Neeraj Khandelwal’s Post

Technical Account Managers who wait to react are already too late. A TAM’s job is to see what’s coming before it happens. When they anticipate challenges, they can create a plan to turn them into opportunities. It’s about being a strategic advisor, not just a problem solver. It’s about being proactive, not reactive. The value TAMs provide is in guiding customers to long-term success. Great TAMs don’t wait for issues, they drive solutions and product growth proactively. That’s how Technical Account Managers showcase their impact. #TechnicalAccountManagement #TAM #CustomerSuccess #ProfessionalServices

Have you noticed the combined Customer Success and Account Manager (CS/AM) role? Most people we've asked about it are either for it or against it. In fact, we could not decide what people prefer. Merging the roles of Customer Success Manager (CSM) and Account Manager (AM) into a single position, often labeled as Customer Success Account Manager (CS/AM), can have various advantages and disadvantages. Read the article to find out what those are, but... What do you think about this merging of roles? Let us know in the comments! 👇👇👇👇 https://lnkd.in/gKhig3sB #customersuccess #customersuccessmanagement #accountmanagement #customersuccessmanager #accountmanager

As we head towards the end of 2024, it's fascinating to observe how the role of a Customer Success Manager (CSM) in the SaaS world is evolving. Having been in the SaaS industry for 4 years, I've seen some significant changes that highlight the importance of CSMs in driving value for both companies and customers alike. With Paiger continuing to innovate and set benchmarks in recruitment technology since 2018, the emphasis on customer success has only become more pronounced. Here are my top 10 traits that mark a successful CSM: Empathy - Understanding the customer's perspective is crucial for building lasting relationships. Communication Skills - Clear, concise, and effective communication ensures that customers are always in the loop. Proactivity - Anticipating customer needs and addressing issues before they become problems. Problem Solving Ability - Tackling customer issues head-on and finding effective solutions. Data Driven - Using metrics and analytics to inform decisions and strategies. Product Knowledge - Deep understanding of the product and its value proposition. Strategic Thinking - Aligning customer success strategies with broader business goals. Adaptability - Rolling with industry changes and adapting to new technologies quickly. Collaboration - Working seamlessly with other teams to enhance the customer experience. Customer Advocacy - Acting as the customer's voice within the company to drive improvements. These traits are essential for any CSM looking to thrive in today's dynamic SaaS environment. At Paiger, we continually focus on these areas to ensure our team is equipped to support our clients efficiently. What other traits do you think are essential for a CSM in the SaaS industry? #CustomerSuccess #SaaS #Recruitment

🚀 The Evolving Role of Account Managers in High Tech 🚀 In the dynamic world of high tech, the role of account managers has never been more crucial. As we navigate the complexities of digital transformation, here are a few key ways in which the role of an account manager is evolving: 1. From Sales to Strategic Partnerships 🤝 Gone are the days when account management was solely about sales. Today, it’s about building strategic partnerships. Account managers are now vital in bridging the gap between customer needs and technological capabilities, crafting solutions that drive mutual growth. 2. Tech Fluency is a Must 💻 The rapid pace of technological innovation demands that account managers not only understand but also anticipate tech trends. Being tech-savvy enables us to better align tech solutions with business objectives, providing real value to our clients. 3. Data-Driven Decision Making 📊 In a world driven by data, account managers must harness the power of analytics to drive decisions. Using data to understand client behavior, predict needs, and measure success is critical for optimizing strategies and outcomes. The role of an account manager is more complex but also more impactful than ever. We are not just managing accounts; we are leading the march towards innovation and sustained growth. What changes have you seen in the role of account managers in your industry? Let's discuss how we can thrive in this ever-evolving landscape. 🌐 #AccountManagement #HighTech #DigitalTransformation #StrategicPartnerships #TechTrends

Ever feel like the most important insights are buried in your team’s conversations but never make it to the people who need them most? 🤔 Whether it’s the handoff between Sales and Customer Success, onboarding with Implementation, or maintaining relationships in Account Management..... information isn’t flowing like it should. ⚡ Customer Success Teams: ◉ Imagine if every success check-in revealed insights about customer expectations, pain points, and future opportunities—but those insights never reach the people who need them. ◉ Without a clear view into what’s been promised, how often do CSMs scramble to react instead of proactively drive outcomes? ◉ What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to accessing valuable context from sales conversations? ⚡ Implementation Teams: ◉ How often does your team face delays or complications because you didn’t know about a customer’s integration needs or expectations until they became an issue? ◉ Starting from scratch in every onboarding call because details weren’t passed along isn’t just frustrating—it can damage the customer’s first impression. ◉ What do you wish you knew about your customers before starting their onboarding? ⚡ Account Management Teams: ◉ We all know that renewals and upsells depend on understanding a customer’s strategic goals, but how often do critical insights from the sales process get lost in translation? ◉ Missed opportunities aren’t just about the numbers—they’re about not fully understanding what’s driving your customer’s business. ◉ How do you ensure you’re staying aligned with a customer’s goals after the initial sale? It’s obvious that seamless cross-functional communication is more than a “nice-to-have.” How are your teams closing these gaps? #CustomerSuccess #AccountManagement #SalesOps #Implementation #CSM #SalesAlignment

CEOs, Founders, CTOs and sales leaders get way too much credit. I believe Customer Success Managers (CSMs) are the most important role in any SaaS organization by a wide margin and unfortunately they are massively undervalued. CSMs have a finger on the pulse of SaaS like no other role. Can we even list all the things CSMs do to win, retain and save customers? Here is my start: - Become a "go to" product expert -Train Customers on product - Support Implementation and golive - Highlight quick wins - Consult on strategy - Fnd product work arounds when the product doesn't work - Survey Customer Satisfaction - Monitor product usage - Update customers on new functionality - Provide Product teams the list of prioritized product feature requests for roadmap consideration - Manage customer expectations on future roadmap timeline realities - Predict renewal behavior - Share company vision with customers - Monitor changes in customer strategy - Monitor and support integrations to 3rd party products - Understand the ecosystem of products beyond the integration edge - Highlight potential risks from changes in ecosystem deployed at customers - Meet with clients bi- weekly - Brief sales and execs on the truth in the account - Point of contact to engage customer for meeting and events - Identify expansion opportunities - Drive growth expansion presentations - Drive invites and attendance to webinars and live events - Travel to meet customer teams - Own the QBR - Execute growth sales strategy - Manage expansion contracts - Break the news to sales and execs when there is churn risk - Break the news when churn is happening - Manage ever changing priorities in GTM through to the customer - Accommodate and execute never ending changes in account assignments and segmentation strategies - Support user conferences - Perform customized demos for sales reps - Win renewal commitments - Manage Renewals What did I miss? Pease comment and help me complete this list. #CustomerSuccessManager #CSM #SaaS #Hero Force Equals

Embracing a data-driven approach can greatly enhance how we tackle these truths. For instance, leveraging customer usage data and feedback analytics can help identify bad-fit customers early, optimize the customer journey, and tailor both support and success strategies more effectively. Integrating these insights into your product development and customer engagement strategies ensures you're not just reacting to issues but proactively enhancing value and retention. #customersuccess #saas #cco 

After 3 years of excelling as an account manager, I am excited to finally break into customer success management. Through my learning journey with SuccessHACKER, here are some points I find in common between CSMs and Account Managers, although they are often handled differently: 1. Fostering Strong Connections: Customer success thrives on long-term relationships with businesses, whereas as an account manager, long-term connections were not always the top priority. 2. Value Delivery vs. Sales: Customer success prioritizes value delivery over sales, acting as trusted advisors. In contrast, account management may focus more on upselling responsibilities. 3. Client-Centric Approach: As a customer success manager, I serve as the primary liaison for clients, collaborating closely with customer service, product development, and marketing teams. In my previous role as an account manager, collaboration with other departments was not as common, and the focus was more on closing deals. This experience has helped me appreciate the challenges a CSM may face when sales teams sign on the wrong customers. I am seeking mentors and am eager to learn through your insights. Please feel free to share your experience or connect or message me your tips and experience, as this would be greatly valued. #CustomerSuccess #CSM

Part 5 and final part of my series on qualities to look for when hiring a Customer Success Manager. We've discussed the importance of empathy, personality, accountability, and adaptability. Today, I'd like to talk about the ability to collaborate. No matter what industry you're in, every CSM needs to be able to collaborate with multiple departments. Strategic CSMs work closely with sales, marketing, product, and support teams to ensure a cohesive approach to customer success. They provide valuable insights and feedback to product and development teams, driving product improvements and innovation. To ensure the candidate you are interviewing is proficient at collaborating with other departments, consider these guidelines: 📚 Ask them to provide specific examples of cross-functional projects they've been involved in. 👥 Look for stories where they worked closely with teams like sales, marketing, product development, or support, and ask them to detail their role and contributions. 💬 Pay attention to how they describe their communication style, conflict resolution skills, and their ability to understand and align with the goals of other departments. 🔍 Inquire about their experiences in joint problem-solving and how they ensured successful project outcomes through teamwork. Their responses should highlight their ability to build strong relationships and work effectively within a diverse team environment. I hope this helps! Please share with your network and follow for for more Customer Success advice and stories. #SaaS #CustomerSuccess #HiringCSM #CSMSeries

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