Block the Noise
By Michael Su
One of my favorite things about being in Customer Success is working cross-functionally with so many departments, both internal and external. If you’ve ever geeked out about Customer Success with me or attended any of my classes, you have likely heard me say that Customer Success is the hub of a company. We interact with just about every team including Sales, Product, Marketing, and more.
It only makes sense that as a CSM, you belong in two teams. There’s your actual Customer Success team with your fellow CSMs, leaders, and maybe an operations person. As odd as it may seem, you might not work with your team as much as you work with others. You, along with your fellow team members, fill your days working with customers and a slew of people from various departments. For example, you likely have a close relationship with your Product team to share feedback and get visibility into the roadmap. Perhaps you collaborate with Marketing to write customer stories and collect reviews. While working cross-functionally, it is easy to blur the lines and have some overlap in responsibilities. Just about every CSM I have ever worked with is full of enthusiasm and always willing to go the extra mile for the greater good. We’re just awesome people like that!
Don’t get me wrong, your Customer Success team is vital to your success. They are your support system. They are the only ones in the company who can empathize with you. Leverage and take advantage of this resource to brainstorm a difficult situation you’re going through with a customer. I can’t tell you how many times I have counted on my team to get me through my days, weeks, and months. There have been times when I needed advice or to talk through my ideas. There have also been times when I needed actual coverage because I was double booked or out sick and couldn’t reschedule a meeting that took weeks to get on the books. This of course means you’ll have the opportunity to reciprocate and help your fellow teammates.
Let’s not forget about your unofficial team. While working directly with customers and tasked with driving adoption, expansion, and renewals, you certainly work closely with a sales rep, engineer, and maybe an inside sales rep. When I was working as a CSM, I spent a lot of time collaborating and strategizing with my accounts teams. We synced regularly and had a plan for each customer. We talked about cross sell opportunities and who is best suited to lead the discussions and product demonstrations. I became very close with the sales engineers given our level of overlap of skillset and responsibility. It sometimes felt like we were interchangeable, which was fantastic at times when we needed to cover for each other. The key is to have a strong team dynamic which translates to a smooth and superb customer experience.
With so many interactions and active cycles, it’s easy to get distracted. In a past article I talked about protecting your valuable time at all costs. It’s always nice to do favors, and we should because we’re good people. But it’s important to know when to push back and say no. Even a small task can turn into many cycles, and the next thing you know you’re fully looped into a process you have no business being in. Be mindful of all the noise around you. Even quiet whispers can quickly turn into a sonorous roar.
For the sake of your productivity and for the sake of your customers’ experience, block the noise! When working cross functionally with other departments, be sure to clearly define any shared activities and decide who’s doing the work. Otherwise the lines will blur and people will start to think all the favors you’ve been doing are actually part of your job. As a team player you are eager and willing to help your fellow colleagues. It’s what makes working in a team so powerful. Two minds are better than one. As much as you’d like to help, at some point you need to draw the line. At the end of the day, you’ll encourage good work habits and have more time to do what’s important for your customers.
The Success League is a customer success consulting firm that, in addition to consulting and leadership coaching, offers an accredited CSM Certification Program, containing classes that focus on cross-functional leadership. Visit TheSuccessLeague.io for more information for these and our other offerings.
Michael Su - Michael is a Customer Success innovator with over 15 years of working experience. While leading the team, he has designed, built, and successfully implemented Customer Success departments at various companies spanning from early stage tech start ups to publicly traded enterprises. He is passionate about improving processes and streamlining workflows. As a leader he loves working with people to help nurture and grow their professional careers. When Michael is not helping companies fight churn, he enjoys spending time with his wife, 3 kids, 2 turtles, and 1 dog.
