Customer Success’ Role in Times of Ambiguity

Right now, times are pretty rough for everyone. There are a lot of posts out going around reiterating how leaders should act and how businesses should be responding in tough times, but I want to talk to customer success teams across the globe.

Something that I continuously reiterate to my team and in my book, The Startup’s Guide to Customer Success, is the role of empathy and emotion in our work. When we help our customers figure out how to derive the most value possible from our products/services, we must put ourselves in their shoes and understand where they are coming from and how they are feeling.

If anything, these times make it so this idea is THE most important.

Regardless of industry, everyone is feeling the pain.

There is anxiety all around us from whether people have jobs tomorrow due to staffing cuts, whether customers can answer their sales calls due to new remote work policies, or whether they have paid leave so that they can stay home and take care of their children who no longer have to go to school in person.

But this is when customer success teams can really shine. We need to show our customers that we want to champion them and their needs in these times. This doesn’t mean that we kowtow to their every request, but rather that we provide them some sense of stability in their lives.

Not only will this help your customer develop a stronger relationship with you, but also with your company.

Here are some ways that we can help our customers

• Plan ahead with them and help them figure out what is best going forward
• Provide steady hand leadership and guidance through tips on how to derive more value from your product
• Redefine success and re-manage expectations to align with their current realities
• Help them see silver linings; What are opportunities where they can rise to the occasion?

I’m sure there is more and I’m excited to see the power of customer success really shine in these times. It isn’t going to be easy — it never is — but know that we have a whole community around us. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn if you ever want to bounce ideas around or just chat.