Strategy Labs的动态

How to craft a Point of View Just this week I spoke with a CEO of a $12M startup and a CRO of a $40M, PE backed SaaS company. They both were on fire about their reps having a strong Point of View when engaging customer executives. Why? Having a compelling Point of View about why a specific prospect would invest in your solution is like having a security badge for access to customer executives. When you have one you get through the gate. When you don’t you’re stuck in the lobby with all the other reps. But neither of these C-level players had a plan to teach their sellers HOW to craft a Point of View for each of their top accounts, or where it fits in the process of building a complete value story. So here’s the crash course: Step 1: Deep account research - start with gathering customer-specific facts which are the building blocks of any compelling value story. Step 2: Business value hypothesis - your initial best guess starting point on how your solution could support fixing their problem. Step 3: Refine the hypothesis into an ‘Outside-In’ point of view - that becomes your ‘outside in’ point of view: logical, but limited by facts you can gather as an outsider. Step 4: Proof of Value Exercise - once tested and refined, your outside-in point of view earns buy-in for some kind of collaborative evaluation. Step 5: ‘Inside-Out’ Point of View - that collaboration in the proof of value exercise yields the sharing of sensitive internal customer data about what’s really going on - flipping it into an ‘inside out’ point of view. When done correctly, the bigger win in this stage is when your customer stakeholders take ownership of the point of view and they become true champions. Now they will convincingly sell the idea internally when you’re not in the room. Step 6: In parallel, collaboratively build a business case with your champions, which gives quantified justification for the investment. Passionate champions are not enough to secure budget. A solid, conservative, customer-built business case is. Step 7: Complete value story - knit together the pieces into a coherent story: - Point of View - Business Value Hypothesis - Results of Proof of Value exercise - Conclusions - Recommended path forward including: - Implementation approach - Change management - Success plan - Fees Step 8: Advanced step: mega deal premise - How to take a decent sales cycle and grow the size and scope 5x - 10x. Another story for another day. I will get into this framework in more detail on Friday in my weekly open session. To join, comment “point of view” and my team will get you the details.

It's no longer a question of "if" but "when" - the Customer Success Leader role must boldly claim its place at the forefront of strategy. Armed with unparalleled insights from existing customers, CS leaders possess the power to revolutionise the entire buyer's journey. Our influence spans from refining market fit and optimising sales funnels to shaping product development with pinpoint accuracy. By harnessing these insights, we not only elevate support and services but also lead the charge in transforming reactive measures into proactive solutions. Elevating the Customer Success Leader is not just beneficial; it's imperative for organisations striving for excellence in customer-centricity and continuous innovation. Do's: ⊕ Revenue Impact: Understand how customer success drives revenue. Track key metrics and use data to demonstrate impact. ⊕ Market Alignment: Stay in sync with market trends and customer needs to ensure relevance and competitiveness. ⊕ Customer-Centric Approach: Prioritise exceptional experiences and cultivate strong customer relationships. ⊕ Cross-Functional Collaboration: Break silos and collaborate with teams to align objectives and drive innovation. ⊕ Measure and Iterate: Use data to measure effectiveness, identify areas for improvement, and optimise strategies. Don'ts: ? Operate in Silos: Avoid isolation and engage with cross-functional teams for holistic success. ? Ignore Market Dynamics: Stay attuned to market changes and adapt strategies accordingly. ? Sacrifice Long-Term Relationships: Prioritise trust and loyalty over short-term gains. ? Disregard Data and Insights: Base decisions on data and insights, not assumptions. ? Settle for Status Quo: Continuously challenge norms and seek opportunities for improvement and innovation. ____________________________________________________ For a quick chat DM me For consultation book time via my website (link in my profile) Find my CSM all-in-one WorkOS - Notion Template here: https://lnkd.in/dCxN2wm5 3 minutes video on how to add and manage new client (Project, Tasks, Contact, Success plans, and support tickets - https://lnkd.in/dBrzxXNg

It's challenging to know which sub-metric to focus on first as a PM. Here’s how I’ve systematically determined which sub-metric to prioritize: 1 / Revenue Impact: First, evaluate how increasing each sub-metric (like signups, activation, conversion rate,?churn, and reactivation) by 1% affects revenue. Understanding if you hold all things constant how will this increase and impact the top line. 2 / Current Performance Analysis vs Benchmark: Review your data to spot if there are any red flags compared to benchmark metrics: Examples: - Low Signup Rate: Problems might be with your landing page or value proposition. - Low Activation Rate: Issues could be in your onboarding process or not resurfacing the right features. 3 / Confidence Level: How confident do you think you are that you can move that specific sub-metric? Do you have past successes or failures to help guide you? 4 / Feasibility of Implementation: Prioritize changes that are easy to implement and measure. For example, A/B testing the signup process might be more doable than overhauling the entire customer retention strategy. What are some other criteria you use to figure out where in your funnel you should start? ----- PS If you're a mid career PM based in the US or CA and own a revenue OKR and are on the hook for revenue growth. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/gq_tiQ4t. We have very limited spots for the pilot.?

Are you building an executive summary and a hierarchy of goals into your Success Plan approach? If not, you will miss an opportunity to ensure that your solution stays relevant and maintains buy-in with multiple stakeholders. Many Customer Success teams treat Success Plans like tactical checklists that are only for their main point of contact. While a significant part of Success Plans should involve tactical collaboration with your 'champion', that's not all they should cover. Ideally, Success Plans should inform Executive Business Reviews and renewal conversations and vice versa. They shouldn't be siloed from each other; they should be interconnected. Success Plans need to serve as the link connecting client goals and account strategy to tactical execution. This is why I build a hierarchy into Success Plans. I pulled a snippet that describes how I use this approach and includes an example of how to ladder company goals down to program/project-level goals in the video below. If you build your Success Plan collaboration around this hierarchy format, when it comes time to discuss relevant goals and results with all stakeholders, including executives, during EBRs and renewals, you'll be prepared to do so. It will help CSMs to anchor tactical execution and their engagement with clients to business and stakeholder goals. With this approach, as a CSM starts to map out activities, tasks, and milestones, they can be confident that it supports the client's overall goal. This, in turn, will help you stay relevant and secure renewals. #customersuccess #sales #gotomarket

??BIG ANNOUNCEMENT?? It’s here! L.E.A.P Customer Conversion Live I’m giving away a decade of proven customer growth conversation strategy in four LIVE 90-minute virtual workshops for FREE starting the 30th of May. If you’ve ever found yourself ??Fighting to get the renewal ??Wondering where you go next with a customer ??Struggling to get access to the right people ??Getting constant pushback on opportunities That can stop in the next few weeks. I’ll teach you the 4 part systematic approach to unlocking and converting more and better customer opportunities without… ??Lengthy and frustrating decision-making cycles ??Weird urgency tactics and special offers ??Sending 200 follow up emails ??Spending hours on proposals and meetings Join other growth and customer-centered key account, account and commercial managers as we explore the power of a systematic approach to your customer conversations. It’s the best-selling author and performance and habit expert James Clear who said it best: “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” Your systems influence almost everything we pursue. Most teams and companies have no systematic approach to how they present opportunities. ??That is why L.E.A.P. was born! ?? In today's market, you need certainty that what you’re doing is going to work. Your clients are looking for partners that know how to help them win. L.E.A.P will provide both confidence for you and your customers. I want to show you how. Whether you’re a high-performing account manager, wanting to upgrade your account growth approach, or a growth minded customer leader wanting to coach your team in the most relevant account growth strategies. This is it. This will be the only time this year I’ll be running this 4-week series for FREE Get on board today and sign up for FREE https://lnkd.in/eUNdkGd4

As a #CustomerSuccessManager, I'm passionate about creating impactful relationships, fostering long-term partnerships, and driving real value for clients. It’s more than just problem-solving; it’s about understanding the customer’s journey, aligning with their goals, and celebrating every success along the way. ?? Here are a few key principles I live by as a CSM: 1. Proactive Communication: Keeping the conversation open so clients feel supported before issues arise. 2. Customer-Centric Mindset: Every solution starts with the customer's needs. Success is a shared achievement! 3. Continuous Improvement: Learning from feedback and adapting to ensure clients are always ahead of the curve. 4. Measuring Success: Using metrics to ensure we're delivering on promises and setting new benchmarks. Every day as a CSM is an opportunity to help clients thrive, and I’m always eager to learn from others in this dynamic space. What’s your secret to creating long-lasting client relationships? Let’s connect and share insights! ???? #CustomerSuccess #ClientExperience #RelationshipManagement #CustomerEngagement #BusinessGrowth

In today's rapidly evolving marketplace, a traditional, transactional approach to account management simply doesn’t cut it. Strategic Account Managers must adopt an agile mindset, focusing on long-term goals over short-term gains. But how can we break free from conventional methods? The key lies in creative problem-solving and value-driven strategies that resonate deeply with client needs. For me, that means constantly exploring innovative ways to add value and foster partnerships that thrive even in challenging environments. What innovative approaches do you bring to your strategic accounts? #AccountManagement #Innovation #CustomerSuccess #BusinessGrowth

I’ve lost count of the number of CS leaders that let me know they’ve been fired for poor retention. At the same time, I can’t remember the last time a product or engineering leader was fired for the same reason. Or a CEO. Critical board-level business metrics (ARR, NRR, GRR) are not delivered solely by one person or team. A CS leader can only control what they can control. 1) They can’t control if their competitors have better products.? 2) They can’t control if the market thinks their product is a nice-to-have.? 3) They can’t control if their budget has been shrunk in half by the CFO and are now barely scraping by w/ headcount to implement a technical & complex product with long time-to-value. 4) They can’t control if the product is buggy and unreliable.? 5) They can't control if the customer shouldn't have been sold in the first place and was outside core ICP. What can they control? ?? Understanding customer-required outcomes in the sales to CS handoff process and understanding how they evolve throughout the Customer Maturity Model (aka customer goals change quarterly along with where they are in your value realization journey). ?? Delivering on those outcomes unique to the customer persona (a BTL individual contributor has different outcomes than an ATL decision maker) ?? Delivering multi-channel campaigns to each customer persona and A/B testing delivery & conversion. (aka, stop sending the same cookie-cutter emails that people don’t even read) ?? Tracking if the plays they are running are actually working or not. ?? Tracking customer health in a way that aligns with forecast methodology. Real health is not solely defined by usage and NPS alone. The reality is that the feature they are using... can be used somewhere else. Usage must be explicitly correlated to the decision maker's quarterly OKR. You must be solving real business problems if you want to be 'sticky.' An important pressure test question to ask yourself: What does my customer's CFO think about the product positioning and value messaging? Are my CSMs and content/messaging programs aligned to that? If they tried today, could they replicate your value somewhere else, cheaper? If so, there is major risk here awaiting you. ?? Recording CSM calls and training them on a weekly basis. Ensuring CSM teams are leveling up in Command of the Message, negotiation techniques, happy ears, give/get, deep discovery, etc. ?? Running proper renewal inspection with rigor and process. (aka not using next steps fields that are outdated). ? If the VP of CS is not doing the above, then perhaps it’s time to replace them.? If the VP of CS is doing the above.. then you don't have a CS problem. You have a business problem. #sales #customersuccess #ceo

?? 20 Ways to Know That You Need Strategic Revenue Enablement ??... Tons of debate on whether or not you REALLY need Revenue Enablement - Or how implementing and executing GOOD Revenue Enablement can help - So here are a few ways to know if you need Revenue Enablement or not - ??? You spend time - ? bringing new hires up to speed slowly vs. ? ensuring rapid onboarding and continuous development to maintain high competency ??? You spend time - ? navigating a convoluted sales process vs. ? streamlining the sales process for efficiency and effectiveness ??? You spend time - ? gathering unstructured data vs. ? utilizing data to identify trends and make informed decisions to optimize enablement activities ??? You spend time - ? operating in silos vs. ? working closely with marketing to ensure the sales team has the right messaging and materials ??? You spend time - ? guessing product details vs. ? keeping the sales team informed about product developments and value ??? You spend time - ? letting skill gaps widen vs. ? continuously coaching and mentoring to improve sales reps' performance ??? You spend time - ? ignoring performance data vs. ? implementing performance improvement programs to address evolving business needs ??? You spend time - ? resisting change vs. ? leading change initiatives smoothly, adopting new processes ??? You spend time - ? leaving the team in the dark during transitions vs. ? executing effective communication plans to keep the sales team informed ??? You spend time - ? reacting to customer issues vs. ? using customer feedback to refine sales strategies and training programs ??? You spend time - ? focusing on short-term goals vs. ? setting long-term goals aligned with the company's strategic objectives ??? You spend time - ? measuring only immediate metrics vs. ? tracking long-term outcomes like customer satisfaction, market share, and business growth ??? You spend time - ? sticking to old methods vs. ? fostering innovation within the team to continuously improve processes ??? You spend time - ? struggling with misalignment vs. ? ensuring alignment with business objectives through strategic enablement elements ??? You spend time - ? missing collaborative opportunities vs. ? collaborating cross-functionally to enhance campaign effectiveness ??? You spend time - ? unsure of sales performance vs. ? analyzing and reporting data to continuously optimize enablement activities ??? You spend time - ? trying to control everything vs. ? implementing changes effectively to remain agile to market changes ??? You spend time - ? focusing internally vs. ? maintaining a customer-centric approach to meet customer needs and expectations ??? You spend time - ? fighting fires vs. ? strategically planning and executing initiatives to drive long-term success This could easily be a list of 100 Does any of these ?? sound familiar to you? Where have you seen the most value from Revenue Enablement?

?? 5 Ways to Know That You Need Strategic Revenue Enablement ?? 1?? You spend time bringing new hires up to speed slowly vs. ensuring rapid onboarding and continuous development to maintain high competency. 2?? You spend time navigating a convoluted sales process vs. streamlining the sales process for efficiency and effectiveness. 3?? You spend time gathering unstructured data vs. utilizing data to identify trends and make informed decisions to optimize enablement activities. 4?? You spend time operating in silos vs. working closely with marketing to ensure the sales team has the right messaging and materials. 5?? You spend time guessing product details vs. keeping the sales team informed about product developments and value. These are just a few indicators of the need for strategic revenue enablement. By addressing these areas, companies can unlock significant value and drive long-term success. ?? #RevenueEnablement #StrategicGrowth