers to make sure that customer success goals are in line with the overall goals of the company. Having a team whose core mentality is being customer-centric will help improve the customer success process. Every department should be involved in making sure customers achieve their goals with great support and information.

Focus on Customer Journey  

Mapping your customer’s journey is not easy. Customers are unique and have multiple funnels and paths. Focus on different use cases, personas, and customer segments are important. When expectations are defined, it is easier for customer success managers to create desired outcomes for each customer. These unique customer journeys across different touchpoints will make it easier for customer success managers to track.

Keep your data-centered  

To give customers the best experience, customer success managers also need to keep their data centralized. Keeping customer information updated at all times is extremely important to know what they receive in terms of content and the problems they experience. Knowing how they became our customers in the first place, initial steps, testing solutions and more will be helpful in providing information later.

Improve how customer success is measured  

Rethinking customer success metrics can be helpful in driving change. Understand what metrics work for your company in predicting customer behavior. Systems like Net Promoter Score (NPS), customer satisfaction score (CSAT) will help companies track renewals, churn rate, and more. If some standard models are not working for you, it is necessary to try something new. There are many new, innovative ways to get CS and CX data.

Keep track of customer behavior 

Another new aspect of 2021’s New Year’s resolution is to monitor customer behavior. Check-ins and surveys are great ways to monitor customer health and satisfaction. Keeping in mind customer experience metrics, it is necessary to keep customer behavior in track. A complete dashboard of customer data will make it easier to improve the story around customer success.  When you know how customers think, it will become easier to act in a certain manner that suits their persona.

Monitor feedback and take it seriously  

Collect feedback from customers through surveys, or via direct feedback. This will give you an idea of customer health. Once you know what customers think of your product, it is easier to implement tools that will improve the reputation of your business. If the company is customer-centric as discussed, it will become easier to collect the right sentiment analysis. This will help improve data aspects and get the right ammunition for better targeting.

Create an omnichannel customer experience  

Creating an omnichannel customer experience is important. In an omnichannel customer experience, you can make sure all your customer touchpoints are integrated. If your sales, marketing, and customer support are siloed, it will lead to seamless operations. This will improve the customer experience as they feel connected.

Make staying in touch easier  

When customers have issues, they look for answers fast. Average response times will differ depending on the channel. While the average response time needs to be less, it is necessary to not delay more. Did you know that customers aim to get responses within 6 hours of their first message? If you make it easier for customers to stay in touch, they will feel more connected. Imagine getting your complex queries answered quickly- that would help right.

Optimize QBRs  

One thing customer success managers need to do is optimize QBRs. EBRs or QBRs are necessary to get answers to some important questions. Optimizing the QBRs will help create a list of metrics and design an action plan to meet goals. Having a proper workflow will reduce time and show customers you care about their purchases and goals.

Attend an event tailored for the community  

Events and conferences are great opportunities to learn and network. You can become closer to experts in your field, learn amazing tips, best practices, and grow mutually. Events will also help CSMs build their own personal brand and learn via future cooperation. In 2021, customer success managers can try to attend at least one event, maybe even virtually.

Bottom Line: Customer Success Needs to be more than a resolution

Customer success starts with everyone in the company. From the CEO to the employees, the one thing all team members should strive for is long-term, sustainable growth. Making sure the product is delivering the value promised and meeting customer needs is essential to long-term growth. A good customer success manager will look to align resources around the mission of customer success. By being proactive and focused on product adoption, customers can understand the true value of the product.

This 2021, new year’s resolutions for customer success managers need to be focused on protecting and securing renewals, better communication processes, increased upselling, better customer advocacy, and improved customer health. Customer success needs to be looked at as a lifelong journey rather than a single night turnover.

WRITTEN BYKruthan Appanna

Kruthan Appanna is a Customer Success Analyst with 5 years of experience. Passionate about leveraging data-driven insights to drive customer satisfaction and retention. Skilled in building strong client relationships and providing strategic solutions.

• 
• 
• 
• Copy link