How One LinkedIn Post Led to a Game-Changing Feature for Customer Success Professionals
In Customer Success (CS), having the right tools to connect with peers and prospects is key.
This post recounts my personal experience that led to a potential game-changing update on LinkedIn, demonstrating how one voice can spark significant improvements in our professional tools.
The Challenge: Finding CS Professionals on LinkedIn
LinkedIn is an invaluable tool for professionals, especially those in Customer Success.
However, until recently, the platform lacked a dedicated "Customer Success" function in its search capabilities, making it challenging to connect with the right CS professionals.
The Power of User Feedback
As an avid LinkedIn user and CS professional, I often struggled with this limitation.
Frustrated by the lack of a specific CS search function, I decided to voice my concerns directly on the platform.
My post highlighted the issue:
"LinkedIn still doesn't have a 'Customer Success' function to help narrow down searches. Users are forced to rely on keywords, often leading to inappropriate results."
You can find my original post here.
The response was overwhelming.
CS professionals from around the globe resonated with this pain point, engaging with the post through reactions, comments, and shares.
Research Supports the Importance of This Issue:
According to a 2024 Customer Success Trends Report, 58.4% of companies cited "Scaling Customer Success" as their second biggest challenge. This underscores the need for better tools to connect CS professionals and share best practices.
Unexpected Executive Engagement
What happened next was truly remarkable.
Within just four hours of posting, LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky himself reacted to the post and took ownership of the request.
This swift response demonstrated LinkedIn's commitment to user feedback and continuous improvement.
The CEO's involvement didn't stop there.
Ryan promptly looped in Omar Siddiqui, Head of Product, Data Standardization at LinkedIn, to drive the conversation forward.
Expert Insight on Customer-Centric Approach
As Ken Lownie, Founder of Ken Lownie Consulting Partners, states:
"Make sure every single employee in your company knows precisely what value your customers seek and how he or she can impact it."
LinkedIn's executive response exemplifies this customer-centric approach.
A Promising Future for Customer Success on LinkedIn
Omar's response was encouraging: "Customer Success Professionals should have a place to easily identify with."
This statement suggested that LinkedIn was seriously considering adding a dedicated Customer Success function to its search capabilities.
A 2024 study found that over 90% of organizations have a dedicated customer success role, highlighting the growing importance of CS and the need for platforms like LinkedIn to adapt accordingly.
Key Takeaways
The power of user feedback in driving platform improvements
LinkedIn's responsiveness to user needs, even at the executive level
The growing recognition of Customer Success as a distinct professional function
What Happened Next?
The feature was implemented as expected.
This experience highlights the importance of voicing concerns and suggestions on professional platforms.
It's a testament to how user feedback can lead to meaningful changes, benefiting entire professional communities.
Industry Leaders Emphasize Customer Success
As Marc Benioff, Salesforce Co-Founder, Chairman, and Co-CEO, emphasizes:
"Nothing is more important to us than making sure every customer is successful in our service."
This philosophy is increasingly being adopted by leading platforms like LinkedIn.
Future Trends in Customer Success
According to the 2024 Customer Success Industry Market Statistics, 55.2% of CSMs predict an increased focus on data analytics and AI integration in customer success.
This trend aligns with the potential other improvements LinkedIn could implement for CS professionals.
As the Customer Success function continues to evolve, so too should the tools we use to connect and grow in our field.
Join the Conversation
Do you have experience with platform improvements driven by user feedback? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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