When it comes to Cloud Native SaaS, success is almost never a solo effort. It's not enough to have the best product, the quickest integrations, or the quickest support response times. When your customer stakeholders, who come from different roles, functions, and levels of influence, come together like stars in a constellation, that's when you'll really succeed in the long term.
As a Customer Success Manager (CSM), your job is more than just managing an account. You also need to build a network of trusted advocates who share your company's mission and get the most out of their own business.
“Customer success is about creating alignment between the customer’s stars and your own. When they shine together, both businesses thrive.”
Nick Mehta, CEO of Gainsight
Action Plan to Build a Constellation:
Picture your customer's business as a night sky. Some stars shine brighter (the executive sponsors), some are steady and constant (the daily users), and some are hidden but important (the procurement, security, or IT teams). You make a constellation that guides the whole journey when you put them all together. Here are some tips for building that constellation well:
1. Map the Sky Before You Draw the Constellation
Begin by mapping out the stakeholders. Find out who makes decisions, who controls budgets, who makes sure rules are followed, and who actually uses the product. This exercise helps you see where the stars are, so you don't just look at one bright star and ignore the others.
2. Shine Light on the Champions
Look for champions who can see how your product will help them. These people are often your internal supporters. Give them early insights, training, and special access to product roadmaps to help them grow. When you're not there, they will spread your message to their teams.
3. Balance Between the North Star and the Supporting Stars
Your executive sponsor may be the North Star, but keep in mind that constellations need more than one star. Make sure you have a good mix of leaders and operational users in your relationships. A strong relationship with executives makes sure that strategies are in line, and trust from everyday users drives product use and satisfaction.
4. Create Alignment Through Storytelling
Don't just give out metrics or dashboards; make stories that connect business goals to their results. Tell them how your product helps them reach their "North Star metric," which could be lowering costs, speeding up deployment cycles, or making the customer experience better. Storytelling changes conversations from talking about features to talking about effects.
5. Connect the Stars, Don’t Just Observe Them
Stakeholders shouldn't be in separate groups. Hold joint QBRs, innovation sessions, or cross-team workshops to give different stakeholders a chance to work together. The constellation gets stronger when they hear each other's success stories, and your SaaS solution is what holds them all together.
6. Continuously Re-draw the Constellation
Organizations change over time. People move, their priorities change, and their plans change. Keep your stakeholder map up to date and get in touch with new stars. Be ready to connect with the next star in your constellation if one of them fades.
7. Celebrate the Constellation, Not Just Individual Stars
It matters to be recognized. Share success stories that show how the whole customer team made a difference, not just one champion or sponsor. Stakeholders feel like they own the partnership when they see their work recognized publicly, like in case studies, joint webinars, or internal praise. This makes people proud and loyal, which makes your constellation stronger and brighter.
Final Thoughts
It's not just about managing relationships when you build a constellation of stars with your customer stakeholders. It's also about building a network of trust and alignment that lasts longer than individual champions. You're not just an account manager as a CSM; you're the astronomer who sees the big picture and connects the dots to show the way forward.
When your constellation is clear, you'll not only keep your customers, but you'll also open up new opportunities for growth, support, and long-term partnerships.