So earlier this year, we “hired” (really moved”) our best Project Manager into a new role – Customer Success Manager.  We got the feeling that ensuring customer success AFTER projects was becoming more and more complicated, relevant and required, so we made the Jump…

Jill Oliveira jumped into the role, and began calling existing customers, talking about issues they had, and working through new “phases” of their deployments.  It’s early, but already I can tell it’s made a huge difference.  I was thinking of that today when I read this article.  The author is really focusing on CSM tools (Gainsight for example) but I do think that regardless of tool or no tool, CSM is here in a big way.

Now CSM can have as many definitions as CRM!  some people think automation – surveys, press releases, email blasts, etc – and some people think boots on the ground –  what used to be called Account Management, but rest assured, companies who don’t employ a Customer Success Management Strategy are sure to be left behind…