Customer Success Managers (CSMs) appreciate and value the importance of developing and sustaining meaningful customer relationships, retaining revenue, and expanding ARR. Long-term customer satisfaction helps the company’s growth and stability. Throughout our careers, we've learned that mistakes made at an early stage, if ignored, are very likely to constrain performance and growth drastically.
By finding these shortcomings and constantly improving our approach, we ensure that ourselves and our teams achieve success that lasts and meaningful customer relationships.
“If you’re not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late.”
By, Reid Hoffman
This mindset assists CSMs in making swift actions and decision.
Common Pitfalls CSMs must avoid
1. The Overthinking Spiral
What is it?
This is the tendency of a CSM who experiences second-guessing during every interaction and becomes obsessed with analyzing possible results.
How to avoid it?
Trust in training strongly. Look at failures not as catastrophic problems but rather as learning opportunities. Lastly, remember that every interaction needs to have a purpose.
Example:
A CSM sending a response to an email finds themselves erasing and re-drafting paragraphs multiple times, severely increasing the response time. Instead, have a time frame within which you need to respond to an email. The email should be drafted, reviewed, and sent.
2. The Safety Net Syndrome
What is it?
This syndrome occurs when CSMs rely too heavily on their supervisors or teammates to handle decisions or difficult conversations, thus stunting their professional growth.
How do you avoid this?
Take small, controlled risks that allow you to slowly move away from your comfort zone. Be independent and practice making decisions without having to be given a solution to rely on, even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone.
Example:
There’s a customer success manager (CSM) who always relies on their manager to facilitate their share in the conversations with customers. Instead, tackle manageable customer issues independently to build confidence and experience.
3. Knowledge is Power, Literally
What is it?
Some CSMs would refuse to deal with the customer until they have gone through the necessary training that would arm them with the right information. A data or training hoarder will not address an important customer until certain customer interactions are made.
How do you avoid it?
Learn the importance of practice because there are some things you will never learn through reading a book. Approach problems by trying to solve them with an action rather than standing by. You should use the knowledge gained in class as soon as it is possible to avoid forgetting much of what was taught.
Example:
As CSMs, we have so much time allocated to training and still do not engage with customers. Stop engaging in useless procrastination and get through the important trainings and actively apply lessons in daily interactions.
4. Outsmarting Yourself into Inaction
What is it?
Outsmarting yourself into inaction is making measures more complicated than they need to be in anticipation of problems that may never surface, resulting in confusion, or stagnation.
How to avoid it?
Maintain a straightforward approach. Formulate answers to the numbers, and get to the root of the issues. First, deal with the real problems, then move on to the ‘what if’ scenario complications later.
Example:
A CSM comes up with a ridiculously complex onboarding plan, much to the bewilderment of their newly onboarded customers. Rather, focus on what the customer truly needs and break it down into the simplest terms for them.
5. The Multipassion Maze
What is it?
Missing the target because you are too busy with other peripheral but important and interesting things on the broad spectrum.
How to avoid it?
Check in with your supervisor so they can remind you the goals you should be working on at any point. Put importance on things that matter in terms of what will advance your career and monitor how much attention you give to each task from time to time.
Example:
A CSM takes on too many internal initiatives and loses track of his more useful responsibilities of servicing customers. Rather, help fewer projects that are bound to give better results and shift the focus on more meaningful tasks.
Conclusion:
Having knowledge of these pitfalls and exercises to follow teaches Customer Success Managers how to grow professionally, build relationships with customers, and be more successful in general.
In closing, the road to becoming a productive Customer Success Manager lies in understanding fundamental problems that can hurt effectiveness, and dealing with them head on. Using Reid Hoffman's philosophy of action, CSMs can tackle their problems of indecision and develop their abilities through feedback and experience.
