Restrictions and regulations are changing quicker than you can imagine. The recent global health concern has caused severe repercussions to our planet. And, in this attack, businesses are under duress as to how should they place their next move. In such a case, the Customer Success niche too is gearing up. This is where remote Customer Success managers come into play.

A CSM’s job implies giving clients much-needed reassurance. It is they who should teach the clients to be proactive and give ways to augment adaptability. So, how do you succeed as a remote Customer Success manager in the COVID era? These are some initial actions and targets:

• Render value
• Define protocol for communications
• Reassure your clients
• Set targets
• Train and groom

Understandably, budgets and priorities have shifted during this global pandemic, and so has the CSM’s role and responsibilities. Let’s see what they can do to achieve success during the pandemic.

1. Render Value

As a CSM who works remotely, providing clients with insightful feedback gives you the ticket to success. Knowing what to do in this uncertain time is more valuable than anything else we could offer. Therefore, try to look at the client holistically, and not just from the monetary facet.

Strive to provide peace of mind, a sense of stability, as well as data-driven recommendations and feedback. At the end of the day, it will all simmer down to the quotient of customer stickiness. The ones who stay with you despite the pandemic pangs are here to stay. Serve them value.

2. Define Protocol for Communications

As remote Customer Success teams are delving deeper into a work-from-home culture, it is time to define boundaries. Simply put, you might have to turn off all notifications for a certain time. You can also mute all your other engagement platforms, say, while you are on a call.

This later prevents any unnecessary burnout and ensures that you all are on the same page, maintaining a healthy work-life balance. All of which means you will communicate more effectively.

Asana is a useful tool that comes to the rescue in some cases. It supports you in planning your assignments, adding ownership, and communicating in context. If it is meeting time, you can always go on to Zoom for a longer-timed interaction with your team members.

3. Reassure your Clients

It’s a given that our customers are panicked, and everything is operating at a high urgency. They are coming to us for direction and leaning on us to be a good, consultative partner through this uncertain time. In such a case, almost every client wants to pause and halt everything.

While stopping everything could end up being a hasty decision, it’s better to strategize. Note that it is not the time to pump the breaks, but to push through. Ensure that customers stay informed. Route the client interactions early and often, and pivot your communication style to stay relevant.

4. Set Targets

Chalk out a plan on how to proceed remotely. At times when all of your employees are scattered, perhaps the best tip you can use is to bind them with a united Customer Success key metrics. Some of these include putting a laser emphasis on the current customer engagement strategies that are affecting revenue generation.

Further, you can take a sneak peek into some of the adoption metrics such as feature adoption data and frequency of the product usage, testing it by using the net promoting score, (NPS). This will also let you know what improvements can be made to maximize their value.

That is not all, you will always need to have data on the outcome metrics with you. This might include renewal risks and rates that can tell you the amount of value your customers are getting from your product. It can help you plan out and make changes to your workflow and processes.

5. Train and Groom

The first step toward making a remote CSM into a top performer is providing thorough training as a part of their onboarding. They aren’t going to have the advantage of sitting next to people who are doing the job, hence, training needs to be comprehensive.

You can begin by regularly training them on a couple of features. This could include product updates, new initiatives, and process changes. Hold remote team members accountable for their time by reviewing their activities, goals, and progress in weekly one-on-one meetings.

When difficult coaching situations arise, make sure you tackle them quickly, directly, and if they are serious, in person. Get on the right foot with effective training and see to significant changes.

Final Thoughts

To truly succeed as a remote Customer Success manager, your focus should be two-fold. One is making the leaders feel home and the other ensuring they are aware of their jobs.  One of the best ways to make them feel connected is to use video conferencing tools for all your meetings.

Make the best use of digital platforms, and remain connected and in-sync with your team. This should be very much embedded in your company’s mission and vision statements. As we all are quite uncertain about the pandemic, its best to convert part of our lives into an effective remote culture.

If we are prepared with a remote Customer Success team, we will follow these five simple interventions to help promote the success of a Customer Success Manager.

WRITTEN BYKaustubh Sangam

Kaustubh Sangam is a Customer Success Analyst with 2 years of experience. Committed to delivering exceptional customer experiences and driving business growth. Proficient in leveraging data analysis to optimize customer success strategies.

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