Lesson from 2024

2024 will go down as year to remember! I experienced the loss of loved ones and celebrated academic achievements. I trudged through challenging work situations; built customer success practices in non-SaaS businesses and learned the ins and outs of fashion manufacturing and brand implementation. I will be the first to admit that my capacity for grit and resilience was put to the test.

When I reflect on the year that was I find that one of my most noteworthy lessons occurs at the intersection of customer success and air pistols.?

A highlight of the #Paris2024Olympics was the unassuming Türkiye Air Pistol athlete Yusuf Dike?. He stood out for not employing shooting glasses, blinders nor ear mufflers that are conspicuous among sports shooters. To the untrained eye, his opponents were over the top with their equipment - did these other athletes stand a chance against this roll-out-of-bed calm??

Alongside ?evval Ilayda Tarhan he captured the Silver medal in the Mixed Air Pistol event. The Serbians (Zorana Arunovi? and Damir Mikec) who took the gold for the event and boisterous celebration were completely overshadowed by Yusuf’s viral stance. It has been said, “No one remembers who comes in second.” Yet, this historic #Olympic moment defied that notion entirely.

It is now widely accepted that customer success is more than just a department it is a company-wide commitment. In a world where frictionless customer acquisition and customer attrition exist,?the manner in which we build our product and take it to market has to be aligned to the long-term success of the customer. Yet many CSM struggle to take their rightfully earned “first-place”. I've observed this dynamic with Customer Success Managers (CSMs) and customer success leaders striving to demonstrate their value to clients and colleagues (where multiple customer-facing roles overlap).

What two things can CSM and customer success leaders do?

1. Know your Audience

The CSM of a data security product may be doing a lot of great work that is only visible to the IT security manager. When the CIO and other C-level executives are making a decision to go for a competing product they may have little visibility of the impact and the potential? of the data security product that the CSM and IT security manager have discussed among themselves.?

Ensuring the strategic value of your product reaches the c-level can be done through EBR (executive business reviews). Within the EBR the CSM must focus on strategic outcomes rather than operational details. They can also compare the customer’s performance? with industry standards or similar businesses to highlight opportunities or successes.?

2. Speak the Language

Going back to my data security product example, the CSM may use security-specific metrics with the IT security manager, however the language changes to answer questions on how the business has averted risk or reduced costs by using the product. Early in the engagement CSM need to think and understand how the customer defines success. This definition can then be aligned to the products features and the outcomes that results from correct product adoption.?

For customer success leaders the conversation is with the product owners c-suite and board. Do not shy away from presenting hard metrics such as dollar retention rates, customer lifetime value and health scores, and go further to show how these directly contribute to your organisation’s growth and revenue.

Have you experienced your “first-place” pedestal shifting from under you? Or have also picked up lessons from unrelated life events that are shaping your #customersuccess career? I would love to hear about it.?

Here’s to 2025! Happy New Year!