Who is your true customer success manager?

Who is your true customer success manager?

In the world of SaaS, the role of the Customer Success Manager (CSM) often seems straightforward on the surface: manage client relationships, ensure they achieve value, and maximize ROI from the product or service.

But in reality, this role is far more complex and varied across industries, products, services, and client bases. So, who really is your customer success manager? And what makes them successful in driving customer delight?

The Many Faces of Customer Success

Customer Success Managers in SaaS don't follow a one-size-fits-all blueprint. Their functions can vary significantly based on:

  • Industry: A CSM in a financial tech SaaS may focus heavily on compliance and regulatory support, while a CSM in eCommerce SaaS is likely centered on driving conversions and customer insights.
  • Product & Services: The nature of the product or service shapes a CSM's key responsibilities. A CSM working with a high-touch enterprise product will manage long-term engagement, while one handling a low-touch self-service platform may focus on user education and support efficiency.
  • Client Segmentation: CSMs managing enterprise clients often dive deep into bespoke business solutions and strategic roadmaps. In contrast, those managing SMBs may focus on automating the onboarding process and rapid product adoption.

No matter what industry or product a CSM is dealing with, every CSM is tasked with ensuring clients are heard, their needs are met, and they derive maximum value from the services they've purchased.

But can one person really be responsible for all of this?

Absolutely not.

Just as a chef needs a team to prepare a perfect dish, your CSM needs support from across the organization to deliver customer delight. The customer success team may serve as the face of customer advocacy, but they rely heavily on other internal stakeholders to deliver the best outcomes.

Imagine a growing SaaS company that’s landed a significant client in the fintech space. Their CSM, is tasked with ensuring the client is onboarded, trained, and continually supported to maximize their investment in the software. CSM works closely with the client, building a relationship based on trust, empathy, and expertise.

But during the implementation phase, the product team releases a feature that doesn’t align with the client’s specific use case. CSM, caught between the client’s expectations and the reality of what the product delivers, faces a dilemma. CSM communicates the issue to the product team, but the backlog is full, and fixing this feature isn’t a priority. Now, despite CSM best efforts, the client isn’t delighted.

Similarly, external factors can also impede customer success. Let’s say the client’s internal champion—someone vital for pushing the project forward—leaves the company. Suddenly, CSM has to rebuild relationships and re-explain the ROI to new stakeholders.

In both cases, CSM is still a diligent CSM. But CSM cannot single-handedly ensure customer success without the collaboration of internal teams like product, support, marketing, and external stakeholders within the client’s organization. It’s like asking one chef to make a five-course meal without any help in the kitchen—it just doesn’t work.

A robust customer success strategy includes aligning these roles with the same Key Responsibility Areas (KRAs) to ensure client value is realized at every touchpoint. It’s no longer just about one team; it’s about cross-functional collaboration.

When every department is incentivized to drive customer outcomes, you foster a system where everyone is thinking about the customer, not just the CSM.

The ecosystem at large — including vendors, partners, and integrators — plays a huge role in customer success. Industry standards, integrations, and third-party services should all be designed with the end customer in mind, ensuring the CSM can manage client outcomes without unnecessary friction.


Customer delight is no longer just the responsibility of the customer success team. It’s a shared mission involving product, support, sales, and even the customer themselves. So, who is your true customer success manager?

It’s your entire company.


Anthonise Davenport , MA

Strategic Customer Success Leader | Relationship Builder | Data-Driven Program Optimizer | Driving Engagement & Growth

1 个月

Our role as a CSM is so vital to the growth of any companies. No matter the industry’s if you have a great CSM the team and company will definitely benefit from thier success.

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Ludmila Milla

Co-founder and CEO at UJJI AI? | EMBA at Sa?d Business School, University of Oxford

1 个月

Loved it, but also believe that comprehensive customer success training for CSMs and reps is equally essential in equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed to navigate these complex dynamics effectively.

Great insights, Abhinav. Your expertise in Customer Success Management truly shines through in every post. Keep up the excellent work!

Abhinav R

Principal Manager-Customer Success | Empowering Enterprise Growth | Strategy, Product Adoption & C-Suite Consulting

1 个月

Follow Abhinav Rasttogi for more such content #customersuccess.

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