A New Way to Improve Your CSM Team Performance

May 20, 2019

CSMs Are Problem Solvers

Like diligent gardeners, Customer Success Managers (CSMs) excel at identifying problems and attacking them at their roots. Once one problem is solved, they move on to the next one, steadily weeding out every problem until only the healthy crops are left to flourish. But fundamentally, their focus is always on a problem.

This is a solid strategy, but it’s not always the best approach to drive the metrics that matter in customer success. Consider the latest trend in the self-help industry. Rather than spending time on fixing your shortcomings, a number of recent bestsellers advocate a shift in focus toward developing your strengths. We can apply this same principle to customer success.

Imagine you manage a team of CSMs. Half of them boast outstanding retention rates while the others struggle with poor retention rates. Your first instinct may be to focus on the problem – elevate the poor performers in order to improve your overall scores. An intuitive approach, but it ignores a valuable resource – the high performing CSMs.

A better approach may be to determine what the high performing CSMs are doing to earn their high retention rates. What are their daily activities? How do they engage with clients? How and what do they communicate? To answer these questions, you’ll need to shadow your high performers closely for at least one week.

The following week, do the same exercise with your poor performing CSMs. Sit in on their client calls. Watch the way they prepare for and follow up after meetings. Try to identify the delta between their approach and that of the high performers.

A Word of Caution

You cannot take shortcuts with this step. You’ll need to observe the CSMs directly to understand what is going on. A strong CSM will not be able to identify what they do that makes them successful. They only have one data point.

While every CSM will have their own unique style and approach, you will be able to identify a set of practices that your strongest CSMs consistently do that your struggling CSMs do not. Expanding these consistent practices throughout your team is the key to making all of your CSMs into high performers.

To return to our gardening metaphor, think of these consistent practices as your fertilizer. Apply liberally with your other CSMs and watch your retention rates blossom.