The job of CSMs (Customer Success Managers) is not easy. They receive truckloads of information that needs to be figured out quickly. However, with the help of intelligent customer success software like SmartKarrot, their workload gets reduced drastically. This write-up deals with two things:
- Criteria to select the best customer success software
- Implementation of the customer success software in an effective manner
So, let us kick-start with the criteria to select the best customer success software.
Top questions that will help you select the best customer success software
Check whether it can calculate account health?
Customer success software combines the holistic views of ticketing systems, CRM, product, billing, and more. You need to see if the customer success software can calculate account health. Account health is about alerts, milestones, account health scores, usage scores, frequency scores, and more. At SmartKarrot, we have alerts to tell what features of the product are being used. This helps customer success managers know what to do, why, and achieve well-defined goals. This brings information to the attention of the CSM.
Does it contain the option of including playbooks to simplify the function of CSMs (Customer Success Managers)?
Playbooks are essential to a customer success manager’s workflow. They help deliver success to the customers. Playbooks at SmartKarrot are easy to use, self-explanatory, and help you make the right decisions. You can check if the business has delivered the impact, configured the system, adopted product features, and measure success.
Like what you are reading?
Sign up for our newsletter
Does it have enough automation features to support CS (Customer Success) executives?
Customer success platforms also need to look for automation features that will be beneficial. Automation needs to be inbuilt to lead to impressive results. You can automate account alerts, actions, notifications, surveys, communication, referrals and bring efficiency.
Are there any integrations included in it?
Does the customer success platform have the potential to bring about custom fields? How flexible is the platform with regard to data, rules, and regulations? If the integrations are bad, managing and maintaining them becomes an extra task. SmartKarrot integrates with salesforce, Google, asana, Jira, Zendesk, stripe, Freshdesk, HubSpot, Slack, and Microsoft.
Does it provide the capability of segmenting the accounts automatically?
Segmentation of accounts will happen with the right automation and integrations. Accounts need to be segmented automatically. A trial account that regularly uses the features can be automatically moved to the converting segment. This will then require the CSM to work on closing the deal.
The customer success tool needs to come from a passionate team ready to expand and update regularly. The product needs regular updates and improvements- better monitoring, reporting, and reacting.
All these questions, when honestly answered, will help you select the right customer success software.
Now that you have learned the criteria to select the best customer success software, the next massive thing I will address is pretty big from the standards of a customer success manager (CSM), i.e., effectively executing the customer success software.
So, let us deal with this next.
Implementation of the customer success software in an effective manner
Customer success software implementation needs to be carefully considered and strategically planned. One can take some key steps to ensure the customer success implementation is done well.
Appoint a system admin to decipher customer datapoints
A customer success management software needs to have a system administrator to improve the decision-making process. You need to invest resources, time, and energy in administering a system leader to make sense of multiple data points. If a team does not maintain your CS (Customer Success) software, it can be tough to deliver results. This will also solve technical issues and ensure there is a successful implementation of the solution.
Train your executives to become acquainted with the customer success software
Invest in training your customer success managers on how to use the software. Many users fail to understand and make sense of the customer success software. This can lead to churn in a manner. If your executives are trained, they will help users make better sense of the product. Poor training and lack of understanding can lead to low success levels, delays, low optimum levels of CS (Customer Success) processes and product misusage.
Outsource third-party to handle customer success software when manpower is insufficient
If you feel that the customer success software implementation needs more people, outsource it. Overworking staff can lead to dismal results. Outsourcing is the best option for increased efficiency, variable capacity, more flexibility, better skills, and increased focus. Outsourcing also saves time and improves focus on core areas and disciplines for better results.
You need to keep your CS (Customer Success) team aware of the latest system updates and improvements. For example, a new feature in the software can be highlighted, marked, and sent in the internal communication. This enables CS (Customer Success) managers to understand the feature, learn the configurations, and ensure that customers receive that product education. This is important to keep the entire system organized and updated.
Final Thoughts
Are you aware that your customer success software implementation sets the tone for the rest of the onboarding process? I can tell you with experience in the CS (Customer Success) field – do take adequate time to get your data, integrations, and workflows right.
Implementation is not the right time for you to experiment with something new. You need to go with the tried-and-tested.
An investment in CSM software is a big one, and your CS (Customer Success) executives depend upon it to get timely, accurate, and essential information in one place.
You definitely want to make the right decision while selecting the right customer success platform.
Dattatraya Shetty is an IT Professional with 2 Decades of experience in areas of Product Development, Implementation & Service Delivery Management. As the Head of Implementations and SOC Compliance in Smartkarrot he is on a mission to provide relishing customer experience.
Published January 31, 2022, Updated May 14, 2024
