First Customer Success Job: Ultimate Guide for CS Beginners

[Last updated: Aug 15, 2024]

Are you starting your career in the tech industry?

If so, I wrote this guide for you.

Customer Success: A Great Opportunity

Your first job right after college is super exciting.

You’re fresh and eager to start in tech.

But the journey can be tough, especially if it's in Customer Success (CS).

You’re the bridge between customers and the company.

Customer Success Managers (CSM) ensure that customers get the most out of the company’s products and services.

According to a 2023 study by Gainsight, 86% of companies now view customer success as a strategic imperative, up from 62% in 2019.

As Kirsten DiChiappari, VP of Customer Success at vCom Solutions, puts it:

"Customer Success is about understanding what success means to your customers. You need to understand their goals." —read my full interview with Kirsten DiChiappari for more.

So, how are you going to succeed in this role?

Know Your Product’s In And Outs

This is a must.

You've got to know your company's product, what it’s for, and how it solves customer pain points.

You need to be like the person everyone turns to for guidance.

It’s simple logic.

The more you know about the product, the better you can help your customers.

A recent survey by Totango found that 78% of customers expect CSMs to be product experts.

Kevin Herrholtz, VP of Customer Success at AddShoppers, emphasizes:

"All of our clients have success plans where we target their specific business outcomes and set benchmark KPIs that are time-based to ensure we consistently track them."

Read my full interview with Kevin Herrholtz for more practical insights.

Building Trust

It’s a massive responsibility.

Earning trust with your customers is fundamental.

I love comparing the relationship to having a bank account.

You make "deposits" by helping them succeed, supporting their needs, and keeping your promises.

When issues pop up, you might need to make "withdrawals."

Your customers count on you.

As Lincoln Murphy, a Customer Success expert, puts it:

"Customer Success is where 90% of the revenue is."

Communication Is Super Important

Never underestimate the power of great communication.

Keep your manager in the loop so nothing catches them off guard.

Surprises aren't your friends in Customer Success.

Regular updates help you stay on top of things.

Also, communicate well with your customers.

Learn how they like to talk – whether it's through email, phone calls, or messages within the product.

Strong relationships are built on personalized, and great communication.

A 2023 study by Salesforce revealed that 84% of customers say the experience a company provides is as important as its products or services.

Krystel Leal, Head of Customer Success at OneText, advises:

"It's critical to document churn reasons. Churn reasons are defined by who internally could solve that reason. If they leave due to a failure to answer their support ticket, those should be summarized by segment, product, ARR, and have suggestions with the support team regularly."

Read my full interview with Krystel Leal for more insights.

For more insights on effective communication in Customer Success, check out my article on Customer Success Communication Skills.

Keep Learning and Adapting

Customer Success is about understanding what success means to your customers.

You need to understand their goals.

Ask them these powerful questions:

Top 5 Questions To Ask Your Customers

And help them reach those goals using the company’s products or services.

As you work with more customers over time, you'll become an expert in your field.

Use that knowledge to challenge your customers' thinking when it makes sense.

Stay Organized and Set Priorities

Use tools like the Eisenhower Decision Matrix to figure out what's important and what's urgent:

Master Your Day: Eisenhower's Decision Matrix Guide

Make sure you have regular meetings with key people to keep communications consistent.

It's always easier to reschedule a meeting than to chase someone down for one.

According to a report by Gartner, CSMs who effectively prioritize their tasks can increase their productivity by up to 25%.

For more tips on staying organized, read my article on Daily Habits of a Customer Success Manager.

Build Strong Relationships

In Customer Success, relationships are everything.

Keep good records of your interactions with customers in your company's system.

Remember not just what they say but how they like to discuss topics.

Also, note down a few personal things about them.

It will help you build more empathy:

7 Soft Skills To Get Ahead in Customer Success

The rule is simple:

The more you know them, the stronger your relationships become.

A study by Bain & Company found that increasing customer retention rates by just 5% can increase profits by 25% to 95%. (Source: Custify)

Melissa Garcia, Director of Renewal Operations at Chief, emphasizes:

"Actively listening allows us to comprehend our customer's desires and define what success looks like for them. Customers are primarily interested in their own KPIs, not ours."

Read my full interview with Melissa Garcia for more exclusive insights.

Learn from Churn

Retention is part of the Customer Success metrics.

You can't keep every customer loyal to your company.

Some of them will leave for many different reasons.

And that's okay.

What's important is learning from these situations.

Figure out why customers leave and use that information to get better at what you do.

Nick Mehta, CEO of Gainsight, states:

"The biggest barrier to customer success is CEOs not making it an important part of the culture."

For more insights on handling customer churn, check out my article on Customer Success Challenges and How to Overcome Them.

Lean on Your Peers

Your colleagues in the same industry as you know the challenges specific to your field.

Ask for their insights and help.

Networking and working together can provide valuable lessons and support along the way:

17 Powerful Networking Secrets for Conferences [Part 1]

A LinkedIn survey found that 80% of professionals consider networking important to career success.

Diversify Your Skills

As you think about your career in Customer Success, you might wonder if you should try other jobs like Business Development or Sales.

Expanding your skills can be helpful.

But make sure you don't take on too much.

Your main job in Customer Success should still be your main focus.

Getting into Customer Success

If you're looking to break into Customer Success, think about your background.

Some people in Customer Success started in roles like customer support or customer relations:

How to Transition from Customer Support to Customer Success

Having a degree in a related field can help.

But it's not the only way in.

If you've worked in business development, marketing, or account management, that experience can be a big plus.

Use AI and Automation

In 2024, AI and automation are becoming increasingly important in Customer Success.

Get familiar with AI-powered tools that can help improve your work, such as chatbots for customer support or predictive analytics for identifying customers at risk.

Just like the invention of computers, AI is a tool that will enable you to focus on what matters the most and be more effective in your role.

For more insights on leveraging AI in Customer Success, check out my article on AI-Powered Customer Success.

Focus on Value Realization

Customers are increasingly looking for tangible value from the products they use.

As a CSM, you'll need to help customers realize and quantify the value they're getting from your product.

Learn how to create and present ROI reports.

And always tie your product's features to specific business outcomes for your customers.

To learn more about demonstrating value to customers, read my guide on Customer Success Value Realization.

Develop Data Analysis Skills

We are in a data-driven environment.

So being able to analyze and interpret customer data is fundamental.

Learn basic data analysis skills and how to use customer success platforms to track key metrics.

This will help you make data-informed decisions and demonstrate your impact to both customers and your company.

For more on key metrics in Customer Success, check out my article on Top SaaS Metrics And KPIs.

Prepare for Proactive Customer Success

The trend is moving towards proactive rather than reactive customer success.

Learn to anticipate customer needs and potential issues before they arise.

This might involve studying usage patterns, setting up early warning systems, or creating proactive outreach programs.

The 2023 Customer Success Leadership Study by ChurnZero found that 47% of CS leaders came from non-CS backgrounds. (Source: FasterCapital)

Roxanne Rowe, AVP of Customer Success at TrackUnit, shares:

"An important thing to recognize is that careers often unfold in non-linear paths, contrary to many people's desire for a straight and clear trajectory. The fear of seemingly taking steps backward with each role change can be daunting and I have felt that myself. However, it's key to challenge the notion that progress is always upward."

Read my full interview with Roxanne Rowe for exclusive practical insights.

For more information on starting your Customer Success career, read my Ultimate Guide for Customer Success Managers.

And That’s It

Customer Success is a dynamic field where your success is measured not just in numbers, but in the value you bring to your customers.

My key advice to you is to embrace the challenges and keep developing your skills.

Customer Success starts with your own success, first.

Come on, you’ve got this!

Hakan.

For more insights and resources on Customer Success, visit The CS Café Store.

PS. Check out the book I wrote on how to become a CSM. And these other books I highly recommend.

I hope that helps.

-Hakan.