Published January 30, 2024
5 MIN READExperts Reveal: The Art of Managing Key Customers
Dive into the world of strategic customer management, uncovering the art of success plans, relationship navigation, and impactful Quarterly Business Reviews.
Welcome to a deep dive into the intricate world of strategic customer management. As someone who has spent several years navigating the complexities of enterprise and strategic customer relationships, I am excited to share my insights on the art of managing key customers.
Before we begin, it’s important to note that the views shared here are solely mine, derived from years of hands-on experience in the field. Let’s delve straight into the first question, a crucial aspect of strategic customer management.
Crafting Success Plans for Strategic Customers
Strategic customer management involves a profound understanding of your customers’ businesses, processes, and desired outcomes. To effectively design success plans for these key customers, I follow a meticulous process.
During discovery calls, I assess their experience with the tool, current priorities, and potential strategies. This information, coupled with an industry-standard framework known as the OGSM model (Objectives, Goals, Strategies, and Measurement), forms the basis of a success plan. This plan is a blueprint that undergoes constant review and refinement, staying flexible to adapt to evolving priorities.
The key is to create quantifiable measures that both parties agree upon, ensuring a shared vision of success. Regular reviews and updates maintain the relevance and effectiveness of the success plan.
Navigating Relationships with Enterprise Customers
Building and maintaining relationships with enterprise customers require a systematic approach. I employ a pyramid-style mapping of stakeholders, identifying their roles and influence in decision-making. This approach extends not only to client-facing interactions but also to internal stakeholders within the organization.
Understanding the dynamics of both client and internal teams is crucial. It’s akin to creating a roadmap that ensures seamless collaboration, essential for the success of any customer success manager. The weightage of relationship management is significant, particularly in the realm of strategic customer management.
The Art of Successful Quarterly Business Reviews
Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) serve as an extension of success plans, providing a platform to evaluate progress against predefined goals. Using the OGSM framework, QBRs focus on quantifiable benchmarks, indicating whether the client is on the right track to achieving their goals.
Sharing a sample review plan for a hypothetical scenario, such as Ford Motors aiming to develop the first affordable car, demonstrates the alignment of objectives, goals, strategies, and measurements. Proactive sharing of review decks before scheduled meetings ensures a focused discussion on key points rather than a data dump.
QBRs are about outcomes, and the markers of success are evaluated against the predefined goals. It’s not just about showcasing data but understanding the “so what” behind it, fostering a collaborative environment to pivot strategies if necessary.
Integrating Tools, Technology, and Processes
As customer success evolves, leveraging tools, technology, and processes becomes imperative. Playbooks, automation, and AI play a pivotal role in optimizing strategic customer management.
Creating playbooks tailored to specific scenarios, such as pilot programs, allows for a systematic approach based on learnings from successful engagements. The role of AI in real-time understanding of client priorities, predictive analytics, and even generating solutions adds tremendous value to customer success managers.
Additionally, the evolving landscape sees customer success teams taking on expanded commercial responsibilities. This shift requires adapting to new tools and technologies that facilitate scalability and efficiency without compromising on the personalized touch essential for strategic customer management.
The Future of Customer Success in 2024
Looking ahead, three key trends emerge in the realm of customer success in 2024:
- AI’s Pivotal Role:
AI will play a significant role in researching client priorities and generating solutions.
Predictive analytics will aid in understanding usage patterns and goal alignment. - Expanded Commercial Responsibilities:
Customer success teams will be entrusted with renewals and upsells.
Commercial responsibilities will become integral to the customer success role, especially in strategic contexts. - Scaling Customer Success Efforts:
Automation and digital customer success will become prevalent.
Customer success managers will handle a broader range of accounts with a focus on scaled activities.
Top Tips for Aspiring Customer Success Managers in the Strategic Space
For those aspiring to enter the strategic customer success space, consider these key tips:
- Develop a Point of View:
Embrace data analysis to understand customer behavior and success markers.
Cultivate a point of view that aligns your product or service with customer goals. - Enhance Executive Presence:
Sharpen communication skills to articulate complex technical concepts.
Navigate complex conversations effectively and build trust with clients. - Problem-Solving and Strategy:
Hone analytical thinking for troubleshooting and diagnosing challenges.
Design long-term strategies aligned with customer goals. - Adaptability and Resilience:
Navigate unexpected situations with resilience.
Pivot strategies based on changing customer needs and external factors. - Collaboration and Teamwork:
Work effectively with internal teams.
Be the bridge between business requirements and technical solutions.
In conclusion, the art of managing key customers involves a blend of strategic thinking, effective communication, and leveraging the right tools and technologies. As customer success evolves, the ability to adapt, scale, and predict customer needs will distinguish successful customer success managers in the dynamic landscape of 2024.
Anshi has over 12 years of experience in demand generation, digital marketing, and managing global teams. In her prior role as head of marketing operations for a high growth US healthcare tech organization she transformed marketing from cost to revenue center.
