(CMS) Customer Success Management: Certification Course
(CMS) Customer Success Management: Certification Course, Learn all Phases and Practice the Customer Success Management(CSM) Framework.
This course also helps students prepare for the Customer Success Manager certification. This course focuses on developing the knowledge, skills, and abilities that prepare students for CSM roles and giving them the confidence to fill the role. A particular focus of this course is to provide students with opportunities to expand their real-world experience in a safe environment using hands-on exercises and role-plays.
Here you will practice all 7 phases of the CSM Framework contained within three stages.
A. Initial Stage
The early stages of an engagement are about getting things ready – primarily getting oneself ready as the CSM to be useful and relevant in the context of the customer’s needs and desires and getting to know the customer’s key stakeholders, as well as reaching an agreement on the types of ways the CSM will be able to help the customer with their journey towards value realization
Phases within the Initial Stage:
- Phase 1: Preparation
- Phase 2: Commitment
B. User Readiness Stage
The user readiness stage is all about helping the customer prepare their users to be able to fully adopt and use the solution they have purchased. This includes both the initial onboarding of products and services and then moves into full scale adoption, which in turn readies the customer to commence solution utilization.
Phases within the User Readiness Stage:
- Phase 3: Onboarding
- Phase 4: Adoption Planning
- Phase 5: Adoption Implementation
C. Ongoing Stage
The final stage is ongoing in the sense that it continues on into the future for as long as the customer continues to use the solution. This stage takes over as soon as adoption is completed and ensures that maximum value is continually generated, measured and reported on. At intervals during this stage the CSM will take stock of the engagement and determine what has gone well, what could have gone better and what has been learned for future engagements
Phases within the Ongoing Stage:
- Phase 6: Value Realization
- Phase 7: Engagement Evaluation
Because CSMs work directly with customers, they have the opportunity to make a significant impact on their customer base. They act as personal cheerleaders for your business, explaining to customers why you can meet their particular needs. It will also give you a reason to recommend it.
Onboarding new customers.
Onboarding is one of CSM’s top priorities. That’s because educating customers on how to use your product is very important. Onboarding should focus on the features you need to learn based on the projects you want to complete. This way, they can be up to date as quickly as possible and be one step closer to their goals.
Track updates.
A CSM’s job is to create loyal repeat customers, not one-time users. This is why extensions are so important for this position. CSMs must track customer product expiration dates monthly, quarterly, or annually and contact customers to renew contracts. Without tracking, you run the risk of potential churn and impacting customer retention.
Encourage upselling and cross-selling.
Upselling and cross-selling are another way to increase customer lifetime value. CSM is dedicated to achieving customer goals and creates opportunities to introduce premium products and services. If the customer is a good candidate for an upgrade, the CSM can meet with the customer and explain why the additional purchase would be beneficial. Because CSMs have relationships with their customers, they are more likely to trust your team’s advice.
Build relationships with customers and support teams.
There are some customer questions for which CSM is not responsible. Technical issues, minor product issues, and basic business questions should be directed to our customer support team. The CSM should facilitate customer support relationships and make it easier for users to resolve minor or short-term issues.
Be the voice of the customer.
As a customer-facing person, the CSM should feel a responsibility to advocate for their needs. You need a deep understanding of your customers’ likes and dislikes about your product, which can be discovered through surveys, reviews, recommendations, and more. The CSM should organize, analyze, and share this information with other departments to ensure that the organization’s decisions always keep the voice of the customer in mind.
