What Extra Value Are You Adding As A Customer Success Manager?

As a Customer Success Manager (CSM), knowing your platform 'inside out' isn't enough.

In fact I'd suggest that with the presence of a client-facing Wiki, a social and collaborative space and a support desk function that needing to know your platform 'inside out' is an outdated way of thinking and has the potential to take you away from more value adding activities.

Sure, knowing the basics of your platform is no bad thing, but knowing the ins and outs of every feature, function and process is not only unrealistic but lessens the value of what you can provide as a CSM. You become a short-term question answer/problem solver as opposed to a long-term adviser and partner.

Having worked as a CSM for the past 6 years it's become quite obvious that clients value (and are often quite surprised) at the added value that a CSM can bring to the party, especially if their past experiences have simply involved dealing with product experts.

Having worked in the Learning and Development field since 1993 (and now fulfilling a role as a CSM in the online L&D space) it makes sense to channel that past experience to my clients in a way that not only complements their use of the platform, but also develops them in other areas of Learning and Development practice.

Here are a few examples of the 'value add' that I've provided to clients over the past few months that go beyond the platform itself:

• Recording a monthly book review video to help further clients reading choices in the L&D field.
• Advising clients how to challenge their compliance departments to think/act differently surrounding the provision of compliance training.
• Sharing my own experiences and accepted good practice around the subject of Curation and how L&D teams can tap into this.
• Outlining the benefits that the 'Brinkerhoff Success Case Method' can bring to an L&D team's evaluation processes as well as advising how best to implement such an approach.
• Discussing content thumbnail design in line with accepted good practice on Youtube as as well as my own experience in the Youtube arena.
• Advising how clients can utilise aspects of Behavioural Economics / Nudge Theory to increase click through rates and engagement around content.
• Demonstrating and sharing examples of how to write effective questions to encourage commenting and participation in online social spaces.
• Sharing weekly curated examples of L&D related thinking as part of a "Craig's Friday's Find" series, whilst encouraging people to reflect and respond as to how that could impact their own professional practice.

Over to you.... what value add do you provide to your clients beyond the platform specific stuff?

Let me know in the comments below...