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CS = CX + CO

In the B2B world, it's not enough for customers to be happy; they need to achieve their goals too. Customer Success (CS) has evolved to encompass both Customer Experience (CX) and Customer Outcomes (CO). Success Plans are the perfect tool for ensuring customers reach their desired outcomes.This powerful feature in Gainsight allows Customer Success Managers (CSMs) and end users to capture customer objectives, track progress, and ensure desired outcomes.
 

The recent Gainsight CS webinar titled "Optimize ROI with Gainsight: Success Plans" @SharonSalve  and I provide valuable insights on this feature usage. Here's a detailed overview of the key topics covered in the webinar.

 

The Three Stages of Success Planning

1. Business Objectives
   Post-sales teams, including account managers and CSMs, are in a prime position to interact with customers frequently. These interactions help capture the customer's business objectives, understand what success looks like for them, and ensure they see a return on investment (ROI).

2. Success Plan
   Once business objectives are captured, the Success Plan helps strategize the path to achieving these goals. It involves setting tasks, milestones, and timelines to keep everything on track.

3. Take Action
   This stage is all about execution. It involves implementing the plan, monitoring progress, and making necessary adjustments. A proactive approach ensures that customer goals are consistently met.

 

Key Functionalities of Success Plans in Gainsight

With Success Plans in Gainsight, you can:

  • Capture goals and share progress with customers.
  • Monitor goal attainment with visual tools like Gantt charts.
  • Create various types of plans for different products, relationships, and departments.
  • Share plans internally and externally for increased visibility.
  • Auto-trigger Success Plans based on specific customer lifecycle stages (e.g., onboarding).

Multiple Use Cases for Success Plans

1. ROI Success Plan
   Capture customer goals from the very beginning of their journey, often starting in the sales cycle. Transition these goals to the CSM team and collaborate with customers in regular cadences to track progress.

2. Account Planning
   Enhance customer experience by collaborating with your internal team. Use an internal success plan to track your efforts and progress as a CSM.

3. Implementation Team Tool
   Success Plans can double as a mini project management tool for implementation teams. Utilise features like Gantt charts to track project progress and ensure smooth implementation.

Conclusion

In the dynamic landscape of Customer Success, Gainsight's Success Plans are your ultimate ally. They help you capture and achieve customer objectives, track progress seamlessly, and ensure everyone stays on the path to success. Whether you're using them for ROI tracking, account planning, or as a project management tool, Success Plans offer unparalleled functionality and flexibility. So go ahead, dive in, and start crafting your success stories today. Happy success planning!
 

Have a unique use case for Success Plans? Share it in the comments below!

 

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