The Indispensable Symphony of Customer Success - A Crucial Act Not Only in SaaS But In Every Business

Greetings to all visionaries and game changers building the future. After reading (and listening to the amazing playlist) “A Tosse” (literally “The Cough") by Maria Miguel (Mami) Pereira , I found myself starting an inner journey which led me to the need to share my thoughts and ideas as part of my evolutionary and developmental path (and, hopefully, yours as well - as we may influence each other).

So where should I start? I was always overly focused on my job and the people I worked with: whether it was my team, other areas, the board (yes, they are people too ??) clients or partners, so I was never particularly good on “selling” and promoting myself and my image to my network. I’m not sure if that’s the reason I was never invited to write an article for magazines, or maybe because I was not exposing my work properly as I should have, or even because I didn’t activate (or didn’t have) the right connections or ultimately because I’m ordinary… Either way, I decided to put myself out there this way: no invitations and free of charge on LinkedIn Articles.

So, I’m starting today sharing my thoughts about an element of business that remains paramount regardless of our industry - Customer Success.

Success is a relative term and can don a multitude of garbs. However, there's arguably no success more fruitful than one which satisfies your customer, hence the term 'Customer Success.' A concept that formed its roots deeply within the Software as a Service (SaaS) industry, is fast becoming the guiding light for every discerning business model today.

Guarneri, the famous Italian violin maker, once said, "The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection." Indeed, customer success is the 'work of art' in business that strives for this divine perfection, a harmony formed when the customers' success mirrors your own. When does this happen, you ask? It occurs when your clients feel that your product or service is not just another link in their operational chain but an indispensable tool for their success.

The compelling story of customer success does not end in concert with a successful transaction; it is an ongoing symphony with delightful, celebratory pitches and occasionally, some dissonances. It's a strategy that begins with understanding the customer's needs, supporting their journey, and culminates in their success story that fortuitously nudges your business towards grand achievements as well.

In managing customer success, preferably addressing your customer's needs and challenges is critical. To illustrate, take the case of SaaS businesses. The concept of churn is less of a mathematical equation to evaluate losses and more an opportunity to assess what went awry. This churn is not exclusive to SaaS but resonates across wide-ranging business sectors.

As a Customer Success Manager, my role goes beyond troubleshooting; it extends to spotlighting the customer's paths to potential pitfalls and illuminating their road to success. It's similar to being their lighthouse in rough tides, guiding them safely to their desired shores.

Ensuring customer success essentially asks us to embrace empathy, to walk a mile in our customer's shoes. By doing so, we can truly understand their needs and challenges, leading to superior offerings, increased loyalty, and brand advocacy. This will guide you to a sustainable growth model. Today, the business landscape has dramatically changed. It's becoming more about value co-creation than the traditional value exchange – a notion that fits perfectly into a screenplay where every business envisions itself as a protagonist.

As advocates of customer success, we are the music conductors orchestrating a delightful symphony for every customer. Rest assured, the melody this strategy creates reverberates far beyond the immediate customer base, creating waves that draw interest from potential 'listeners.' So why not incorporate customer success as an integral part of your business strategy?

Remember, in every essence of business, the success of your customers is your success – a melody that once played, stays with you forever. Embrace it, elevate it and let's create an enduring symphony together.

In this picture taken in my garden: Joana Mallwitz conducting Mozart’s “Così fan tutte” at the Salzburg Festival in 2020 and the book “A Tosse” by Maria Miguel (Mami) Pereira .

#BusinessGrowth #success #businessmanagement #customersuccess #businessvalue ?