Industry-Driven Client Solutioning

Are We Overlooking the Most Critical Customer Segmentation Factor?

In customer success, we often segment customers by ARR, user count, or company size.

But how often do we segment them by industry?

SaaS solutions are designed to be scalable and adaptable, yet the reality is that each industry brings a unique set of challenges, compliance requirements, operational models, and KPIs.

A MarTech solution for a B2C e-commerce brand will have vastly different use cases than one serving an enterprise financial institution.

So, why do we assume the same customer success motion will work across the board?

The Role of Industry-Driven Client Solutioning

Industry-driven solutioning is about matchmaking—aligning customer-specific business challenges with tailored SaaS capabilities to drive meaningful ROI.

It requires CSMs to:

• Decode Industry-Specific Use Cases – Understanding customer workflows beyond generic product adoption metrics.
• Align with Industry KPIs – Recognizing what success looks like in different sectors (e.g., retention rates in HR Tech vs. pipeline velocity in SalesTech).
• Bridge Business and Tech Narratives – Translating industry pain points into measurable SaaS outcomes.

Think like a consultant rather than just a success manager. Here’s a structured approach to industry-driven client solutioning:

1. Industry Segmentation Over Generic Tiers

Most SaaS companies classify customers as SMB, Mid-Market, or Enterprise. While useful for ARR forecasting, this approach misses critical nuances. Instead, break customers into industry clusters, such as:

Example : A B2B healthcare SaaS serving hospitals needs customer success motions tailored around regulatory adherence, while a B2B logistics SaaS must optimize for fleet efficiency and real-time tracking.

2. Industry-Based Metrics: Measuring What Truly Matters

A common pitfall in CS is relying on vanity metrics—logins, feature adoption, or NPS—without considering industry-specific benchmarks.

• For FinTech SaaS: Measure fraud detection efficiency, transaction speed improvements.
• For HR Tech SaaS: Focus on employee retention rates, onboarding acceleration.
• For EdTech SaaS: Track learning completion rates, engagement per module.

Question: Are you measuring success by your product’s standards or your customer’s industry outcomes?

3. Industry-Centric Value Realization Framework

A SaaS product is merely a means to an end—a tool that helps businesses achieve their own goals. CSMs must shift from "Are they using our product?" to "Is our product helping them win in their industry?"

Example: A MarTech SaaS onboarding a retail brand should not just focus on campaign automation adoption but on how that automation increases customer lifetime value and reduces cart abandonment rates.

4. Consultative Discovery: Asking the Right Questions

Industry-driven CS is about active discovery, not passive check-ins. Instead of generic "How are things going?" questions, go deeper:

• "What are the top 3 industry challenges you’re solving this year?"
• "How does your leadership measure success in your industry?"
• "What’s a key metric that, if improved, would transform your business?"

These questions uncover true business needs, allowing CSMs to position their SaaS solution as a strategic enabler, not just a software provider.

Customer Success: Becoming an Industry Strategist

Customer Success is no longer just about ensuring product adoption—it’s about driving industry-specific business value.

The most successful CSMs aren’t just product experts; they are industry consultants who decode customer challenges and align SaaS solutions to business outcomes.

In a world where customers expect tailored strategies, not templated check-ins, the role of CS is evolving into strategic industry advisors.

By embracing industry-driven segmentation, custom KPIs, and consultative discovery, you don’t just retain customers—you become indispensable to their growth.

So, the next time you approach a customer, ask yourself:

• Are we solving their business problem, or just pushing product usage?
• Are we speaking their industry language, or using generic CS metrics?
• Are we truly solving customer problems, or just ensuring product usage?