Professional Customer Success Managers know it’s not the end of the world to lose a client. Sometimes, it’s the best thing that can happen to you and your business. As a Customer Success Manager, you owe your business consistent, profitable, and quality relationships. That often means letting a client go. Perhaps your best guideline is […]
In any social community, there are leaders, followers, and “hangers on.” Whether Formal or informal, any community has surface and sub-surface dynamic. There’s a spoken and unspoken synergy, a subtle social exchange. In the workplace, Customer Success leaders seem to excel at influence and inspiration. (A leader doesn’t necessarily need to be a manager. A […]
Upsells are targets staring every Customer Success team in the face. The role of upselling Len Markidan of Groove suggests there are three distinct benefits to upselling customers: Upselling builds deeper customer relationships. Upselling to customers is easier than selling to new customers. Upselling increases Customer Life Value (CLV) How upselling builds deeper customer […]
Managers are rarely what you think. In fact, they are rarely what they think. They are painfully human, prone to all the mistakes people make. In an “us against them” workplace world, the great majority of supervisors are earnest folks who want to do the right thing. But, too many just don’t get what their […]
To be known as a good Customer Success organization, it’s important to provide a high level of service not only to the external, paying customers, but also to the internal ones – your employees. Chris Boyce, CEO of Virgin Pulse, writing for billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson’s Virgin, says, “Your employees are your company’s real competitive […]
Depending on the research source and the industry sector, experts claim that it costs 10 to 20% more to find and close a new customer than it does to retain an existing one. Now, given that you can expect some natural attrition among customers, the business will not long survive such a drain on its […]
The “experts” who write so much about Management Theory and Human Resources leadership ignore the simple fact that people can really be obnoxious. Amy, an HR manager, keeps a mental list of complaints made about difficult workers. Some steal from the refrigerator, some talk politics endlessly, and some just smell bad. Remember: everyone is watching […]
In Part 1 of this discussion (http://www.thecustomersuccesscenter.com/4-strategies-dealing-impossible-client-part-1-2/) I shared thoughts and strategies on dealing for difficult clients. I will continue the discussion on this topic in this second part: Difficult clients master the ability to provoke and anger. Their underlying message is “Do it my way or hit the highway.” Fundamentally, they need recognition and […]
Difficult clients master the ability to provoke and anger. Their underlying message is “Do it my way or hit the highway.” Fundamentally, they need recognition and subjugation, and one way to get it is to get you to agree. Consciously or unconsciously, they upset balance with erratic and unpredictable behaviors. Such behaviors may be loud […]
Too many business meetings happen too casually. There are those standup meetings and meetings on the fly where casual is okay. But, regular meetings – weekly and monthly – require planning and execution. In a recent article, How to effectively plan and prepare for a team meeting – Part 1, I examined some concerns about […]