I don't want to buy your CRM!
December 23, 2014 7:35 AM Subscribe
I have a job that I really love with a young company that involves managing relationships with current (subscription-based) customers - what is sometimes labeled in software as "Customer Success." Because the company is young, I've been granted lots of freedom in creating this role, and I'd like to seriously own it. My research efforts have stymied me, however - everything I come across seems to be selling me something.
While normally my google fu is rather good, it seems that every blog post or ebook or white paper I've encountered is intended to sell me Gainsight or Totango or some comparable CRM. While these are intriguing platforms that I may end up using at some later point, reading lots of works that are built around the objective of 'nurturing use for a system [like ours, wink wink]' has been frustrating, and I was hoping to find something a little more neutral.
What I'm really looking for are either business books/e-books, blogs, case studies, or academic papers that address the ins and outs of implementing different customer success/account management procedures at other companies, and how those procedures have either succeeded or failed. I love empirical research, I love large amounts of data, and I love writers who can properly qualify the context and significance of that data - but of course, to get all three would be a bit of a dream, and I'd really be happy with any neutral research at all at this point.
I know that "customer success" is considered a somewhat novel area within a fairly novel business model, but it strikes me that roles like these have been central to companies probably for decades, and I really want to challenge and deepen my own thinking on the subject. So, hive mind: I request your usual perspicacity on the subject. Recommend anything and everything you've found insightful - and thank you in advance.
While normally my google fu is rather good, it seems that every blog post or ebook or white paper I've encountered is intended to sell me Gainsight or Totango or some comparable CRM. While these are intriguing platforms that I may end up using at some later point, reading lots of works that are built around the objective of 'nurturing use for a system [like ours, wink wink]' has been frustrating, and I was hoping to find something a little more neutral.
What I'm really looking for are either business books/e-books, blogs, case studies, or academic papers that address the ins and outs of implementing different customer success/account management procedures at other companies, and how those procedures have either succeeded or failed. I love empirical research, I love large amounts of data, and I love writers who can properly qualify the context and significance of that data - but of course, to get all three would be a bit of a dream, and I'd really be happy with any neutral research at all at this point.
I know that "customer success" is considered a somewhat novel area within a fairly novel business model, but it strikes me that roles like these have been central to companies probably for decades, and I really want to challenge and deepen my own thinking on the subject. So, hive mind: I request your usual perspicacity on the subject. Recommend anything and everything you've found insightful - and thank you in advance.
Admittedly it's managed by Totango, but there is a website Customer Success News.
I am probably biased because I work in marketing, but I've pretty much accepted that most of the free advice is going to come from someone who is ultimately trying to sell you something. It's called content marketing. That said, I've read some really good stuff on Totango's website, and I went to a free event they had with several interesting speakers (I work closely with my company's CS team). We don't use Totango ar any CS software.
posted by radioamy at 8:51 AM on December 23, 2014
I am probably biased because I work in marketing, but I've pretty much accepted that most of the free advice is going to come from someone who is ultimately trying to sell you something. It's called content marketing. That said, I've read some really good stuff on Totango's website, and I went to a free event they had with several interesting speakers (I work closely with my company's CS team). We don't use Totango ar any CS software.
posted by radioamy at 8:51 AM on December 23, 2014
Check out this Measuringu.com blog post, "5-steps [sic] for getting started measuring the customer experience."
It's probably worth looking at "Customer Experience" in general, which is similar to customer success -- it's an attempt to look at the whole customer journey, including all interactions and activities, maybe less focused on account management but including it. I know there's a "For Dummies" book, as well as a Jeff Sauro book on measuring Customer Experience. These aren't free, but they aren't trying to sell you anything other than ideas.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 9:27 AM on December 23, 2014
It's probably worth looking at "Customer Experience" in general, which is similar to customer success -- it's an attempt to look at the whole customer journey, including all interactions and activities, maybe less focused on account management but including it. I know there's a "For Dummies" book, as well as a Jeff Sauro book on measuring Customer Experience. These aren't free, but they aren't trying to sell you anything other than ideas.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 9:27 AM on December 23, 2014
There's lot of literature from the marketing department on CRM and its flavours. From what I understand you would also be interested into the account management part. Some advertising celebrities have written books on this topic, too. (Sorry, don't remember any specific ones right now)
posted by oxit at 1:00 AM on December 24, 2014
posted by oxit at 1:00 AM on December 24, 2014
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You are vague on details and my background is more of a production oriented one, so YMMV on my suggestion. Nonetheless, it appears that an important element of your challenge would be to sit down and detail--in both broad terms as well as with as much fine precision as you can muster--just what constitutes "success" for your customer(s) and your company. Procedures ought to be oriented towards accomplishing the goals you have reached and ought to flow from your underlying "philosophy of success." You may need to build your own tools.
As background, I strongly suggest familiarizing yourself with W. Edwards Deming and the underlying philosophy he constructed which helped guide his work. While this may not directly approach your immediate goal here, I'm certain that it will provoke some worthy points to think about as you construct a solution which fits your situation.
Enjoy the hard work you have set out for yourself! These are the kinds of challenges which make work lots of fun.
posted by CincyBlues at 8:06 AM on December 23, 2014 [1 favorite]