Customer Success: Why Your Tech Stack Doesn't Matter
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Customer Success: Why Your Tech Stack Doesn't Matter
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Special thanks to my Customer Success Platform partners: ZapScale & Customer Success Collective
“Customers don’t care about your tech platform. All they need is to have their problems solved.”
This is what I shared in the Customer Success Linkedin group earlier this week.
Indeed.
As a customer success professional, your goal is to ensure you meet your customers' needs.
But, it's easy to get caught up in the details of your company's technology stack.
You might think it will set you apart from your competitors.
But the truth is, customers don't care about your tech stack.
They care about getting their problems solved, fast and in the most efficient way.
Why Customers Don't Care About Your Tech Stack
When customers come to you with a problem, they don't want to hear about your technology buzzwords. Nor how your company's infrastructure is set up.
All they want is a solution to their pain points.
Think about it like turning on a light switch.
You don’t really care about what’s behind the walls or how the electricity provider would fix any potential issues. All you need is to turn the lights on.
And so want your customers.
They don't care about the fancy technology you're using.
This is why your job is to focus on finding the right solution for your customers.
Not to brag about the technology stack you are providing unless it helps you describe the overall solution.
How to Excel in Customer Success
To be successful in your role, you need to understand your customers' priorities.
What do they care about?
What are their expectations from you and your company?
They want solutions that work, and they want them fast.
And your role is to provide them with guidance and solutions to their concerns.
This requires a range of skills I cover often in my newsletter such as:
strong communication,
deep understanding of the company’s solutions,
and the ability to think in a creative manner to help your customers solve complex problems.
They expect you to take ownership of any issues and come back with a solution in a timely manner.
So you need to be responsive, and reachable as you listen to their concerns.
Plus, it’s an opportunity for you to earn more trust if you go the extra mile and exceed their expectations.
The Golden Rule: Focus on Customer Needs
A solid technology stack can make your job easier.
But it's not what will make your customers loyal to your brand.
Your ability to provide solutions and a stellar experience at all times is what will set you apart.
The goal is to focus on what matters the most to your customer: saving time, money, be more productive, and so on.
This will help you build stronger relationships with them in return.
Customer Success Tech Stack
Now that you are focused on solving your customer’s problems, having the right tech stack in place can significantly impact your ability to deliver exceptional experiences.
Whether you're a small business or a large enterprise, optimizing your tech stack is critical for meeting your customer’s needs.
Here are some recommendations for building an ideal customer success tech stack, tailored for different two major market segments:
Customer Success Tech Stack for SMBs
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System
A reliable CRM system is the backbone of any SMB's customer success platform.
Consider popular options like HubSpot CRM, or Zoho CRM for efficient customer management.
Help Desk Software
Simplify ticket management and streamline customer support processes with dedicated help desk software. Freshdesk, Zendesk, and Help Scout are top choices for SMBs.
Customer Communication Tools
Real-time customer engagement is essential for success. Leverage communication tools such as Intercom, Drift, or LiveChat to provide instant support and personalized interactions.
Customer Feedback and Survey Tools
Gathering valuable customer insights is critical.
Use feedback and survey tools like SurveyMonkey, Typeform, or Google Forms to understand customer needs and measure satisfaction.
Analytics and Reporting Tools
Gain deep insights into customer behavior and track success metrics with analytics tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, or Kissmetrics.
Customer Success Platforms
Implement customer success-specific software like Gainsight, Totango, or ClientSuccess to manage customer onboarding, adoption, and retention. These platforms provide analytics, task management, and customer health monitoring features.
Customer Success Tech Stack for Enterprise Accounts
Enterprise-Grade CRM
Enterprise companies require robust CRM systems that can handle complex customer relationships and scale seamlessly.
Salesforce Sales Cloud, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and Oracle CRM are trusted options.
Customer Data Platform (CDP)
Unify customer data from various sources with a CDP.
Segment, Tealium, and Adobe Experience Platform enable personalized customer success strategies for enterprises.
Enterprise Feedback Management (EFM) Tools
Capture feedback at scale with EFM tools like Medallia or Qualtrics.
Customer Journey Orchestration
Deliver consistent experiences across channels with customer journey orchestration platforms like Adobe Experience Manager, Salesforce Journey Builder, or Oracle CX Journey.
Predictive Analytics and AI
Stay ahead of customer needs with predictive analytics and AI capabilities. Tools such as IBM Watson, Salesforce Einstein, and Microsoft Azure AI enable data-driven decision-making.
Customer Success Management Platforms
Implement comprehensive customer success management platforms like Gainsight, or ChurnZero designed specifically for enterprise customer success teams.
These platforms offer advanced analytics, automation, and customer health monitoring features tailored for large-scale operations.
Remember, the specific tech stack components may vary based on your business requirements and industry verticals.
It's critical to carefully evaluate and select tools that align with your company's goals, scalability, and integration capabilities.
A well-optimized customer success tech stack is paramount to delivering exceptional experiences.
Whether you're an SMB or an Enterprise, investing in the right technology will empower your customer success team to drive success at every touchpoint.
And that’s it!
Remember: your customers don't care about your tech stack.
All they want is to have their problem solved.
And you’d better solve it using the best customer success tech stack.
I’ll speak to you again next week.
-Hakan.
Customer Success AI Hub
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