Customer Success: Beyond Traditional Metrics for Large Accounts
Customer Success is moving fast.
And traditional metrics like churn and renewal rates don't always tell the whole story.
💡According to a 2023 Gartner study, 81% of customer success leaders believe that traditional metrics alone are insufficient for measuring true customer value.
In particular, when dealing with:
Large enterprise accounts with long-term contracts
Mission-critical products
Industries with high switching costs
Markets with limited competition
In these scenarios, you need to adapt your approach.
As Nick Mehta, CEO of Gainsight, states:
💡"The future of customer success is not just about reducing churn, but about driving measurable business outcomes for customers."
Key Strategies for Non-Traditional Customer Success
Here are the key strategies you can use when the usual playbook doesn't apply:
Shift focus from churn prevention to value maximization
Emphasize usage and adoption
Become a strategic partner
Encourage customer involvement
"The simplest strategy is to successfully deliver the product customers bought - as expected and when expected." - Kirsten DiChiappari, VP of Customer Success at vCom Solutions
Develop a risk assessment framework beyond health scores
Identify key stakeholders
Test product stickiness
Assess potential business impact
Check out my guide on building customer health scores in HubSpot
Reinforce customer relationships through strategic engagement
Plan team events and training sessions
Organize product roadmap presentations
"Customer Success is all about the customer. As a leader, you represent the Customer in the organization." - Lara Barnes, former SVP of Customer Success at Sitecore
Discover effective customer engagement tactics and boost your customer relationships.
Get close and collaborate with sales on growth opportunities
Identify and communicate expansion opportunities
Track your influence on growth outcomes
Learn how CSMs and Account Executives can collaborate more effectively and maximize growth opportunities.
Stay proactive and maintain a comprehensive view of accounts
Anticipate and communicate potential issues
Understand the broader impact of your product
"If you can solve a problem for them, saving them time or money, and if you can do it faster or better than they could themselves, you've got their attention." - Kirsten DiChiappari
Measure success using alternative indicators
Customer engagement levels
Product adoption rates
Number of use cases implemented
Explore other customer success metrics beyond SaaS and discover innovative ways to measure your impact.
💡A 2023 Forrester report found that companies focusing on customer value realization saw a 2.3x higher retention rate compared to those solely focused on churn prevention.
💡And according to ChurnZero's 2023 Customer Success Leadership Study, 78% of companies say they have adopted or will adopt artificial intelligence (AI) in customer success within the next 12 months.
Learn about the impact of AI on customer success and discover how AI is transforming the customer success landscape.
The goal is to drive value for customers, regardless of traditional metrics.
But how do you put this into practice?
Find out in my Ultimate Guide for Customer Success Managers. Get practical tips and strategies to excel in your CS role.
💡Looking for practical tools to implement these strategies? My 150-page Customer Success Templates Collection provides ready-to-use templates for everything from customer onboarding to renewal planning.
💡Check out my SaaS Metrics Quick Guide for essential metrics and how to use them.
Part 2: Advanced Strategies for Customer Success in Unique Environments (Premium Subscribers)
Real-world tactics that top CS pros use to excel in complex, high-value accounts.
Here's a sneak peek of what you'll learn:
How to create a custom success framework that truly reflects your impact
Advanced techniques to spot and manage risks before they become problems
Secrets to maximizing customer lifetime value in long-term contracts
Strategies to become an indispensable partner to your clients
Ways to influence product development and drive innovation
Techniques for engaging with C-level executives
Methods to quantify and showcase your unique value
Career growth strategies for non-traditional CS roles
Crisis management tactics for high-stakes situations
How to future-proof your accounts against industry changes
"Your newsletter is incredibly valuable! It gives a view on how and what to do next."
-Lara Barnes, SVP, Customer Success, Sitecore
Don't miss out—Upgrade now and take your CS skills to the next level!
1. Developing a Custom Success Framework
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