ONLY WHEN A PRODUCT IS woven into the fabric of an organization and translated into a naturally understood value, it will find adoption. The activities covered in the implementation and rollout phases lay a solid foundation for the users to start using the system. In the adopt phase, ongoing onboarding, training, and usage are happening on the customer end. End-users use relevant aids to train, use, and get familiar with the system. From a vendor standpoint, CSMs have and should have done everything to set the right expectations and execute accordingly. In the adopt phase, they need to be around to provide support and clarifications, make minor adjustments to the configuration, and actively monitor usage. There is a possibility that the setup is not optimal, in which case, customer interaction may revert to the implementation phase to get everything right.
Vendors need to continuously monitor, periodically encourage, emphasize value, course correct and explore expansion opportunities, so that CSMs can solidify and grow their business with the customer.
Key Stakeholders and Activities
After rolling out a solution to the end-users, both vendor and customer stakeholders need to proactively monitor progress. Once users adopt the
product and integrate with daily activities, customer retention becomes a straightforward exercise.
I use a combination of visual and supporting sequential (and iterative) activity list to describe the elements here. Relevant parties
are advised to keep iterating over these activities to achieve desired success. Readers can check the book to acquaint themselves with the monitoring tools and aids required to measure success. A vendor’s own cloud or on-premise platform, along with third-party systems integrated with the vendor’s platform, will provide information on usage and realized metrics. Deployed survey responses will collect qualitative feedback
from end-users using or trying to use the system. Contract collaterals, user notes will provide the desired goals of the project. Given the magnitude of
this information, a customer success software solution will help streamline this data set.
Vendor resources led by a CSM work with customer end personnel such as project coordinators, administrators, sponsors, influencers, and
champions to execute the activities as outlined in the following table.
ACTIVITY:
Periodic Informal Touchbase
Description: The success manager schedules periodic informal touchpoint meetings with customer contact and champions.
ACTIVITY:
Feedback Survey Deployment
Description: CSM deploys feedback surveys to friendly end-users and champions in collaboration with customer contact.
ACTIVITY:
Outcome (Goal) Management
Description: CSM reviews contracts, objectives, implementation meeting notes, objectives, meeting recordings and notes.
ACTIVITY:
Formal Quarterly (Periodic) Business Reviews
Description: CSM schedules formal business review meetings between vendor senior management and key customer personae such as a sponsor, influencer, and project coordinator to review progress and alignment with desired goals. For this meeting, there is attention to gathering all relevant success metrics derived from systems in the above figure.” Senior executives expect thorough preparation before this meeting.
ACTIVITY:
Reference / Recommendation Requests
Description: Once customer satisfaction is established, CSM reaches out to customer contacts and friendly champions for both formal and informal
recommendations such as through testimonials, joint case studies, and reference calls/meetings with prospects.
ACTIVITY:
Upsell, Cross-Sell, and New License Business Development
Description: Exploring opportunistic times, CSM suggests, tests waters, and proposes additional business development ideas to customer contacts. To reiterate a point made in the book, smart customers don’t mind investing more if there is continuous and incremental value in vendors’ solutions.