CS challenges & what keeps us motivated

Do you know that feeling when you get so overwhelmed by the amount of work and you simply don’t know where to begin? Yeah, we’ve all been there. As Customer Success Managers, we face similar challenges and pains every single day while constantly trying to make our customers happy. But we all know that it’s easier said than done. ;)

Let’s dig deeper into that and find all the similarities.

What are the most common challenges?

Time management

Good time management helps you accomplish more in a short period of time, but sometimes it gets really busy and you don’t even know how to put things in the right order. It increases your stress level, you get lost in tasks and all received emails but the important thing is to prioritize things and stay calm. This article will help you manage your time successfully.

Product challenges and customer advocacy

Product bugs and failures that can interrupt business processes for the customers are huge challenges for CSMs. It’s a task for the entire organization to learn what customers expect from the product to ensure their success. This is why it is really important to address those problems, and provide feedback every time on their behalf to make a change.

Inter-Team Collaboration

Cooperation with other teams is crucial in your everyday work, although, sometimes you may encounter common problems, like conflicting priorities or communication issues. It is extremely important to work on the ways of improvement and take action right away, since successful collaboration is essential to the company’s growth. In the end, you need to remember that you are working within the same organization, with a shared vision, and we should treat other teammates with mutual respect. Always try to be understanding.

Churning customers

It is painful when our customer decides to leave. There are various reasons why the churn might occur, but you, as Customer Success Managers, can have an impact with your proactiveness on — whenever a customer will decide to stay or leave. It is necessary to understand what was standing behind their decision, in order to build a successful strategy to prevent it next time.

Delivering bad news

Passing negative information to a customer is not easy and it’s challenging every time. However, sometimes it’s our duty and we need to carry it out with empathy and professionalism. Keep it straightforward, give the full picture of the situation without sugar-coating, acknowledge their feelings and prepare a set of potential fixes for the issue.

Unresponsive customers

It’s harder to say goodbye to someone once you are emotionally connected with. It is crucial to build a deeper and meaningful relationship with our customers. On the other hand, if your customer remains silent, you may be lacking the opportunity to build any connection at all. In this case, you need to find other ways to get them engaged. Try to prepare some empathic approach and strategy to break the silence.

…but wait, what is Customer Success at all?

Sometimes, you need to explain to other teams what you are actually doing or even fight for your reputation. It is a part of your role to educate your colleagues about the CSMs responsibilities, make sure to be visible with the results you are providing during big company events and induction meetings.

Dealing with plenty of stressful situations daily can be exhausting and demotivating. There is so much pressure in customer-facing roles. Finding time to take a deep breath and calm down is the key. Let’s see how we can sustain our motivation.

What can keep us motivated?

Appreciation

Gratitude and appreciation can boost the motivation levels of your colleagues to perform better. We tend to be willing to work harder, once we know that our co-workers and managers show appreciation and share recognition. Please remember that every positive situation at work is worth rewarding, even good word, applause or a chocolate will do the trick.

Constant development

Having an opportunity to learn new things and develop advanced skills is absolutely essential. It boosts both productivity and creativity. Nobody wants to be bored and stay in one place, you need constant development!

Sharing good news

If you get a positive message from a customer about your product or a new feature, always share it with other teams. The truth is, sometimes you are the ONLY team that has a direct and constant contact with customers. When you pass on the positive feedback, more than one team can get motivated to do better!

Team spirit

It all begins here. If you are coming to work with a smile on your face — this is the sign of a great energy in the team. Support each other, get advice from the more experienced colleagues and show your empathy. It will reduce your stress level, keep you going and make you feel belong where you are.

Happy customers

In the end, that’s our goal and once our customers are happy, we’re happy! :)