Quick Hits: Things That Aren't Scary

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Russell Bourne
Russell Bourne Member Posts: 61 Expert
GGR Blogger 2023 GGR Blogger 2021 First Anniversary
edited August 2023 in CS Conversations

October is Halloween month, the month of all things scary; before we get there, let’s briefly examine some things that are not scary.

Selling

Unrealistic quota is scary.  Rejection is scary.  Having someone think you’re pushy is scary.  So selling is scary, right?  Well, it can be if the aforementioned are involved, but they don’t have to be.  People want to buy from people they know and trust.  Be that person to your customers, and honor their trust by only suggesting things they’ll find valuable, at the right times.  They might say no, but it won't damage your relationship.  

Executive Business Reviews

If you’re scared of EBRs, it’s probably because you aren’t sure if all your preparation is going to resonate with your customer’s decision-makers at all.  There are a lot of question marks here: will they stop me on slide 2 because I’ve missed the mark?  Do they even care what their product adoption is?  Is all they care about the roadmap we can’t even commit to?  Fear not, for you have two tricks up your sleeve.  First: ask them what they care about ahead of time and why.  Don’t guess; they’ll tell you if you just ask.  Second: put their answer in your Joint Success Plan, and use that as your meeting agenda.  The Joint Success Plan is the document that connects the dots between data - like adoption - and their ultimate desired outcomes.  Use it, and you’ll always report data they care about.

Werewolves

These are fictional characters, and won’t affect your performance in Customer Success.

The Finance Team

Finance lives in a black-and-white world while CS has to deal with so much grey.  Moreover, Finance seems to decide which billings are valid or invalid, and when to write something off - yet, it’s CS who’s responsible for revenue retention!  How can this be?  The key here is to remember, it’s not you vs. them - it’s both of you vs. the problem.  Don’t argue about the data.  Instead, collaborate when billings are missed or written off: measure the root causes and use the data to drive change on the problems that matter most.

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