Customer Reference Program - Do you provide CSMs extra incentive?

Leandro Demari
Leandro Demari Member Posts: 5 Seeker
edited July 2020 in Customer Success Leadership Community

We all know that CSM job is also to become the Customer Advocate and bring references. At same time CSMs behaves like sales people, protecting their contacts a lot, which get testimonial, videos, mkt campaigns harder. Does any of you had run any program with extra incentive (Recognition gift, compensation, etc)  for the CSMs to bring references for Videos, Blogs, etc?

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Comments

  • Kevin Mitchell Leonor
    Kevin Mitchell Leonor Member Posts: 249 Expert
    100 Comments Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    edited June 2020

    We don't currently. In the past, they were part of our MBOs. Those efforts have been replaced with Adoption targeted MBOs.

  • Effie Mansdorf
    Effie Mansdorf Member Posts: 81 Expert
    First Anniversary
    edited June 2020

    References of any kind ( sales rec, whitepaper, quote, CAB, co-presenter) is part of the CSM KPI. They get guidance on strategies like "closed loop"  and relationship related activities. 

  • Kristi Faltorusso
    Kristi Faltorusso Member Posts: 45 Expert
    Second Anniversary
    edited June 2020

    I have tied these to a Spiff in the past but in my current organization I am not. Their job is to ensure strong customer experience and business outcomes which should naturally result in customers wanting to serve as a reference. Our customer success model should ensure this and we have a formal referral management program so I don't see a need right now to add any additional compensation here. 

  • Jeremy Donaldson
    Jeremy Donaldson Member Posts: 71 Expert
    Second Anniversary 5 Comments Office Hours Host 2022
    edited June 2020

    @Leandro Demari - At my previous organization, yes and it now shaped to quarterly Spiff per reference given with a slider based on the reference activity type - basically some reference types are weighted to give a greater ROI then others.

    Currently, no we do not offer incentive comp for references nor track references by account.

  • Rich Watson
    Rich Watson Member Posts: 8 Seeker
    edited June 2020

    Yes - it's part of their KPI's and we have run month or quarter long SPIF's. 

  • Brian Hartley
    Brian Hartley Member Posts: 185 Expert
    100 Comments First Anniversary
    edited June 2020

    Hey @Leandro Demari on occasion we will partner with marketing on a quarterly SPIFF to incentivize CSMs to gain a certain number of G2 reviews, earned media, case studies, etc.  My team is small and relatively junior so they appreciate the extra dollars.

  • Leandro Demari
    Leandro Demari Member Posts: 5 Seeker
    edited June 2020

    Thanks, everyone. Currently, references are on CSMs MBOs and in their Bonus payout as part of the customer experience index.

    Jeremy looks like you had it as a certain period to drive adoption.

    Kristi, you are spot on the reference program. Right now, I'm patterning with Marketing on revamping that plan to make it more agile, which, based on my current process not been friendly, we got thinking on something like Jeremy shared was brought up.

    All answers are very great feedback and help a lot.

  • David Ellin
    David Ellin Member Posts: 169 Expert
    100 Comments Second Anniversary
    edited June 2020

    I've seen companies run a short-term "referral" contest to quickly boost the number of formal customer references and testimonials they can create for future use.

  • Leandro Demari
    Leandro Demari Member Posts: 5 Seeker
    edited June 2020

    Thanks Brian  very insightful. our teams are mostly Senior, but as David said a short-term contest might do the tricky to boost our revamped program and gain the CSMs participation.

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