Pooled CSM External Name

Hi Ross,

I just went through this with a team where I was interim leader. We transformed the whole team to a pooled team approach because the economics did not support their assigned CSM structure. We established an Enablement Program team and aligned the CSM team to two primary segments that we called the Grow Team and the Innovate Team.

The Innovate Team customer base was identified as those who were attuned to technology and just needed change management support to adopt the product and then optimize their use to enable their success.

The Grow Team customer base was identified as those who were new or mostly new to technology and needed more consistent help through the change management process to adopt technology and the product. The goal is for these customers to "graduate" to the Innovate Team and optimize how they used the product and enable their success.

Both team names are for use internally and externally, both are using 1:many approaches with targeted/ strategic 1:1 sessions as needed for onboarding/ adoption and upselling.

Every scaled CS approach is a snowflake-- one size doesn't fit all. I agree with Jeff on using the same name internally and externally. The name should resonate with what the goals are and properly set customer expectations. You may want to call them something like "Customer Success Guides"-- a guide may use a map (1:many) or communicate directly (1:1). But if you do not expect that this customer base will have the opportunity to work directly with a CSM and they will only have access to resources and 1:many activities (office hours, webinars, targeted emails based on behavior), then I would steer away from a name that sets up that expectation.

I would love to hear where you land on it!
Best,
Jan

We call them Customer Excellence CSMs.  Which is the same internally and externally.
Cheers
Celine

I've inherited and changed/used all sorts of naming conventions for teams and roles:

Growth, Retention, Engagement, Specialists, Representatives, Associates, Junior, Technical, Principal, Senior, Advocates, Pooled, Named Accts., etc...

I'd recommend, simplicity:

1. Use the same internally and externally, otherwise, you'll confuse your internal colleagues
2. Don't use: Growth, Retention, Representatives, anything with "Marketing", Pooled, Named, Expansion, or Junior -- they all have negative connotations like exclusivity, selling, novice, etc.
3. Simplicity = the ability to change and augment roles as you address your customers' and company's changing needs

Thanks for the input Karina. Just want to be clear on what you are saying to customers when setting expectations. They are told they are in the "Growth" tier and get a Growth CSM team?

SMB is very standard nomenclature based on the culture of your company. Another one I've used is "Growth" segment.

Thanks Carolyn - we are calling it SMB internally. I did not come up with that so might tweak it later on.

On-Demand Support is something my manager had used in the past so we are starting with that since we already have some signing. I do like the idea of where you are going. I do not want to use support but am fine with iterating, it is what start-ups do.

When we change I can let you know.

Ross - 

We are going through something very similar. We are leaning towards CS Advocate. But also considering CS Programs, CS Business Partner, CS Partner.

And last - we are trying to think through what we call this group of customers: Developing, Emerging, ...

Any insight and where you land would be great to share!