Going for Gold: The Olympic Triathlon Approach to Elevating Customer Success
Photos by Charlie Burgio @charlieburgiophThe Customer Success scene in London is buzzing with innovation as leaders from across the spectrum rallied at the CS Round Table, a collaborative effort by Gainsight and Women in Customer Success on 11th March 2024. This event was far from an ordinary networking event —it was a powerhouse of thought leadership, ideas, strategies, and camaraderie among the leaders of Customer Success, Experience and Community circles. Hosted within the iconic London Olympic Stadium, it was a setting where laughter and a sense of wonder were as palpable as the memories of athletic glory that echo through its halls, reminding attendees that they, too, are part of a momentous race towards excellence in their field.
The event gathered Customer Success leaders from an array of companies, each at varying stages of growth and maturity within their Customer Success operations. The discussions were strategically steered towards excellence in Customer Success, focused on AI efforts, delivering a seamless customer experience with Community and Education, while maintaining a close alignment with Product and Sales teams.
What’s Top of Mind for Customer Success Leaders?
In trying to discover the main priorities of Customer Success leaders, we discussed the following themes:
Integration of AI into CS, Communities, and Education teams without losing the human touch
Training strategies for CS and Community teams to utilize AI tools while ensuring personalized customer interactions
Tailoring Digital Customer Success and Scaled team strategies to different customer segments
Role of Community and Education services in enhancing customer engagement approaches
It was fascinating to hear very different approaches that companies are taking in integrating AI into the work of their Customer Success teams. From some companies with no CS tools in place and lots of manual and admin work to companies that are building in their in-house tools powered by AI and machine learning.
Here are the main observations on the use of AI amongst Customer Success teams:
The integration of AI in Customer Success is still in its infancy, with many companies lacking any strategic approach
Currently, CSMs are mainly leveraging AI on an individual basis to enhance customer communications through tools like ChatGPT and to distil insights from support case narratives
The data derived from AI analysis empowers CSMs to make informed recommendations for customer training, system enhancements, and process improvements
The companies that are more mature in their CS processes and system developments are leading the way by embedding AI into their in-house tools, resulting in personalised reports for customers that CSMs can leverage in their engagements to provide appropriate recommendations.
In the absence of a strategic CS approach to using AI, some CS leaders are enabling their teams to utilise AI tools by running team workshops for brainstorming and learning
Recommendations from CS Leaders to Their Peers
Leaders, here's how you can champion the AI revolution in your Customer Success teams:
Empower with GenAI
Guide your CSMs to use ChatGPT in their customer interactions. Whether it's crafting compelling content or getting a quick scan through support tickets for patterns, GenAI can be a game-changer. Especially in preparation for Executive Business Reviews and similar strategic meetings, GenAI can help in finding patterns, main concerns or next steps strategies.
Incorporate AI into Playbooks
We’re just scratching the surface of AI's potential in CS. After collecting data and finding patterns, not is time to enhance the current processes with AI to recommend better ways and strategies for customers.
Get AI-powered Tools for your CS Tea
Ideally, have a CS tool for your team that is already powered by AI. Those tools will help CSMs develop better strategies as they collect and interpret data. Your CSMs will surely be content with a tool that’s not only collecting data but also offering smart recommendations that lead to smart decisions and ultimately, help customers grow.
Streamline with AI
Imagine a world where CSMs are free from manual tasks! AI could handle everything, from generating knowledge-base articles and jotting down call notes and recommending next steps. Even the simpler renewals could be done on autopilot. With time on their hands, CSMs could focus on what really matters - giving customers their full attention, solving real problems and nurturing growth. How cool would that be?
How CS Leaders Leverage Community for Customer Advocacy
CSMs have the unique opportunity to identify and nurture customer promoters into brand advocates
Creating case studies, testimonials, and referral programs are effective ways to acknowledge and incentivize these advocates.
Leaders can enhance their brand's reach by promoting advocate voices through social media, events, and thought leadership platforms.
Utilizing satisfied customers as advocates is a strategic move that benefits both customer retention and acquisition.
Where Olympic Strategy Meets Customer Success
At the CS Round Table, industry leaders didn't just meet—they engaged in dynamic conversations full of insights on the latest trends and their challenges. But what truly set this event apart was its clever infusion of Olympic-themed strategies into the world of Customer Success. It's not every day that you get to blend the pursuit of excellence with the wisdom of real Success champions, all while crafting winning playbooks for the business world.
At Gainsight and Women in Customer Success, we are continuously looking for ways to serve the community through thought leadership, events and recommendations. If you missed this event, we want to leave you with actionable Olympic-style steps for crafting your CS strategies.
Olympic Playbooks for Enterprise CS Leaders
Proactive Engagement - Archery
Monitor customer health using multiple data points
Utilize insights for tailored advice and support.
Collect and respond to customer feedback promptly
Strategic Account Planning - Football
Schedule regular meetings with key accounts to align objectives
Create customized success plans detailing steps to achieve customer goals
Collaborate with sales, product, and support teams for strategic execution
Leveraging Customer Advocacy - Hockey
Identify and utilize satisfied customers for case studies, testimonials, and referrals.
Use positive customer experiences to boost retention and acquisition.
Seamless Handoffs - Track & Field
Develop clear processes for transitions between sales, onboarding, and CS teams
Ensure accurate transfer of all relevant information
Confirm customer comfort and understanding post-handoff
Olympic Playbooks for Scale CS Leaders
Speedy Onboarding - Running
Streamline the onboarding process for efficiency.
Quickly demonstrate product value to new users.
Provide a central hub of resources for self-service learning.
Personalized Check-ins - Football
Establish a routine of personalized customer check-ins.
Tailor engagement frequency to customer needs and lifecycle stages.
Offer ongoing support with actionable advice and insights.
Collaborative Problem Solving - Basketball (alley-oop)
Engage in joint efforts with customers to tackle challenges.
Use tools to identify risks early and develop custom solutions.
Foster team unity around customer needs for successful outcomes.
Agile Response to Feedback - Rugby
Actively collect and analyze customer feedback.
Implement changes swiftly to address customer concerns.
Keep customers updated on how their feedback leads to improvements.
Conclusion: Olympic Champions of the Customer Success Arena
Reflecting on the table discussions from the CS Round Table, it’s clear that CS strategy has many similarities to an Olympic Triathlon: It requires agility, strategy, and relentless efforts to provide gold-standard service.
From sprinting past the mundane manual tasks with AI, or passing the baton smoothly in our team handoffs, we’re now equipped with playbooks inspired by the world’s greatest athletes. As we’re approaching the Olympic session this year, let us adopt these Olympic-level strategies to elevate our Customer Success teams.
Let’s lace up our trainers and embrace the spirit of the Olympics. In the Customer Success arena - do you dare to be a champion?
