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4 Customer Success Books You Need to Read!

Four must-read customer success books for CSMs: The Trusted Advisor, Customer Success, The Outcome Generation, and The Customer Success Pioneer explained.

4 Customer Success Books You Need to Read!

TL;DR

  • Four customer success books worth reading: The Trusted Advisor, Customer Success: How Innovative Companies Are Reducing Churn and Growing Recurring Revenue, The Outcome Generation, and The Customer Success Pioneer.
  • The Trusted Advisor focuses on establishing trust and becoming a respected partner rather than just a vendor contact; The Outcome Generation is tailored to CSMs working in or with SaaS technology organizations.
  • The Customer Success Pioneer is aimed at CSMs just starting out or seeking clarity on what a customer success career involves.

As any customer success professional knows, learning and growing in your profession never really ends. The world of SaaS vendors is constantly changing, and keeping up with the new trends, strategies, and ideas isn’t always easy. No matter what industry you’re in, it’s safe to say that you’re continuously furthering your education to keep up with the times. Why let your development as a customer success professional fall behind?

Continuing education for CSMs

Stop right there if you’re thinking, “what else about customer success do I stand to learn?”. A customer success professional’s education never really ends, especially when you consider just how unique different customers can be, the different workflows and processes they bring, and the exciting strategies you can learn from your customers themselves.

Just as there are always new ideas around succeeding in sales or marketing, it’s crucial to stay up to date on some of the innovative ways to connect and engage with SaaS customers. It’s also important to familiarize yourself with some of the foundational ideas for customer success.

4 customer success books you need to read now!

Here are four customer success books you need to put on your to-read list ASAP:

1. The Trusted Advisor:

As one of the foundational texts in the customer success world, The Trusted Advisor is all about establishing that elusive feeling – trust – with customers. How can you establish yourself not as a vendor contact but as a trusted, respected partner in your customer’s journeys? This book has the answers.

**2. **Customer Success: How Innovative Companies are Reducing Churn and Growing Recurring Revenue:

Another long-bookmarked favorite for customer success professionals, this book is all about establishing a long-term customer success strategy not only for your customers but for the success of your entire organization. Customer success is a driving force of your corporate goals, and this book is an excellent start for any team looking to implement tried-and-true strategies for success.

**3. **The Outcome Generation: How A New Generation of Technology Vendors Thrives Through True Customer Success:

If you’re a CSM working in a SaaS organization or with SaaS-based customers, this book is for you. The Outcome Generation presents a unique brand of customer success thought leadership that is fully attuned to the goals, opportunities, and challenges of technology organizations.

**4. **The Customer Success Pioneer: The First 12 Months of Your Journey Into Growth:

This book is a must-read for any CSM that may be just starting, looking to grow a career path, or needs more clarity on what a career in customer success means. From actionable strategies for working with customers to insights and education on what makes a CSM ‘great’, The Customer Success Pioneer is more than worthy of a space on your bookshelf.

Want to learn more?

You can explore additional ideas, strategies, and resources to optimize your career as a customer success professional with this additional content from ClientSuccess:

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best books for customer success managers?
Four standout customer success books are The Trusted Advisor, Customer Success: How Innovative Companies Are Reducing Churn and Growing Recurring Revenue, The Outcome Generation, and The Customer Success Pioneer. Each covers a different part of the role, from building trust to SaaS-specific strategy to starting a CS career.
What is a good customer success book for someone new to the field?
The Customer Success Pioneer: The First 12 Months of Your Journey Into Growth is aimed directly at CSMs who are just starting, building a career path, or seeking clarity on what a customer success career means, offering actionable strategies and insight into what makes a CSM great.
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