Customer Success for Introverts: Asking Great Questions
By Kristen Hayer
I’m what they call an ambivert. I’m a person who comes across as an extrovert in public and when I need to, but then needs to retreat and recharge alone. Being an extrovert is a learned skill for me - I was super shy growing up. We moved overseas when I was a kid, and being extroverted became a survival skill. But it isn’t really natural for me.
This morning I taught a large group of CS professionals my trick: asking questions. Over the years I’ve learned a lot about asking questions, along with several, well-researched methodologies for asking the right kind of questions. Here are some of my favorite tips and tricks for asking great questions and seeming like an extrovert, while supporting your introverted side.
Embrace Silence
Ahhhhh - I love silence. On the training call this morning I was asked what I listen to at work and my answer was weirdly, nothing! I don’t love music at work. If I’m listening to something it is a podcast, but if I’m focusing I love silence. Silence also works well in conversations. You don’t need to feel pressured to fill every nook and cranny of a conversation with words. Silence gives you a break and allows the other person a moment to collect their thoughts and respond to your questions with real answers. Our culture is very rushed, and by slowing things down you’ll feel more relaxed and the person you’re talking to will be able to give your questions real thought. If you’re reading this and you tend to jump in whenever there is silence, try counting to 7 in your head. It feels long, but works great.
Soften Questions
If you are an introvert, it can feel very intrusive and awkward to ask someone a deep question.
You know how you might feel if you were asked something like that, and you might be applying that empathy to your customer. A way you can make it easier to ask a deep question is to soften it. There are 2 ways you can do this. The first is to add some softening language around the question. Instead of asking, “What impact is this having on your business?” you could say something like, “Hey, I was wondering if this is having some impact on your team or company?” The second is to relate their situation to similar customers. This might sound like, “Several other companies who deal with this issue have seen this impact on their business. Do you run into that as well?” This ensures that the customer doesn’t feel alone, and will make it an easier question for you to ask.
Focus on What They Know Best
Most of you are probably working in B2B customer success. If you’re an introvert it can be helpful to remember that the customers you work with talk to you as a part of their job. You’re not bugging them at home or intruding on their personal lives. You’re at work. They are at work. Your job is to talk to each other. Asking questions instead of feeling like you’re always having to present things to them can make customer interactions so much more relaxing. People love to talk about things they are good at, and since most of us spend a lot of time at work, that tends to be a favorite topic. By asking great questions and listening to the answers, you’re both doing your job and taking the pressure off yourself to lead the entire conversation.
My biggest tip for introverts is to challenge yourself to ask just one more question than you normally would in your next customer conversation. I promise you that you’ll find that it enriches the conversation and makes it much more enjoyable. Good luck, and let me know how this advice helps you, as an introvert!
Want to improve your business communications skills? Check out our CSM Communication training program! Available as a live, instructor-led format or now in our new digital, on-demand format. For more, visit TheSuccessLeague.io
Kristen Hayer - Kristen founded The Success League in 2015 and currently serves as the company's CEO. Over the past 25 years Kristen has been a success, sales, and marketing executive, primarily working with scaling tech companies, and leading several award-winning customer success teams. She has written over 100 articles on customer success, and is the host of 3 podcasts about the field. Kristen has served as a judge for the Customer Success Excellence awards, and is on the board of several early-stage tech companies. She received her MBA from the University of Washington in Seattle, and now lives in San Francisco.
