Customer Success: Beyond Traditional Metrics for Large Accounts

Customer Success is moving fast.

And traditional metrics like churn and renewal rates don't always tell the whole story.

💡According to a 2023 Gartner study, 81% of customer success leaders believe that traditional metrics alone are insufficient for measuring true customer value.

In particular, when dealing with:

• Large enterprise accounts with long-term contracts

• Mission-critical products

• Industries with high switching costs

• Markets with limited competition

In these scenarios, you need to adapt your approach.

As Nick Mehta, CEO of Gainsight, states:

💡"The future of customer success is not just about reducing churn, but about driving measurable business outcomes for customers."

Key Strategies for Non-Traditional Customer Success

Here are the key strategies you can use when the usual playbook doesn't apply:

1. Shift focus from churn prevention to value maximization

   • Emphasize usage and adoption

   • Become a strategic partner

   • Encourage customer involvement

     "The simplest strategy is to successfully deliver the product customers bought - as expected and when expected." - Kirsten DiChiappari, VP of Customer Success at vCom Solutions

   Learn more about preventing churn in my comprehensive guide

2. Develop a risk assessment framework beyond health scores

   • Identify key stakeholders

   • Test product stickiness

   • Assess potential business impact

   Check out my guide on building customer health scores in HubSpot

3. Reinforce customer relationships through strategic engagement

   • Plan team events and training sessions

   • Organize product roadmap presentations

     "Customer Success is all about the customer. As a leader, you represent the Customer in the organization." - Lara Barnes, former SVP of Customer Success at Sitecore

   Discover effective customer engagement tactics and boost your customer relationships.

4. Get close and collaborate with sales on growth opportunities

   • Identify and communicate expansion opportunities

   • Track your influence on growth outcomes

   Learn how CSMs and Account Executives can collaborate more effectively and maximize growth opportunities.

5. Stay proactive and maintain a comprehensive view of accounts

   • Anticipate and communicate potential issues

   • Understand the broader impact of your product

     "If you can solve a problem for them, saving them time or money, and if you can do it faster or better than they could themselves, you've got their attention." - Kirsten DiChiappari

6. Measure success using alternative indicators

   • Customer engagement levels

   • Product adoption rates

   • Number of use cases implemented

   Explore other customer success metrics beyond SaaS and discover innovative ways to measure your impact.

💡A 2023 Forrester report found that companies focusing on customer value realization saw a 2.3x higher retention rate compared to those solely focused on churn prevention.

💡And according to ChurnZero's 2023 Customer Success Leadership Study, 78% of companies say they have adopted or will adopt artificial intelligence (AI) in customer success within the next 12 months.

Learn about the impact of AI on customer success and discover how AI is transforming the customer success landscape.

The goal is to drive value for customers, regardless of traditional metrics.

But how do you put this into practice?

Find out in my Ultimate Guide for Customer Success Managers. Get practical tips and strategies to excel in your CS role.

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💡Looking for practical tools to implement these strategies? My 150-page Customer Success Templates Collection provides ready-to-use templates for everything from customer onboarding to renewal planning.

💡Check out my SaaS Metrics Quick Guide for essential metrics and how to use them.

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Part 2: Advanced Strategies for Customer Success in Unique Environments (Premium Subscribers)

Real-world tactics that top CS pros use to excel in complex, high-value accounts.

Here's a sneak peek of what you'll learn:

1. How to create a custom success framework that truly reflects your impact

2. Advanced techniques to spot and manage risks before they become problems

3. Secrets to maximizing customer lifetime value in long-term contracts

4. Strategies to become an indispensable partner to your clients

5. Ways to influence product development and drive innovation

6. Techniques for engaging with C-level executives

7. Methods to quantify and showcase your unique value

8. Career growth strategies for non-traditional CS roles

9. Crisis management tactics for high-stakes situations

10. How to future-proof your accounts against industry changes

"Your newsletter is incredibly valuable! It gives a view on how and what to do next."

-Lara Barnes, SVP, Customer Success, Sitecore

Don't miss out—Upgrade now and take your CS skills to the next level!

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1. Developing a Custom Success Framework

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