Understanding customer needs and collaborative solution-finding are intricate but necessary processes in customer success. Vendavo Customer Success Manager Thrudur Starradottir explains how the right expertise, active listening, and professional creativity combine to bring customer success to new heights.
Diversity is more than a buzzword in customer success. Each customer brings a unique structure, industry background, methodology, culture, and goals. A one-size-fits-all approach to success won’t get them very far, because what works for one organization won’t necessarily work for another.
Helping customers see lasting success requires partners who embrace what’s unique about each of their customers and tailor solutions, approaches, and goal tracking accordingly. It’s a collaborative effort, one that begins with a shared vision and is ultimately shaped by the people who bring it to life.
Let’s explore how tailored approaches and close collaboration create a recipe for shared success.
Insights from the Frontline of Customer Success
Your customer success at Vendavo has a role that extends beyond problem-solving. They must possess several skills and traits, including:
- Business acumen
- Strategy and goal setting
- Critical thinking
- Problem solving
- Innovation
- Ability to pivot
Customer success managers need to understand intricate goals and key performance indicators (KPIs), align strategies to address challenges, and provide a pathway toward tangible value. That includes knowing which new solutions might be a good fit for the organization and facilitating smooth adoption.
The Human Element in Technology Adoption
Technology is only as effective as its users, but driving change isn’t just about deploying new tools. Your team needs guidance through the transition to avoid common hiccups and make sure you’re using the solutions and processes as effectively as possible.
Here are a few ways to focus your efforts:
- Be user-centric – Make sure your solutions and plans are easy to use and solving problems
- Pay attention to adoption – Monitor how solutions are embraced and put into practice
- Language matters – Consider whether introducing new languages might enhance the experience
Your solutions won’t be helpful if users are unable to make good use of them. Tailor your technology to make sure everyone involved actually sees meaningful benefits.
How to Ease the Implementation Process
When you work with a partner, vendor, or software provider to achieve greater success, you’re implementing new technology and adopting new software, processes, and operations. All of that will likely come with a learning curve. This is natural and normal, so don’t panic if it takes time to get everyone on the same page.
Here are a few tips to make that process as easy as possible:
- Work with a partner you trust – Your commercial excellence partner should care about ongoing dialogue, be eager to listen, and respond to your distinct needs
- Acknowledge your current expertise – Conversations are enriched by diverse expertise that both clients and partners bring to the table, so be sure to share yours
- Set up trainings – Your partner should provide comprehensive trainings and dynamic discussions for easier software and process adoption as well as better outcomes
- Check in regularly – iI your partner isn’t checking in regularly throughout implementation, you’re not working with a partner. You’re working with a company that just sells software
- Track KPIs – These should be set before you begin your adoption phase so you can measure against that starting point and determine how well your new processes are working
- Provide feedback – Feedback is how we all learn and grow, and will ensure you’re getting the most out of your software implementation
Receiving positive feedback affirms the value of all your implementation efforts. It validates your implementation, approach, and resources dedicated to taking on a new approach. Increases in your growth and profitability will follow.
How Vendavo Can Help
Customer success is a journey filled with learning, growth, and, most importantly, connection. Partnerships thrive on understanding, innovation, and a shared vision for success, but that isn’t the end of the road. You need to choose the right partner to help you achieve lasting, tangible results.
If you’re ready to take your organization’s growth and profitability to the next level, it’s time to partner with an experienced team that’s in business to make yours thrive. Reach out today to speak with a Vendavo expert about how our full suite of commercial excellence and revenue optimization solutions can help.