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Customer Success Managers (CSMs) often feel pulled in multiple directions – defining what success means for each customer, building effective processes, and proving the value of their work to stakeholders.
It’s a challenge to create a Customer Success (CS) strategy that meets customer needs and aligns with business goals, all while keeping up with industry best practices.
Add the pressure to show measurable outcomes like reduced churn and increased customer satisfaction, and it’s easy to see why this role can feel overwhelming.
A structured approach is essential. Without it, efforts can become fragmented and reactive. That’s where understanding the core pillars of Customer Success comes in.
This guide will break down these pillars and offer practical tips for implementing them, helping you create a scalable, effective CS program.
Pillar 1 - Customer onboarding: setting the stage for success
The onboarding experience is the first real test of your product’s value. If customers don’t see benefits quickly, they may become disengaged or even churn before fully integrating your solution.
A strong onboarding process helps customers understand how to use your product and how it can solve their specific problems. This early success is crucial for keeping them engaged and motivated.
To create an effective onboarding process, start with a structured plan that outlines clear milestones and timelines.
Utilize in-app guides, webinars, and dedicated onboarding specialists to provide hands-on support. This not only helps customers get up to speed but also ensures they’re set up for long-term success.
CS tools like Velaris can help streamline your onboarding by providing playbooks for your team to document each process. This includes in-built checklists to track progress, ensuring every team member follows the same steps – standardizing the customer experience.
After onboarding, the focus shifts to keeping customers engaged and building strong relationships. This brings us to the next pillar: customer engagement.
Pillar 2 - Customer engagement: building lasting relationships
After a successful onboarding, keeping customers engaged is crucial to maintaining a healthy relationship. Engagement is about more than just keeping in touch; it’s about providing value through every interaction.
Regular, meaningful communication helps build trust and shows customers that you’re invested in their success. Engaged customers are more likely to explore new features, share feedback, and become advocates for your brand.
To foster proactive engagement, schedule regular check-ins to understand customer needs and address any issues before they become more significant problems.
One of the best ways to do this is by creating and tracking a customer health score. This can help you spot early signs of disengagement and take action to re-engage those customers before it’s too late.
If you’re using a tool like Velaris, you’ll easily be able to keep track of your health score in real-time, along with other metrics.
You can also use its AI-powered copilot, which analyzes customer communications – like chats, tickets, and call transcripts – and provides recommendations for the next steps. This ensures every interaction you have adds value and no customer concern is overlooked.
Once customers are engaged, the next step is to ensure they are realizing value from your product.
Pillar 3 - Value realization: Ensuring customers achieve their desired outcomes
Onboarding and engagement lay the groundwork, but value realization is where Customer Success truly makes an impact.
Customers need to see tangible results from your product to justify their investment and renew their contracts. When they achieve their desired outcomes, they’re more likely to stick around and even expand their usage.
To drive value realization, start by developing personalized success plans for each customer. You can do this directly on Velaris and monitor its progress in real-time, but if you’re not using the tool, it’s simply a matter of mapping out your specific goals and the tasks needed to get there, and then updating your progress as you go.
Regularly track progress against key performance indicators (KPIs) and adjust the plan as needed. Conducting regular business reviews is also key to demonstrating the value you’ve delivered and aligning on future goals.
Once customers see the value in your product, they’re more likely to advocate for it. This brings us to the next pillar: advocacy and growth.
Pillar 4 - Advocacy and growth: Turning satisfied customers into advocates
When customers achieve their goals with your product, they don’t just renew – they become advocates. Advocacy is a powerful driver for growth, as satisfied customers are more likely to refer others, share their success stories, and participate in case studies.
This kind of organic promotion boosts your brand’s credibility and provides the social proof that prospective customers look for when evaluating your product.
To build a successful advocacy program, start by identifying potential advocates using tools like NPS (Net Promoter Score) and CSAT (Customer Satisfaction) surveys.
You can create, customize, and distribute these surveys directly on Velaris and then aggregate your responses in one place. This makes it easier to identify customers who consistently provide high ratings and positive feedback.
Once identified, engage them with structured opportunities to share their experiences, such as participating in case studies, providing testimonials, or joining beta testing programs. These activities not only highlight your customers' success but also deepen their relationship with your brand.
Once you have an advocacy program in place, it’s important to refine your Customer Success strategy continuously. This brings us to the next pillar: continuous improvement.
Pillar 5 - Continuous improvement: Evolving your Customer Success strategy
Customer needs and expectations constantly change, so a static Customer Success strategy can quickly become ineffective. It’s essential to revisit and refine your approach regularly to stay ahead.
Continuous improvement allows you to adapt to these changes, ensuring that your Customer Success efforts align with customer goals and business objectives.
Start by collecting and analyzing customer feedback through surveys, emails, and support interactions to identify areas for improvement. Use these insights to make data-driven decisions and update your CS processes accordingly.
Regularly reviewing and refining your CS playbooks based on this feedback helps ensure that your team uses the most up-to-date strategies and tactics.
By embracing continuous improvement, you’ll maintain a high standard of customer service and foster stronger relationships with your customers. This commitment to evolution is crucial for sustaining long-term success.
Conclusion
Building a strong Customer Success program requires a structured approach based on clear principles. By focusing on the key pillars – onboarding, engagement, value realization, advocacy, and continuous improvement – you can create a sustainable strategy that drives meaningful outcomes for both your customers and your business.
While it can be challenging to manage all these components effectively, having the right tools in place can make a big difference.
Velaris offers a suite of features designed to help Customer Success Managers implement these pillars seamlessly, from automating onboarding processes to monitoring customer health and managing advocacy programs.
If you’re looking for a solution that can support your CS strategy and help you deliver consistent value to your customers, consider exploring how Velaris can help and book a demo today.
