S is for Success… Customer Success
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s your Customer Success Manager!
On April 18, 1938 the hero we have come to know as Superman made his comic debut.
For almost a century, we as a society have associated him with protection and guidance of a world threatened by evil. Heralded as the the greatest comic book hero of all time, Superman is known as the blueprint for superheroes as we know them today.
Associations need another kind of superhero. Forget superhuman strength and laser vision. Organizations need a hero that can help them navigate their association management system (AMS). With various available functions, capabilities, and customizations, an AMS can be a tricky tool to learn how to use and it can be difficult at times to realize its complete value. This is where Customer Success comes in.
Customer Success (noun): The passionate dedication to maximize the actual value benefit for customers as a direct result of using a product.
Technology is changing the way associations do business. Applications and platforms have taken the place of filing cabinets and excel spreadsheets to create more effective and efficient processes. As technology becomes more innovative, products increase capabilities and functions making it difficult to realize their complete value. Do you feel like you’re gaining complete value from your software tools? Didn’t think so – that’s where a Customer Success Manager can truly help.
It is every Customer Success Manager’s dream to make that happen for their customer. From sun-up to sun-down, these superheroes and constant do-gooders are thinking of ways to help their customers reach their goals, to use the product to satisfy their business needs. They begin their work by establishing relationships with customers, learning the most they can about the individuals and their business. They use that knowledge to recommend best practices and develop a plan for successful product adoption. They are able to apply new product features and releases to their customer’s needs. They have a proactive and holistic approach to customer satisfaction.
Customer Success is still a fairly new concept for associations that often gets confused with account management, customer service, and even customer support. It is an entity of its own, solely dedicated to helping customers get the biggest bang for their buck.
In MemberSuite’s new whitepaper – S is for Success – we will define Customer Success as a function, evaluate the benefits it provides to associations using an AMS, and the differences between Customer Success, Professional Services, and Support.