Customer Success: Fostering a Top-Down, Company-wide Approach

All aspects of your business need to be focused on driving customer success, from the CEO to management to drivers to the warehouse. This is the first law of customer success and, in some ways, the most important for it to succeed in any organization.

Customer Success cannot be isolated within an organization. It is not at the bottom where everything rolls downhill from customers. Nor is it just for the C-Suite. It needs to permeate every role within your organization.

In fact, and very importantly, the responsibility of Customer Success should involve every employee throughout the organization to be thinking about retention and the long-term success of their customers. However, this responsibility requires your CEO and your leadership to be 100% committed to the cause. Customer Success involves shifting the orientation of your company from your product or your sales to your customer’s success.

Here are some thought starters to make sure you are keeping the focus on the customer when you think of roles within your organization:

• Products – Which products will truly help your customers achieve their goals with your solutions? As an Operator, your goal is to make sure you provide the right solution for each of your customers individually. A traditional micro market might be the right play, but for some locations, you may have to dig a little deeper to find the right solution.

• Sales – Which customers are a good fit for your solution? Spend the time to find customers that will be successful with the solutions you offer. Don’t try and fit a square peg in a round hole. Success isn’t just placing a market, but rather placing a new market with a customer that will result in benefit for both you and them.

• Marketing – What messages authentically align with the success and value you deliver? Be honest about the solutions you offer and how they can help your customers. Authenticity should always trump flashy marketing that is just designed to make the sale.

• Finance – What metrics reflect real success stories and value to your customers? Understand what matters to your customer and then dive into the metrics that will help support those goals.

Having the right customer success team in place to manage your customers is key, but more importantly, the total buy in from the top-down company-wide is the first step in creating a customer success company.

You’ll also want to know what drives your customers’ organization.  Here are some questions your sales people should be finding out every time they visit a potential new customer.

• What are your business goals?
• What charities do you donate to?
• What internal benefits do you give your employees?
• Do you have employee events or functions?

You’ll gain insight on how you can better align with your customers’ goals and help drive your customers’ success. Presenting this alignment will also make you stand out from the competition and create a dedicated, loyal customer that will stay with you over time.

Once you have won the business, it’s time to invest in your customer. Provide best in class service, work with your customer to achieve their goals.  Using some of the examples above, you might donate a portion of sales to their charities, help promote a wellness program or sponsor employee events. This type of commitment to knowing and understanding your customers takes input from all areas of your company. A true top-down, companywide focus can make all the difference.