7 Essential Soft Skills for Customer Success Managers
[Last Updated: Aug 15, 2024]
In Customer Success, technical knowledge alone isn't enough to excel.
The true differentiators are the soft skills that enable you to build strong client relationships, navigate challenges, and drive results.
A recent study by Harvard University, the Carnegie Foundation, and Stanford Research Center found that 85% of job success comes from having well-developed soft skills (Source: Research Gate)
Here are the 7 fundamental soft skills every Customer Success Manager (CSM) needs to develop to stand out and succeed in their career.
1. Ownership: Taking Charge of Your Success
Successful CSMs demonstrate ownership by:
Taking full responsibility for their actions and work
Delivering on promises consistently
Avoiding blame and focusing on solutions
According to a 2023 study by the Project Management Institute, organizations with high levels of ownership complete 89% of their projects successfully, compared to just 36% in organizations with low ownership. (Source: NICE)
As Lara Barnes, former SVP of Customer Success at Sitecore, emphasized:
💡"The right leaders are key to success, not only in building the team but also in managing the customers in the right way."
Read my full interview with Lara Barnes for more insights.
2. Communication: The Foundation of Customer Relationships
Effective communication for CSMs involves:
Active listening to understand client needs deeply
Clear, concise, and purposeful interactions across all channels
Adapting communication style to different stakeholders
💡"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place," said George Bernard Shaw.
This highlights the importance of ensuring clear, effective communication in customer success.
A 2023 Salesforce report found that 80% of customers consider the experience a company provides to be as important as its products or services. (Source: SemRush)
To improve your communication skills, check out my guide on customer success communication skills.
3. Relationship Building: Creating Lasting Partnerships
Top CSMs excel at relationship building by:
Providing value without expecting immediate returns
Identifying common interests to strengthen connections
Prioritizing long-term partnerships over short-term gains
A 2023 study by Bain & Company revealed that increasing customer retention rates by just 5% can increase profits by 25% to 95%. (Source: SemRush)
Kirsten DiChiappari, VP of Customer Success at vCom Solutions, shares:
💡"If you can create opportunities for a customer to grow revenue, you've got their attention. 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."
Read my full interview with Kirsten DiChiappari for more exclusive insights.
Learn more about building lasting customer relationships.
4. Empathy: Understanding Your Clients on a Deeper Level
Develop empathy in Customer Success by:
Focusing on your client's interests and motivations
Using mirroring techniques to build trust and rapport
Asking calibrated questions to uncover valuable insights
Employing labeling to acknowledge emotions and concerns
Recent research from PwC shows that 59% of consumers feel companies have lost touch with the human element of customer experience.
Kevin Herrholtz, VP of Customer Success at AddShoppers, emphasizes:
💡"I think it's important to be empathetic to your team's needs as human beings first. Too often in corporate life, we become very robotic and less human-like."
Read my full interview with Kevin Herrholtz for more exclusive insights.
Discover more about empathy in customer success.
5. Teamwork: Collaborating for Greater Impact
Foster a team-oriented mindset by:
Replacing "I" with "We" in your vocabulary
Giving credit to colleagues and celebrating team wins
Positioning yourself as a leader who empowers others
A 2023 Gallup study found that teams with high employee engagement are 21% more productive.
Gillian Core, Former SVP of Customer Success at Placer AI, advises:
💡"I see Customer Success as a team sport. Unlike other parts of RevGen, we don't compete against one another. If one person is falling short, that would mean our customers are underserved and then we're all failing."
Read my full interview with Gillian Core for more exclusive insights.
For tips on building a strong CS team, read my customer success team building guide.
6. Emotional Intelligence: Navigating Complex Situations
Enhance your emotional intelligence by:
Practicing reflection before reacting to challenging situations
Considering the long-term consequences of your actions
Managing your emotions to maintain professionalism
According to a 2023 World Economic Forum report, emotional intelligence is one of the top 10 skills needed for the future workforce. (Source: Payload)
Melissa Garcia, Director of Renewal Operations at Chief, shares:
💡"I approach leadership with a human-first mindset, acknowledging that each team member has a life beyond the workplace, and it's key to honor and accommodate that reality."
Read my full interview with Melissa Garcia for more exclusive insights.
Explore my recommended books on emotional intelligence for customer success.
7. Time Management: Maximizing Productivity and Impact
Improve your time management skills by:
Focusing on high-priority tasks that drive results
Delegating effectively to leverage team strengths
Applying Parkinson's Law to boost efficiency
Implementing strict meeting protocols to ensure productivity
A 2023 study by Asana found that employees spend about 60% of their time on work about work, rather than the job they were hired to do.
Krystel Leal, Head of Customer Success at OneText, recommends:
💡"I'm a huge fan of time-blocking. If you take a look at my calendar, you'll see blocks dedicated to specific tasks, focused work, and even personal time like going to the gym."
Read my full interview with Krystel Leal for more exclusive insights.
Learn more about time management secrets for CSMs.
Data-Driven Decision-Making in Customer Success
In today's data-centric world, leveraging analytics is key to improving customer success strategies. CSMs should focus on:
Using customer data platforms (CDPs) to unify and analyze customer interactions
Employing predictive analytics to forecast churn, better understand customer needs, and identify upsell opportunities
Establishing and consistently tracking relevant KPIs to measure the effectiveness of customer success initiatives
Lara Barnes emphasizes the importance of data:
💡"Data is key to your success. Not just to show how your customers are performing or not and predicting renewal outcomes, but also to identify where things need attention and fixing in the customer journey to make that experience a better one."
Read my full interview with Lara Barnes for more insights.
For more insights on data-driven decision-making, check out my guide on top 7 metrics every customer success professional should track.
The Rise of Customer Health Scores
Customer health scores are central to modern Customer Success strategies. Consider:
The application of AI and machine learning to enhance the accuracy of health scores
Leveraging real-time data to trigger automated interventions when customer health declines
Best practices for developing an effective health scoring system that anticipates customer needs
Learn more about implementing customer health scores in my article on how to build a customer health score in HubSpot.
Cross-Functional Collaboration and CS Integration
The integration of Customer Success with other departments is vital for delivering a seamless customer experience.
Key points include:
How Customer Success can align more effectively with sales, marketing, and product teams
The rise of customer success operations roles that streamline processes across functions
Strategies for improving inter-departmental communication and collaboration to enhance client engagement
Kirsten DiChiappari shares her approach:
💡"The best way to foster collaboration is to have one set of customer metrics and one budget. If that leader is holding weekly, face-to-face, and "hard" meetings where each of those leaders has a respected voice, collaboration will follow."
Explore my guide on CSM and Account Executive collaboration tips for practical advice on cross-functional teamwork.
Sustainability and Ethical Customer Success
As sustainability becomes increasingly important, Customer Success teams have a role to play.
Consider:
Integrating sustainability goals into customer success strategies
Ensuring ethical practices in data usage and customer interactions
Contributing to broader corporate social responsibility efforts through positive customer engagement
For more on ethical practices in Customer Success, read my article on avoiding assumptions in customer success.
Evolving Skill Sets for CS Professionals
The landscape of Customer Success is evolving, and so are the required skill sets.
Focus on:
The importance of data literacy and analytical skills in understanding customer behavior and trends
Emerging certifications and training programs tailored for Customer Success professionals
Balancing technical expertise with essential soft skills for overall effectiveness in the role
Jill Favro Sawatzky, Chief Customer Officer at Thought Industries, advises:
💡"Take a realistic approach to knowing your capabilities, understand your strengths and your weaknesses. Develop your toolbox in negotiation tactics, reading people, body language, and power of persuasion as well as other soft skills, and do these in addition to your CS training."
Read my full interview with Jill Favro Sawatzky for more exclusive insights.
Discover the best certifications for Customer Success Managers and explore my comprehensive Customer Success Manager skills guide to stay ahead in your career.
And That’s It: Levelling Up Your Customer Success Career
Developing these essential soft skills and staying current with industry trends will help Customer Success professionals significantly enhance their effectiveness, build stronger client relationships, and accelerate their career growth.
As Shep Hyken, a customer service and experience expert, states:
💡"Customer service is not a department. It's a philosophy to be embraced by everyone in an organization".
For more insights on advancing your career in Customer Success, check out my comprehensive Customer Success career guide.
Are you a Customer Success professional looking to enhance your skill set? Share your experiences and challenges in the comments below!